Was utterly shocked to see in today's Herald that TB has hinted Kris Boyd will have to make do with a place on the bench as Smith reverts to the 3-5-2 with McFadden and Miller up front, that was successful in Norway and Slovenia.

I really think this could prove instrumental in our downfall for this trip - I can't see us getting many chances over there, and Boyd IMO is more likely to make the most of the odd half-chance than Kenny Miller. What do you guys think?

I'm all for going defensive on occassion but if we look like doing any damage to them whatsoever he better get Boyds arse off the bench pronto. Jury's STILL out for me

Why not post the comments from Tommy Burns and the reasons behind his hint that Boyd will be relegated to the bench.

I think it might touch into a discussion we had a few weeks ago about strikers and their contribution all round to a team.

I'd be tempted to go same again for tomorrow.

A win is a must - even a draw is no good.

Boyd doesn't contribute nearly enough, goals apart. I imagine Smith's thinking is Miller and McFadden will defend from the front and they have the pace to stretch Lithuania.

If this match was in Glasgow, I'd have no hesitation in starting Boyd but agree with the logic of not starting him away from home. Will be interesting to see who comes into the side though.

Miller is good at holding and bringing others into the game. I am convinced that Boyd will feature at some point. If the game plan works he will get at least a 20 minute run-out

Play the same team that Started on Saturday, for crying out loud.

All too often over the years we play defensive football from the start, go goals down, fling on the forwards that should have started the game and we look a far better team, but it's too late to rescue us.

As much as a like Boyd, i would say its the best thing for tomorrow night. Have Miller and McFadden take their defenders for the runabout and bring on Boyd after 60 minutes for Miller and keep pressurising them and he's bound to pick up a couple of chances from their tired defence.

I agree with that Coups. I think he would be more effect coming on as a sub later in the game!



Walter record away from home is excellent (particularly against Norway and Slovenia) and think we have to trust him on this one

You can't argue with Walter, the man knows far more than any of us. I for one am totally trusting him in any decision he makes. He knows best!

As the rangers fan said earlier if we bring boyd on later in the game with a tired lithuanian defence he will do the business

MON THE SCOTS

what would you prefer
a) a fast player who will annoy the defenders but can't buy a goal ( that penalty does NOT count!)
a penalty box predator who is more likely to put any chances away and has been scoring this season.

It's a tough call, the "Miller for 60 minutes then Boyd" approach might be the best.

And so is McFadden, but they need someone in the middle who will score goals. I don't see how anyone could justify dropping someone who scores for fun for a must win game.

your avatar and signature gave that away mate

When I first saw the title of the thread my first thought was 'what you playin' at Watty?' but after reading some of the posts it does make sense. Lithuania aren't going to be the pushovers the Faroes were and we will most likely spend most of the game in our own half.

Then again, Bulgaria were supposed to pin us back and I would say that Lithuania aren't as good as them.

My team would be:
Gordon
Weir, Pressley, Naysmith
Dailly, Fletcher, Hartley, Quashie
McFadden
Miller, Boyd

(3-5-2)

I'd not be unhappy with that. Boyd has a big future with Scotland but he won't harrass the defence in the way Miller and Faddy will. Given that it's an away game I'm happy for us to go with just 2 up front and bring in another midfielder. It's worked for us in the recent past, there is no reason why it won't again.

Smith knows what he is doing. Remember that he has been on a learning curve just as some of the players have. It's his 1st proper international job and the games at the start in Italy and Belarus will have been valuable lessons, as Austria, Norway, Slovenia and Bulgaria have proved.

100% convinced we can get the win from this game

Wouldn't really argue with that team tbh. Would maybe move Dailly back to centre-half and move Naysmith into a left-wing back role. Take Boyd out of there and stick Severin in the middle of the park with Fletcher moving over to the right of midfield or Gary Teale in as a right wing-back.

or

Go with pretty much that team but take Boyd out for Russell Anderson, giving a back three of Weir, Pressley and Anderson, midfield remaining the same with Quashie moving from the left into the middle to accommodate Naysmith and putting McFadden up top with Miller.

However, I can't see Smith making too many changes. I'm happy to go with his judgement.

I'd trust whatever side Smith puts out.His away record has been good,and our last away performances in Norway and Slovenia were very impressive so I think it's natural he'll want to keep the same shape.I just hope that if he does drop Boyd to the bench it pays off as 4 goals in 3 caps is an exceptionally impressive ratio,no matter what opposition we were up against.

Interestin discussions here, really isny written in stone who should be playen. We aw know how deadly McFadden can be when he comes on as a sub. A honestly think bringin a fresh striker who is scoren goals for fun into a tired defence, will get us goals. We shall see wit happens the morra

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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



I'd agree with that. McFadden and Miller have worked well before for Scotland, so why not stick with whats tried and tested. Boyd will get a run out at some point no doubt.

Interestin discussions here, really isny written in stone who should be playen. We aw know how deadly McFadden can be when he comes on as a sub. A honestly think bringin a fresh striker who is scoren goals for fun into a tired defence, will get us goals. We shall see wit happens the morra

We're playing against some beetroot munching Hearts rejects not bloody Brazil. Play the same side as saturday and get tore into the buggers.

at the end of the day, i'd have to agree with that ...

is it definitely a 3-5-2 that wat's going for? the bbc website says that miller will play as a lone striker with gary caldwell coming into defence - this could hint at a 5-4-1 like we played in the kirin cup which might look something like this:

-------------------gordon
dailly - pressley - weir - caldwell - naysmith
--fletcher - hartley - quashie - mcfadden
--------------------miller

5-4-1 sounds very defensive, though it can quickly change to 3-4-3 in attack and it was that formation which beat bulgaria 5-1, but even so i think we could easily go for a 4-4-2 tomorrow night.

i dunno if the bbc story is speculation or not, and i dunno where the 3-5-2 that people are talking about on here is coming from, the only thing that i've heard directly from the scotland camp is that we will probably be more defensive against lithuania tomorrow than we were against the faroes on saturday - so we won't be seeing a 4-3-3 then, but why not simply a 4-4-2? and who said that boyd's definitely going to be dropped? is that for definite or just speculation?

Sky Sports website indicating we're likely to go 3-5-1-1.

I'm not convinced that Lithuania are going to be a constant attacking force. I really don't see why McFadden can't lead from the front himself with Boyd alongside him to... well... score

This isn't an anti-Miller thing because I do rate him (surely he'll start up front with McFadden?), but overall I agree with Estragon that, with McFadden on the pitch, Boyd isn't going to jeopardise the team by being a passenger.

Either way, it's a decent position to be in where we have 3 decent forward players who are challenging for a spot. I wouldn't be heartbroken to see Boyd on the bench but if we're struggling in the first half I'd love to see him on in the 2nd.

The Independent said the same this morning.

In the games against Norway and Austria was Miller not effectively playing alone up front? I can't honestly remember It seemed to work then.

With caldwell replacing boyd.