Ya Bezzer!

The idea that Scottish teams are playing some kind of well drilled pressing game is laughable. In 34 European matches this season Scottish clubs kept 2 clean sheets and conceded 68 goals. There is barely a team in the league that can hold a straight back line so don't talk about effective coaching. Are you honestly saying today's Ross County or St Johnstone are "more athletic and physically intensive" than McLean's Dundee Utd? These days most players need an age to bring the ball under control. And this whole idea that football is 'faster, quicker, stronger' in modern times is utter guff. Football used to be a running game, now it's about possession and passing. If anything it's slower. One of the very worst things I see every week in Scottish football is players taking AN ABSOLUTE AGE to make a decision on the ball. There is no quick pass and move, no running into positions, making space. So many players just don't bother their backside off the ball. The lack of movement off the ball absolutely stinks. It's wind up robot football from players than have the absolute bare minimum technical ability and hardly any professional pride. It's a gig for them. And by the way, you talk about pressing? Back in the day they didn't press, they went straight through you. Fucking bang. There was no standing about with the ball wondering what to do back then.

He's right. I've been going to matches since 1981. The standard has declined massively it's not even an argument. Coaching and players. Now I understand there will be much younger guys than me posting but you don't even have to be a 'dinosaur' to acknowledge the state our game is in. I was thinking the other day about the Motherwell side that beat Rangers in the relegation play off. By league position that's our worst team in the last 20 years yet in terms of talent it was so far ahead of what we watch today it's mind boggling. In recent years I've seen teams from Wales, Iceland and Ireland pump Motherwell. And it's not a Motherwell problem, pretty much ever Scottish team outside Rangers and Celtic get humiliated in Europe. Celtic have dominated Scottish football for a long time. Their European record is catastrophically bad. We talk up Aberdeen's European campaign this season. 1 win in 8. In a dead rubber fixture. We hardly produce any native talent and what little talent there is gets ground down to the prevailing mediocrity. The best thing any Scottish player with ambitions can do is get out this league ASAP.....and most of them do. But forget about words. Just watch the football. If you know anything about the game you MUST know it's terrible. You know what an incomplete pass is right? You know what an inability to cross is right? You know what an aimless hoof up the pitch is right? You know what a complete lack of creativity is right? The SPL was the worst thing that has ever happened to Scottish football. We've been in a deep dive ever since and no one has done anything since, except of course, to make things worse. It used to be a genuine shock when Euro minnows and lower league clubs beat the top level Scottish teams. Now it's just business as usual. And that's the problem, we gotten so complacent and so used to the abysmal standards it's just 'normal' now. It shouldn't be.

Scottish Teams In Europe ©

'Leaving Trunk' off the absolutely amazing bayou funk LP from 1970.

Because the main reason Scottish teams get pumped in Europe is the standard of off the ball/shape/basic defending is atrocious. No Scottish team won 5-1. In fact the weekly aggregate score was 2-15. 2-15. You see now?

Pretty sure Mark Noble has pronounced every team name wrong during the draw.

I think all of those players are individually decent but it's an old back line when you have McGinn (33 soon), Butcher (also 33 this season and coming back from a serious injury), and then you throw in O'Donnell (32 before the end of the season) and Souare (33 currently with a history of injuries). We might get away with it this season, maybe, but at the very latest the back line is going to need major reconstructive surgery for 24/25. We don't want to go down the Hibs route of failing to replace old puffers every season and conceding a catastrophic amount of goals.

Scottish clubs haven't kept a single clean sheet in 16 European ties so far this season, including Hibs losing goals in both legs against a non league team level side from Liechtenstein. In fact the average goals conceded in these matches is 2.3 goals per game. The standard of coaching is abysmal. This should be evident most Saturdays but it's especially acute when placed in a competitive situation against a team from virtually any other country in Europe.

Last week Ollie Watkins had Nebraska sized wide open spaces every time Villa came forward. So I think the issue goes beyond Barry Robson. In fact I'd point out that the two teams that dominate Scottish football, Rangers and Celtic, both have atrocious defences and those are the best teams in the country by a huge margin.

Scottish clubs are absolutely chronic at defending. Even modest sides like Hacken find space so easily virtually any time they get on the ball.

Don't know the rules clearly. An illegal low blow is not restricted to ball shots. Also Usyk wanted to re-start earlier but was prevented from doing so by the referee. You literally got everything wrong here.

This match should be a watch-through-your-fingers cringe fest for anyone involved in Scottish football. Aston Villa can choose what the full time score is without getting out first gear. You can say 'ha ha Hibs' if you like but that's the standard of the Scottish Premiership being completely dismantled by a team in training session mode.

How many times have Hibs left Ollie Watkins all on his own. Even pub teams could work out they need to mark the oppositions main goal threat.

Danilo provided the hilarity by missing that sitter.

How many big match goals do Rangers need to lose from the right back position before they realise Tavernier is absolutely fucking gash? A liability! Apparently never. HOW CAN NOT ONE OF THESE MANAGERS SEE IT!!!!????

Celtic have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 16 league matches. That's matches were they regularly have 75-80% possession. They stink and they are going to get royally pumped in Europe.

That was honestly the best performance I've ever seen from an away team at Fir Park. Scott Brown was incredible in that match when he still had hair and was an attacker. I think today can be surmised as 'Crap Attack vs Crap Defense'. It's kinda like those old black and white 'lion vs tiger who will win' affairs. Except less cruel on the participants and more cruel on the spectators.

During his interview last night McLean looked like he'd have more chance of landing a Boeing 747 with three engines out than successfully managing a professional football team. You can see it, hear it, feel it. He just doesn't have it. Every player will know which is probably why no one wants to sign for him and the ones that have are absolutely demoralised.

At the start of the game I was wondering why there was so many empty seats. First 25 minutes has adequately explained why.

When (older) people say that modern music is absolute garbage and can't hold a candle to the old days they probably aren't aware how bad some modern music actually gets. This for example. Everyone involved in this utter shitefest needs to be ended in a cornfield like Nicky Santoro at the conclusion of Casino.

I turned the radio on (OK, my laptop) to listen to the Hibs v St Mirren match I was was greeted with this gem as they discussed one of the players... "When he opens up his legs, he doesn't disappoint" Outrageous.

Serious question. Has anyone played more for Rangers than Tavernier and won less?

My first memory is being taken to Fir Park by my uncle in 1982. I was only 8 years old so as you can imagine I was more interested in the entire experience than the actual game and I can't even remember the opposition or the score. The main thing I remember was the sort of bleakness of the whole thing. The stadium, sky, punters and possibly pitch were the greyest of concrete greys. I don't remember cheering so I don't think we scored. The terraces were fairly barren and I spent most of my time running around swinging on crush barriers. On the way back there was 'supporter trouble' at the tunnel/underpass up towards Orbiston Street with bottles getting launched and some fighting. *Having done some research after remembering it was Dundee Utd fans that attacked at the tunnel I think it might have been the 23/10/1982 match which Dundee Utd won 2-0. I remember better matches against Airdrieonians and Queens Park which may have been around 1983-84. I started going regularly in 1986. I'd started High School and my mum allowed me to go to the football without adult supervision.

Rangers - Cleared out some dead wood, seem to have made some decent signings Celtic - Might be wrong but I've just got a feeling Rodgers return isn't going to work out Aberdeen - Will battle with Hearts for 3rd/4th. Can be next best if they hold on to guys like Duk Hearts - Will need to improve terrible away record. Not sure about the Naismith manager arrangement. Hibernian - Pure pish but will still finish Top 6 Motherwell - Decent defensively but will need to replace Van Veen's goals. Look out for Lennon Miller. St Mirren - Will compete with Motherwell for the Top 6 spot. Don't think they will get it twice in a row though. Ross County - If they can keep Brophy fit, him Murray and White is more firepower than most of the bottom 6. Livingston - Always seem to do enough, quite adroit in the transfer market. Kilmarnock - More turgid McInnesball. Looked a shambles at the back the other night. Will depend heavily on Kyle Vassell. St Johnstone - Terrible start to the season. Last two seasons have been in decline and this year might be curtains. Small squad, inexperienced manager. Dundee - King of the yo-yo clubs. Again small squad, didn't exactly set the Championship on fire last season. Also, despite her having no interest in football my ex wife lives in Dundee and I hate her guts.