Traitirous deserter Weir and 75 year old Graham Alexander have been called up the Scotland squad...

Weir, I hate with a passion...I will never forgive him for turning his back on his country when we needed him the most...a fucking w****r...

Alexander, good enough player, but I thought Burley was to be giving youth a chance...

Thoughts???

This is the sort of game where you should be giving the guys that have been involved in the past, but haven't played much, or at all, a chance. I'm disappointed by that.

Do we have such a lack of talent that we're having to rely on a couple of guys who are a boot in the baws away from 40 years old?

5 withdraw, 3 called up

Agreed Doc...

Very dissapointing from that aspect...Michael Stewart being called up is an interesting one...has a temper issue, but can be a decent player...

Absolutely gutted about this. I thought we'd finally seen the last of Alexander, one of the worst players ever to pull on a Scotland strip. We really are struggling for left-backs at the moment.

Weir could probably still do a job, but I'd be utterly disgusted if he gets a start ahead of Barr/Berra after not being in the original squad.

Quite pleased Hartley has pulled out, looks far too slow to cut it at international level now. Hopefully Thomson will get a chance instead.

Why is Michael Stewart in the squad? He played well in the first game of the season, but I'm sure Hearts fans said he was gash last season.

We have loads of central midfielders, and Stephen Hughes should be ahead of him for a start.

I agree with that, but I'm glad he got picked ahead of Wilkie

Wilkie was solid yesterday...Did I say I hate Weir with a passion, the deserting c**t that he is...???

You mentioned that, yes, but he was made a public scapegoat by a useless German coach who used his players to blame for his own failings. I didn't for a minute agree with it, but I did understand it. Would you want to work for someone who goes around telling all who listen you were useless at your job?

That Faroes game was a shambles, not just Weir, but everyone who played that day and Berti, instead of taking the flak, slaughtered Weir.

While Wilkie may have been solid yesterday, he's not international class. He wasn't before and he isn't now. A decent enough player at SPL level, but that's as good as he'll ever be

Wilkie is awful. We'd be better with Broadfoot.

Did someone say Michael Stewart was in the squad??

Aye, Daryll Broadfoot

Clubfoot is utter gash.

If Weir starts ahead of Barr/Berra i will be not in the happiest of moods.

You should see the pelters the Burnley fans are giving Alexander.

We are abit desparate at the back at the moment

I think it's pretty certain that David Weir will start alongside McManus at the back.

But due to the lack of full-backs is there a chance Darren Barr might start or play some part of the game at right-back? He's certainly more than capable of doing so.

Cant beleave Weir & Alexander are back. Surley we must have some young players who deserve a chance before they 2 oaps

Graham Alexander is easily the best left back we have at the moment.

Vogts not pleased at dailly and Weir

Christian Dailly came in for just as much criticisim as Weir, yet did he chuck his toys out of the pram???...Nope he got on with it like a true professional, took it on the chin...Weir took the cowards way out, and that in my book, is disgraceful...Everyone criticised that performance, and rightly so, we were shambolic that day...and no matter what is said, that was down to the peformance on the park...Scotland needed Weir to stand up and be counted after that, but he did not do that, instead he took his ball and ran home...hence the reason I cannot stand him being in the squad now, or even when his old mate Walter took over...

Ok I know I'm probably being biased BUT surely James McArthur is better than Michael Stewart! I know he's in the u-21 squad but come on Stewart is gash! If anyone should've been picked is should've been Stephen Hughes! Also left back, again i'm probably being biased, Brian Easton! He has been solid and is better than Alexander and almost half his age! He should at least be in the u-21 squad!!!

Looks like Scotland are set to lose James McCarthy for definate this week as the 17 year old has been called up to the ROI u-21 squad, well done James but I wish you had chosen Scotland

As a Jambo im happy to see Stewart in the squad. I think it might be a good move. On his day he is no bad. Great game against the Well not so hot at Ibrox.

Michael Stewart blows hot and cold by the looks of it.

You're acting like a childish p***k?


Weir had enough on his plate with premiership football and a tilt at europe to bother with a fucking useless German twat blaming him for the Faroes shambles. The difference between him and Dailly is that Dailly wasn't playing regularly and needs the Scotland gigs to keep his career alive. The embarassment he made of himself after the Germany away game ahowed his desperation at staying involved with the national squad. Dailly was quick to knife Vogts in the back when public opinion turned against the wee German.

Weir proved himself to be a true man of integrity and his word by making himself available once Smith declared he wanted him back. We would still be stuck in a rut if it hadn't been for Weir's leadership and organisation.

Typical pish from you Monkey boy... Everton were not involved in Europe that season...they were involved in a relegation battle...

Although blame is heaped on Vogts, and rightly so, far too many of the players in that team did not stand up and be counted...Weir included...he took the easy way out, and turned his back on Scotland, while everyone else got on with it...Dailly had just moved clubs and was a regular at that time, and has been an excellent servant to Scotland, ready and available for call up at any time, although his international career should be at an end...

If Weir was a man of "integrity and his word" as you put it, he would have carried on playing for Scotland, no matter who was in charge...not pick and choose when he felt like it...

Poor show, we should have been calling up younger replacements - Reynolds instead of Weir, McEveley instead of Alexander, McArthur instead of Stewart. Reynolds and McArthur should be there one day, so why not give them an experience of even just being part of the squad now instead of calling up guys who'll never be established as regulars again?

If you're meaning the Faroes 2-2, then it was in September.

Is Iwelumo of Wolves in the squad? He won't be far off finishing top of the Championship scoring charts at the end of the season

Seconded

It’s amazing he is continually shunned.

My bad...got my faroes games mixed up...last years 2-0 was in June...

Didn't think Caldwell could afford to knock back any call-ups.

I don't think he would give the young players a chance because its so close to qualifiers, where he will go with expeirence.

Wooo! I'm not the only one that would've put McArthur in the squad

the equally dismal 1-1 under Craig Broon was also a June encounter!

The average age is now up to 34.

Nay.

Experience is one thing, having Weir and Alexander in the squad, but as I said before this is the sort of game where Darren Barr and Christophe Berra should be given the chance to show what they can do.

I would even have Allan McGregor in goal, again to allow him a little more experience at international level (one cap to date as I recall).

It's time to let the youngster come through and have Weir and Alexander as back, but only if we really need them.

Typical pish from you....

Everton came 7th that year.
Dailly had been at West Ham for over a year at that point. He made only 147 starts in 7 seasons at this club.

The Faroes debacle was just as much the fault of Paul Lambert as it was David Weir. Lambert was a man applauded for returning to the fold after turning his back on the national team. We had fullbacks Maurice Ross and Stephen Crainey woefuly out of position at both the goals we conceded and our wide players of Allan Johnstone and Paul Dickov were never going to do any defensive work. To single out any player that day was pretty shameful as they were all horseshit. The fact that those 4 players were in the side (along with our dreadful front pair) points at the blame being Berti's.

Dailly has not been an excellent servant to Scotland. He has been a dependable servant. Excellence is measured by success and I'm afraid that term only applied to Scotland once Weir was restored to the line up. Vogts should have apologised to Weir and got him back in to organise his shambolic defence.


Iwelumo was marked out of a game against Division 2 Barnet by a 5'10 left back playing out of position when I last saw him. There are far better candidates for a Scotland squad that that big lump.

He couldn't cut it at Charlton last season. He's a big lump of a player with too many limitations for International football. We have far better (and younger) options than him.

They came 7th only after Watty and Archie got the bullet, and Dave Moyes took over...up until that point they were in the relegation zone...

Weir shouldnt have walked in the first place...his time will soon be over too...

Barr and Berra should get the oppertunity tommorrow night...

Brian Easton will never be good enough for Scotland. And I don't wish McCarthy had chosen Scotland, he is the most over-rated young player out there, McArthur is twice the player he is, yet for some reason the press seem to only want to talk up McCarthy.




You can't call up players just because one day they should be in the squad. If someone is in the squad it should be because at that time they are good enough, if needed, to represent Scotland. At the moment, McArthur and Reynolds are no-where near that standard, so should not be in the squad. If you want to go back the Vogts era of handing players caps after they've made one substitute appearance for their club then fair enough, I don't. McArthur has played two top flight games ffs.

I agree with that. As good a player as McArthur is just now, if he continues to be that good, he'll get his chance eventually. The same applies for Reynolds.

While we are clamouring for these talented youngsters to be given a chance, they need time to develop properly and not thrust into things suddenly.

Having said that, Michael Stewart? WTF?

[quote name='Thundermonkey' date='Aug 19 2008, 18:49' post='2708074']
Typical pish from you....

Everton came 7th that year.
Dailly had been at West Ham for over a year at that point. He made only 147 starts in 7 seasons at this club.

The Faroes debacle was just as much the fault of Paul Lambert as it was David Weir.

Were you even at the game caller. How was Lambert to blame for what happened in the Faroes? It was Lambert and Ferguson that got us the draw!

And Paul Lambert retired from international football at the end of the previous campaign because he didnt think he could cope physically with it any longer not because he was his bottom lip was quivering due to some remark made in anger by a less than useless manager.

If Weir had any balls at all (like Dailly for example) he would have used it to prove him differently instead of going crying to his mammy.

Lambert and Ferguson were on the pitch when the Faroes scored twice.

They are as much to blame for the result as anyone else on the pitch.


Seems like you are as astute as Wee Berti when it comes to reading the game. Do you really think it's just the responsibility of 2 centre backs to stop the opposition from scoring?

The fact that Lambert scored does not absolve him from any blame. In fact, that game summed up Paul Lambert's career perfectly. He was woefully inadequate yet made a remarkable recovery. He made his name in Germany as a defensive midfielder yet it was usually his own slackness that he himself mopped up. All those crunching recovering tackles he made, they were usually on the man he had just lost. In the Faroes, he and Ferguson scraped back the goals in a game they should have been bossing.

More rubbish.

Do you just make this shit up?

Walter Smith got the bullet in March 2002. David Moyes took over and Everton remained in the Premiership. The following September Scotland drew with the Faroes, one month into Moyes first full Premiership campaign that had Everton battling with Blackburn for a European spot, finishing 7th.


If you are going to provide stuff to back up your point at least make sure it's factually correct.

I can't believe that both Weir & Alexander look like they're going to start tonight. Considering they weren't in the original squad and were only called up due to pull-outs to me that just seems like a big slap in the face to the players who were in the original squad but are now behind both Weir & Alexander in the pecking order.

It's also completely and utterly pointless.

To be honest, I already believe International friendlies to redefine futility, but if we are forced to have the wretched things, we should at least try to find out something.

Barr and Berra better get at least half an hour, even if it is just to prove they aint ready yet.

We have to get off to a flyer in the qualifier.

I'm not sure that blooding the likes of Berra and Barr in that game is wise. The only alternative is guys like Weir and Alexander who have the experience. I'd like the defence that will play in the qualifier to play tonight for familiarity purposes. If that is without Barr then so be it. He and Berra should get 30 mins though at some stage.

I'm actually dreading our qualifying campaign.

Given that Burley has (correct me if I'm wrong) one more game before the qualifiers, I don't think including the likes of Barr, McArthur et al is wise. He needs to get settled on his own team and I for one believe that Weir should be a part of that until he himself says otherwise. The guy has been quality for Rangers and I'd still have him in there.

As for Alexander he filled in at left back in Paris and was really good, I think a few folk have an axe to grind with the guy, why I'm not sure. McFadden played average in Paris and hit one outrageous long range effort which crept in and he is lauded as some sort of hero.

I agree with Thundermonkey in respect of our qualifying campaign, were are in a tough section and I think will struggle, especially in the games that we are expected to win.

I don't buy into the idea of sticking with experienced guys like Alexander and Weir. How are players like Whittaker, Berra and Barr ever going to get experience if you don't give them a chance in friendlies.

The same thing happened with McManus. Waited in the wings for far too long, whilst Pressley pretended to be an internation defender and potentially cost us a point in Ukraine.

Get Alexander to f**k

Alexander has never done anything wrong for Scotland but becuase many people hadn't heard of him before he got capped then that automatically makes him not good enough no matter how he plays.

Edit:

Not that I'm saying I agree that he should be straight into the team after being left out I just don't agree with all the criticism he gets.

This is the last friendly before the action starts in September.

Away in Macedonia is not the greatest of openers.


If Burley had one more friendly to tinker about with then I'd also be demanding the like of Barr start tonight. Unfortunately the upcoming Macedonia game dictates who should play and I'm afraid it would be better to give Weir and McManus 60 mins tonight with one eye on that game.

It's the same reason we are going with the experienced front pair rather than Whittaker.

We can only wait and see.

People don't like him because he is not what some people see as properly Scottish. Personally I think he is far more "Scottish" than players like Ferguson who are never available for selection and get deliberatly booked so they don't have to travel across Europe to play a game. Alexander has always been there when needed and done a more than capable job. That's not enough for some of the backward people in this country but hey ho.

You have a point, but it's hardly the same as the Vogts era - it's not like chucking Kyle and Dobie into a competitive game. It's only a friendly, just have the guys along with the squad and maybe give them 5 or 10 minutes from the bench to give them a bit of experience, ease them into the way of things gradually. It's better to do it now than wait until the first choice players in their positions are out injured for a competitive game, and these guys are the best players available (I appreciate that they're quite a bit away from that at the moment) and they have to be given their first cap in an important game. Just give them some experience in a game that doesn't matter too much.

Anyway, I agree with your point about Alexander in another post, he has done well when he's been needed and he's always stood up and been counted, but now he's 37, and his time's up, same for Weir without the standing up and being counted part. It'll be shocking if they play tonight, I can't understand why managers pick players who weren't in the initial squad over those that were; Barr and Whittaker should start tonight. McLeish did it too, bringing in Murty for the Georgia game(I think) rather than picking McEveley, who was already in the squad, and moving Alexander to right back.