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Squad for Lithuania and Malta


Gordopolis

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We can't have a negative goal difference and finish with 14 points in the second place table. That would require two wins, which would put our goal difference at 0, at worst.

Completely ignoring your actual point that our goal difference is poor, of course.

/pedant

Edit: just noticed that Bosnia could be in goal difference trouble once they take their likely second spanking by Belgium. They're on +2 right now.

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I think it's very, very likely that'd we'd have the worst goal difference of all the second place teams, which is why it's particularly important that one of the others fucks up in winning enough points somewhere along the way!

Fortunately, there seem to be quite a few possible candidates, and I'm fairly confident that 14 points would be enough for us to sneak in.

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1 hour ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

We can't have a negative goal difference and finish with 14 points in the second place table. That would require two wins, which would put our goal difference at 0, at worst.

Completely ignoring your actual point that our goal difference is poor, of course.

/pedant

Edit: just noticed that Bosnia could be in goal difference trouble once they take their likely second spanking by Belgium. They're on +2 right now.

If Bosnia lose to Belgium then their goal difference will likely be irrelevant, since their points tally will be 11 at most.

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Anything less than 6 points for Bosnia means the 2nd place team in that group (which could still be Greece) can't reach 14 points. A lot of us will likely be watching their home game against Belgium on 7th as I don't think we can rely on Estonia to do us favour.

Am I right in saying Bosnia are also notorious bottlers in pressure games?

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Hoist by my own petard  :(

Bosnia are fucked. No way our group's second placers are missing out on the play-offs. We've practically won the cup already lads, yeeha!

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On 05/09/2017 at 22:05, Rednyella said:

 

Whilst I agree the tempo and final score was poor your comments on Griffith and Brown I don't agree with.

They train and play with their clubs all day every day. They have a rapport with Celtic that is tough to replicate with players from all over in the national side. For Griffith to score 3 and assist 3 in as many games is as good a striker as we've had in the last few campaigns. He's confident, enjoying his football and has been patient in his relationship with WGS. I think he will continue to score goals for us. He's our best option and in a club team that is invincible presently. Rodgers is a big part of aiding his mentality. Not just WGS who only sees him a few times a year.

 

Brown has got fit, got over his niggly injuries and also is super confident playing in a much improved Celtic side who have qualified for ECL 2 years straight. Rodgers has influenced his decision to aid Scotland in a push to qualify. Whilst it wasn't his best performance he strolled the game and on top of that kept his head. He knew any reaction would see him potentially seeing yellow or maybe red. He didn't react when that scumbag spat on him. He showed maturity and seems focused in his approach for Scotland.

Slightly harsh to suggest he should have been sent off. Didn't think he put a foot wrong on that end. He spoke well after match also.

 

End of the day we did what was needed. We may look back at the Lithuania home draw and last minute Kane equalizer if we don't make the play off as there is no doubt we should be at least 2 points better off. But WGS has literally changed the team from that night at home v the Lithuanians. With Robertson, Tierney, Armstrong, Griffith, Phillips, and likes of Fraser, Burke and players like Fletcher's, Maloney no longer in first XI you can't say WGS has at least tried some new blood who are playing for sides with confidence and form. I'm no Celtic fan but it makes sense to play these players due to their energy, form and confidence.

 

International football is tough. Even against likes of Malta and other smallest nations in UEFA. I think we sometimes don't realize how much goes into trying to mold the right team for each game. We've struggled but we can now qualify. It won't be easy and is a long shot but if we beat Slovakia at home we set up a cup final with Slovenia. Which makes it at least interesting for the nation.

 

Some good points there. I still think though that the mark of a true professional is to handle the transition from club to country. The same transition that our great strikers of the past managed to make - be they Dalgleish or McCoist. I agree re. Rodgers though. Griffiths has had well publicised problems w/ anti-social behaviour and apparently a lax attitude to training. BR seems to have handled him well and got the best from him.

The arguments that moulding the team for these games is difficult surely counts for all international teams. I'm just frustrated that a nation with the footballing pedigree of Scotland is lagging way behind others - even those of our size and smaller.

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