Best scotland performance you've seen

[pub car king]

What is the best performance you gave seen in your time following the national team?

I don't mean scudding some amateurs like Gibraltar but in a competitive game when it mattered.

For me France away with the mcfadden wonder strike/total fluke. For me it was as good a defensive display as we have produced France were limited to desperate shots from 30 yards and would still be playing now without a goal. Alexander and Hartley were the stand outs that night but everyone was awesome.

[Officer Barbrady]

Much as i enjoyed both France wins, they left a lot to chance. On another night, they could both have been doings. Defensively excellent, yes, but i'd take greater encouragement in mastering teams in every department. 

 

The most recent worthy of note, is the 3-1 demolition of Ukraine. At that point, we definitely fronted the 'best of the rest' with that display. The second leg at Wembley was almost as complete a performance, had that tie gone to ET, England were finished. The home win against Austria in 97 was as complete a midfield mastery as we've exerted in my lifetime, Collins Lambert and McAllister fused brilliantly together that night. Switzerland simply fell to pieces at Villa Park, such was the dominance; we just couldn't score again. And, lastly, the massacre of France in 89. 

[Cov_Doonhamer]

Both Croatia games under Strachan spring to mind. As does the famous France win.

Thought we gave a good account of ourselves against Holland, Spain and Germany in the last 3 campaigns but ultimately they were still losses. Aside from those unfortunately it's been pretty miserable during my time as a Scotland supporter.

[placidcasual]

Yeah, was coming on to post the Ukraine game too. Absolutely annihilated them that day. I was at that France game Barbrady mentioned. Mo Johnston scored twice, I'm sure it was pissing down. Seem to remember getting soaked at the old Celtic end which was uncovered at the time. I was at the reverse fixture in Paris too, we got pumped 3-0 but it made no difference in the end up.

[BIGQ FAE KDY]

spain at hampden in 1984 when we beat them 3-1 and king kenny scored 1 of the greatest scotland goals ever.

[D.A.F.C]

 

Only ever been to one Scotland game, pissed down with rain all night but I was just in awe of the size of the original hampden more than the game itself. Recently the wins against top sides seem a bit lucky and against the run of play. The home game against Ireland was a good performance but even then they hit the bar. 

[Monkey Tennis]

The two I'd go for have been mentioned.

Ukraine as the more recent performance and Spain if going further back.

 

A best away performance might narrow things down a fair bit.

[sergie's no1 fan]

France away was special.

It's a shame the play-off v Holland ended the way it did because it took the shine of a stunning performance at Hampden. When you look back it was a cracking Holland team, Lee Wilkie had Van Nistelrooy in his back pocket all game.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, sergie's no1 fan said:

France away was special.

It's a shame the play-off v Holland ended the way it did because it took the shine of a stunning performance at Hampden. When you look back it was a cracking Holland team, Lee Wilkie had Van Nistelrooy in his back pocket all game.

Yes that home leg against the Netherlands is a decent shout.

We scored, contained them well and might even have sneaked a second.  The post script does get in the way though.

[Willie adie]

That France game in 89. If I recall correctly Jim Leighton was superb too.  Was that Joel bats in goal for the French, langfield esque performance at second goal

[DA Baracus]

England away in the playoff in 1999. We were brilliant and very unlucky not to take it to extra time. England didn't manage a single shot on target despite having Shearer and Owen up front.

This was the teams;

Seaman, P Neville, Campbell, Adams, Southgate, Ince, Redknapp, Beckham, Scholes, Shearer, Owen.

 

Sullivan, Weir, Davidson, Dailly, Hendry, Ferguson, Dodds, Burley, McCann, Hutchison, Collins

[sergie's no1 fan]

2 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Yes that home leg against the Netherlands is a decent shout.

We scored, contained them well and might even have sneaked a second.  The post script does get in the way though.

Scotland: Douglas, McNamara, Pressley, Wilkie, Naysmith, Fletcher, Dailly, Ferguson, McCann (Pearson 71), Dickov (Miller 66), McFadden (Hutchison 90).
Subs not used: Gould, Graham Alexander, Caldwell, Crawford.

Holland: Van der Sar, Ooijer, Stam, De Boer, Van Bronckhorst (Seedorf 45), Van der Meyde, Cocu, Davids (Van der Vaart 60), Overmars, Kluivert (Makaay 77), Van Nistelrooy.
Subs not used: Waterreus, Zenden, Reiziger, Van Hooijdonk.

When you look at the line ups it is even more impressive, it was a pretty iconic goal that won the game too. I was in the Holland end for that game, fair play to them they shook our hands after the game ect but could tell they knew they were confident of giving us a pasting in Amsterdam. Still didn't stop me and my mates bouncing to Rocking All Over The World after the game, little did we know.......

 

[Venti]

 

[dogmc]

Quite depressing really how few marquee performances there's been in my lifetime. (Am 43). Shows how much easier qualification was when Europe had more slots and far fewer teams. Ukraine Holland Spain England n france stick out as great wins. The away game v France wasnt quite as back to the wall as the home game. Gordon was only called into action a couple of times and gary O'connor (yeah i know the team sheet is quite amazing given the result ) had a great chance to make it 2 nil. In addition to those been a few friendly results that were tidy -don Hutchison scoring to beat Germany away and mckimmie smashing one in top corner to beat Argentina.

Eta the Croatia wins home n away are by a huge margin our best results in recent times, just highlighting how far Strachan has dropped from what he was capable of. Only us and England have won in Croatia AFAIK and we may be only side to beat them home n away in a campaign

[banana]

25 minutes ago, dogmc said:

Quite depressing really how few marquee performances there's been in my lifetime. (Am 43).

 

Was thinking a few days ago, when's the last time we turned over even a half-decent team with a dominant performance? Closest I can think of are Ukraine 3-1 and Bulgaria(?) away (4-1?) in a friendly years back. We really are pish.

[Savage Henry]

Croatia at home was about the only above par performance Strachan has managed.  Croatia away was an absolute freak of a result.  They pummelled Scotland for 90 minutes. Probably the last time Scotland deservingly beat a much better team was Croatia at home.  4-4-1-1 anyone?  That team was so much better balanced than Strachan's current XI.

ETA: I had forgotten about Anya's dive for the penalty in that game.  Still, a good performance against a much better team.  

[ICTJohnboy]

8 hours ago, BIGQ FAE KDY said:

spain at hampden in 1984 when we beat them 3-1 and king kenny scored 1 of the greatest scotland goals ever.

 

I was at that one, kind of behind KD and could see the amount of curl he got on that strike.

I've also got this memory from 1967 of childhood heroes of Law and Baxter when Scotland "hammered" world champions England 3-2 at Wembley.

 

[Alert Mongoose]

 

The build up to that goal was exceptional. What a roller coaster of emotion that night was.

[peasy23]

spain at hampden in 1984 when we beat them 3-1 and king kenny scored 1 of the greatest scotland goals ever.

Yep, that was the first game I thought of too.

[PrestersKTID]

Definitely Croatia at home for me. Most of the "big results" like against Holland and france were due to mostly graft and a stroke of luck whereas we dominated Croatia for large spells. Naisy, Snodgrass played quick intricate passes around the box which broke down Croatia regularly.