Scotland V England

[mizfit]

So...yesterday we got a good result which has breathed life into a campaign destined for failure now it seems.

 

Our next match is against an England side who are yet to lose, or even concede in qualifying yet.

 

A win here opens up the group, a loss...well we're not going to Russia in that case.

[tree house tam]

Always a good day out in Glasgow when England are in town.

[Londonwell]

Our unstoppable march towards Russia continues apace. Never in doubt.

[harry94]

5 minutes ago, mizfit said:

A win here opens up the group, a loss...well we're not going to Russia in that case.

If we win every game apart from this one, it's not that unlikely that we'd finish second in that scenario. The problem would be if somebody else took a shock result over England, that may scupper us.

The problem is that I can't see us not slipping up again. Away to Lithuania and Slovenia and then at home to a team who have humped us 3-0 and being required to do it is a tough ask. If we were to win our games (apart from England) and see a repeat of the first round results between other sides, the table becomes:

Change that to Slovenia not slipping up against Lithuania and we're still a point ahead. Change the outcome of the Slovakia V Slovenia fixture doesn't change anything too.

In regards to the 2nd placed table, an outcome with us winning our games would also likely see us ranked above Group F.

Lithuania away is probably the next big hurdle we face (unless we f**k up to Malta at home).

[AyrTroopMajor]

Although we got horsed 3-0 there, I wasn't remotely impressed with Slovakia when I saw them. They skelped us because we were an absolute sham, not because they were a great side. Same goes for the draw with Lithuania, if we hadn't made them look good, they would have left empty handed. Last night was promising, but we've used up all of the crap performances that we can get away with and need to be absolutely on point for the rest of the campaign.

It's no coincidence that things started to look up when we decided to drop Darren Fletcher to bring in Stuart Armstrong by the way. No disrespect to Fletcher, but there's a new guy in town who can do things that Fletcher simply cannot.

[forameus]

7 minutes ago, AyrTroopMajor said:

Although we got horsed 3-0 there, I wasn't remotely impressed with Slovakia when I saw them. They skelped us because we were an absolute sham, not because they were a great side. Same goes for the draw with Lithuania, if we hadn't made them look good, they would have left empty handed. Last night was promising, but we've used up all of the crap performances that we can get away with and need to be absolutely on point for the rest of the campaign.

It's no coincidence that things started to look up when we decided to drop Darren Fletcher to bring in Stuart Armstrong by the way. No disrespect to Fletcher, but there's a new guy in town who can do things that Fletcher simply cannot.

This, although I wouldn't have said we made Lithuania look good.  We made them look average, just that we were several rungs below that mark that night.  

[Staggie_93]

Not in the SSC but hoping to go to this, reckon they'll be much left for the general public?

[accies1874]

Not in the SSC but hoping to go to this, reckon they'll be much left for the general public?

An ideal kick-off time, the first game against England at Hampden since '99 (?) and coming off the back of a decent win would suggest not. However, the bat-shit mental prices and the fact that it'll almost definitely be a pumping may give you a chance.

[Staggie_93]

3 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

An ideal kick-off time, the first game against England at Hampden since '99 (?) and coming off the back of a decent win would suggest not. However, the bat-shit mental prices and the fact that it'll almost definitely be a pumping may give you a chance.

Aye would be a great day out, being on a Saturday in June. Suppose after last nights win the interest levels would've gone up.

[HibeeJibee]

3 hours ago, harry94 said:

If we win every game apart from this one, it's not that unlikely that we'd finish second in that scenario. The problem would be if somebody else took a shock result over England, that may scupper us.

The problem is that I can't see us not slipping up again. Away to Lithuania and Slovenia and then at home to a team who have humped us 3-0 and being required to do it is a tough ask. If we were to win our games (apart from England) and see a repeat of the first round results between other sides, the table becomes:

Change that to Slovenia not slipping up against Lithuania and we're still a point ahead. Change the outcome of the Slovakia V Slovenia fixture doesn't change anything too.

In regards to the 2nd placed table, an outcome with us winning our games would also likely see us ranked above Group F.

Lithuania away is probably the next big hurdle we face (unless we f**k up to Malta at home).

To play devils advocate, how will outsiders will be looking at the first half of our campaign.

Beat Malta comfortably albeit struggled for a while... had to rescue a draw at home to Lithuania... gubbed away to Slovakia and England... nicked a late winner at home to Slovenia...

Fourth with 3 of our 4 easiest matches played.

Unbeaten, yet-to-concede England up next while Slovenia and Slovakia will be expected to clock-up another 3pts against the trailers .


On the other hand if we can get something against England and/or take maximum points thereafter it might still be on .

Realistically the best hope would be Group E continuing to cut each others throats. Although how long Armenia and perhaps Romania can keep this us, I'm not sure. Both their next 3 matches are pretty tough, although there's also Denmark-Poland.

[mizfit]

Aye would be a great day out, being on a Saturday in June. Suppose after last nights win the interest levels would've gone up.

Members of the SSC can buy extra tickets, just check around, usually someone will have one spare.

[JCR]

6 minutes ago, Staggie_93 said:

Not in the SSC but hoping to go to this, reckon they'll be much left for the general public?

Doubt it. Scotland season ticket holders can buy 2 extra, so in the home end you've got 29,231 SSC members getting one and of them 9-10k (iirc) who can buy 2 more.

 

[hellbhoy]

Absolutely dreading this fixture.

No doubt the usual pish after getting horsed aff these fannies, "Big positives from the game and they didn't deserve to score 5 or 6 goals and if one or two decisions went our way we'd have only lost by 3 or 4 goals which is good considering how shite our national team has become"

Hoped for radical changes when Strachan took the job with the emphasis on pressuring and attacking the opposition and forcing them to make errors, the thing is I feel we have the players to do that but wee Gordo keeps playing it fucking safe by giving caps to the boys even though these c***s sit on the benches most times for their domestic clubs or just can't be arsed putting a shift in.

Time to try something different me thinks like playing players who are on form and in a position they play for their club.

[resk]

Realistically the best hope would be Group E continuing to cut each others throats. Although how long Armenia and perhaps Romania can keep this us, I'm not sure. Both their next 3 matches are pretty tough, although there's also Denmark-Poland.

Searching around the other groups trying to convince yourself we still have a chance?

Never go Full Scotland.

[accies1874]

English football fans are fucking wanks, as are their commentators. Other than that I don't have anything against them, though it'd be absolutely glorious if we beat them. Sadly, I do wonder if we will ever beat them again.

[jagfox]

Not a bad fixture to have up next especially on the back of a decent win.
The first England game despite the result wasn't our worst performance of recent years. England deserved their win of course but were clinical with the chances they created.
Strachan has found the makings of a first eleven and the defence limited Slovenia in scoring chances.
England will be strong favourites but some of their players are a bit off the boil. Also the end of a long season. A bit of a cliché as our Championship players may have played more games in the run in.
Need every player to turn up on the night.
It's the hope that kills you...

[Gordopolis]

Is there the potential for a friendly before or after the England game? I fully expect we'll pass up the opportunity anyway.

[HibeeJibee]

57 minutes ago, Gordopolis said:

Is there the potential for a friendly before or after the England game? I fully expect we'll pass up the opportunity anyway.

"Either/both".

Already confirmed (UEFA):

Mexico v Croatia
Morocco v Netherlands
Switzerland v Belarus
Mexico v Eire
Northern Ireland v New Zealand
Eire v Uruguay
Armenia v St Kitts & Nevis
Netherlands v Ivory Coast
Hungary v Russia
Belgium v Czech Rep
Israel v Moldova
Denmark v Germany
Italy v Uruguay
Spain v Colombia
Finland v Liechtenstein
Russia v Chile
Belarus v New Zealand
France v England
Romania v Chile
Colombia v Portugal
Norway v Sweden

[Gordopolis]

11 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

"Either/both".

Already confirmed (UEFA):

Mexico v Croatia
Morocco v Netherlands
Switzerland v Belarus
Mexico v Eire
Northern Ireland v New Zealand
Eire v Uruguay
Armenia v St Kitts & Nevis
Netherlands v Ivory Coast
Hungary v Russia
Belgium v Czech Rep
Israel v Moldova
Denmark v Germany
Italy v Uruguay
Spain v Colombia
Finland v Liechtenstein
Russia v Chile
Belarus v New Zealand
France v England
Romania v Chile
Colombia v Portugal
Norway v Sweden

Cheers. I know Canada was sh*te, and friendlies usually are, but we need to work on making them work for us.

If we did play a friendly before England, I'd opt to have a 30 strong squad again and give the fringe guys a chance to stake a claim. That was the plan with Canada and tbf, it showed up a fair few who played in that match as being off the pace, so you could say it was helpful in that respect. Who to play? Estonia or the like - maybe at Tynecastle?

[forameus]

Gibraltar or San Marino at Firhill.