Elixir

If Hickey doesn't make it then the balloon is already burst. Patterson will be fortunate to have a decent career in the English Championship. Hilarious that Cream Buns thought he was equal to or better than Hickey not so long ago and it's sickening that Hertz got peanuts for him in comparison. Hickey will be first choice for one of the big boys very soon.

Serious teams don't suffer abject humiliation at home to Larkhall Loyal. Still, whatever makes you sleep better.

It's not. Our starting eleven is chock-full of Premier League players. Hungary have a load of jobbers cutting about the Hungarian league. But yes, having a proper manager who can get the best out of the group at his disposal is an entirely different matter, however...

Disagree. Hungary are a good unit who have had some good results in recent years, but I refuse to look at their squad and think that, other than Szoboszlai, we aren't better than them in every other position. They also had a joke of a qualifying group. Switzerland are a seasoned outfit at tournaments, but we should be more than capable of going toe to toe with them. A good team would beat Hungary and at least draw with Switzerland, which would be enough to qualify with a bit to spare. We'll see what happens. Let's hope so...

This sort of loser pish is why we will always struggle as a nation. We should have pumped the illegitimate statelet and the Taffs still would have been beaten. 'Good laugh whatever happens.' We should be targeting the last eight if we have any ambition whatsoever. Well, that was the hope before this international break.

Can't even fully appreciate Wales making a c**t of it because we have fallen off a cliff.

It's almost like we've done the same - already on our holidays and not giving a toss.

Which now looks like it's all going to be for naught. Well, other than three more ducks. That's seven without a win since we qualified, and we've just been papped at home to Norn Iron. Pretty much all the same things we laugh at Southgate and England for isn't too dissimilar to what we're now facing. A stubborn manager that is out of ideas. Loyalty to the same players also means complacency for said players, and makes those on the periphery become disillusioned. Clarke deserves immense criticism for how badly things have gone. The fact they were actually going right frankly only makes this situation worse. We should be going to this tournament with the belief that we can really compete - instead we're probably going to be whipping boys again who are there simply to make up the numbers. We should all be buzzing, but it has gone totally sour. Still, at least we should beat Gibraltar before we go! Dykes and Adams will probably get hat-tricks to show what absolute ballers they are.

When were they last on the park when we were actually winning? The monstrously bauld fraud usually chucks them under the bus when we're losing.

Letting young guys like Tommy Conway, who is vastly outperforming that utter diddy dumpling Lyndon Dykes in the very same league, fanny about in the U21s, should tell you everything you need to know about the problems that still persist within our game.

That dour fraud getting his just deserts for his Southgate loyalty syndrome. Losing at home to the failed statelet, worst run of form for 20 years, out of ideas, and the feel good factor long gone. Yeah, see ya.

Yup, though that applies for any attraction/museum worth seeing really, particularly in Rome/Italy.

If you don't go to Galleria Borghese, you're doing it wrong.

Thick bun tramps thinking they can afford Shankland, though.

Can we please be clear that it will take £7/8m for Shankland to move in January? If nobody is willing to pay that or believe it's overpriced, then that's fine, but his goals will fire us to the ~£5m that third place brings in, and then there's the additional value of the player himself on top of that. It's fairly simple stuff.

Shankland 'adores' Rangers. Source: trust me, bro. That's nice. It's unfortunate Rangers are unable to afford him. Only if bigger clubs than Rangers from the English Championship cough up, or the Saudis. It certainly won't be Ibrox. Sad to see Dundee fans shilling for Glasgow Rangers. If he decides to down tools he can kiss goodbye to seeing Germany in the summer. Won't happen. Hopefully we do let his contract run down and he decides to sign another three-year deal when the time comes. So long as you understand that Shankland won't be joining Rangers next month, that's fine. Perhaps you could pass it on to the rest of the dumplings in your support. Why is the majority of your fan base chugging themselves silly thinking it's in the bag for this third rate Kris Boyd? Are you all just really thick?

If nobody is going to pay that, it's fine by me as it means he won't be going anywhere in January. He is the difference between us getting European riches and not, which obviously has to be taken into account regarding his overall valuation. His value will likely come down a bit in the summer unless he has a stormer at the Euros, but even then it will still take £3/4m to land his signature. I imagine this is what will probably happen, unless come the summer Rangers end up looking elsewhere.

He won't be sold in January unless it's for ridiculous money, and anything equivalent or below what we'll make for finishing third doesn't fall into that category. Ideal scenario is he injures himself for a few months while scoring the winner in the Euros final, which causes other clubs to look elsewhere, before he then signs a new five-year bumper deal with Hertz.

I said closer to £10m. Plenty folk, whether at the wind-up or not, reckon £2/3m and he'll be away. Pure fantasy. Rangers would probably get him for £7/8m, but they won't/can't pay that.

Rangers fans need to get it through their cretinous skulls that unless they cough up closer to £10m, Shankland won't be going anywhere in January. Alas, they are a bunch of utter tramps, so they won't. This ain't ~2010 where Hearts are toiling for cash and urgently need to sell. We have no reason to, and he is clearly happy enough at present. The board also know they are under pressure after the recent AGM and won't entertain anything other than silly money. Nor can he afford to down tools and/or chuck the toys out the pram to try and force a move if he hopes to be on the plane to Germany, let alone push to start as Scotland's number nine in the summer. The ball is firmly in Heart of Midlothian's court. Unlucky.

Valid concerns, as perhaps would be a loss of physicality in midfield. With us already qualified, however, the upcoming matches next month and/or other games we will play pre-tournament would be an opportune time to develop a 'plan B'. McTominay's goal for Man United tonight was everything you would want from a number nine. Let's not forget it's not an alien position for him: he often played as a striker in his youth. Ideally, someone will have a storming second half of the season and play themselves right into contention (I'm looking at you, Ross Stewart).

Starting XI: Gunn Hickey Porteous Hendry Tierney Robertson Gilmour Ferguson McGregor McGinn McTominay

I'd like to see us stick McSauce up top in these games, with Ferguson coming in from the start. Dykes has done a solid for Scotland, but we shouldn't be sentimental here (i.e. sticking with Marshall instead of Gordon at the last tournament). Adams missed a sitter which should have got us a point in Spain. McTominay has shown himself to be a fucking goal machine, on top of the physical attributes he provides. I really hope this is something we consider. Frankly, it's also just getting increasingly harder to justify Ferguson not starting matches. We have shoehorned Robertson and Tierney into an excellent system that works for us. I believe doing similar in this regard would strengthen us further.

Torn between being disappointed that Scottish independence is now never going to happen for at least a generation, but also being delighted at everything falling in on so many snakes and lickspittles. Moving abroad has never looked so appealing, imo.