dubs Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 Fletcher keeps on saying that he want to play, there is only 1 man who's not picking him. When has Fletcher said he wanted to play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Fletcher keeps on saying that he want to play, there is only 1 man who's not picking him. Are you referring to the article around the time of the last qualifier where they interviewed Fletcher and he acted the martyr? Just wondering if I've missed something. He may have kept saying he wants to play, but he hasn't done it in the one way he has been told would result in him being back in the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubs Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 The closest quote I can get to Fletcher saying that is 'we'll see what happens' - hardly nailing his colours to the mast is he? I say unless he comes out and says he wants to play, f**k him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lanarkshire Jag Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Not particularly how I remember it. Regardless, the point stands, why would you focus on the weakest part of your game? Because we had shown in previous friendlies that we were able to hold onto a lead. We were holding onto it fine until Bardsley got injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunning1874 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 For me his arrogance in the media and remarks about his appearance shouldn't come into it; all that matters is how we're doing on the pitch, where he has failed miserably. Three competitive wins, against Liechtenstein (twice and Lithuania, are not good enough. We failed to win the game at home to the Czechs due to Levein's failings and we failed to take anything away to them because of his failings. He is the reason we failed to make the playoffs. It's not even as if we've been playing well and just been unlucky with results; our performances have been piss poor for the most part in competitive games. We had a good 45 minutes against Spain, and eh, that's it. You can forgive poor performances when we get a result from them, so he gets away with the Liechtenstein games and Lithuania at home, but the Czechs were the better team in both games with them and Lithuania away wasn't good enough. That was all down to Levein, no matter how much he claims it was the referee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunning1874 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Because we had shown in previous friendlies that we were able to hold onto a lead. We were holding onto it fine until Bardsley got injured. Yes, and when Bardsley got injured we were forced to put a centre back at left back, as Levein had chosen to name four midfielders on his seven man bench which left no room for a natural full back, despite having one in the squad. That centre back was then caught out of position for the penalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigy_Bhoy67 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 - Calling up players from Burton Albion Just to address this one point, he didn't even call up Diamond so that is wrong. Most of your points have been said already in this thread so this isn't specifically to you, more my opinion on the negative thoughts. I can't excuse 4-6-0, there is no way we should really be going anywhere and playing that negatively and that defensively. I was annoyed about that but we're in a new campaign now and really we should be supporting the team for this campaign which we actually have a chance to qualify from rather than focusing on the campaign that was for a tournament that's already been played. I accept that the 4-6-0 was wrong but why are people still going on about it? As for him walking out of the press conference, however unprofessional it was, I can understand it. We just came back against the World and European Champions and nearly held them to a draw, it was a great performance from us and instead of focusing on that performance, he went back to a previous game which I'm sure Levein was already asked about when the Czech game ended. We definitely improved in the second half of qualifiers. I think the first-half was a learning curve more than anything. In the second half of qualifiers, we ran Spain close, we didn't scrape past Liechtenstein, we scored one goal against a very, very defensive side who just try not to lose and they didn't threaten so we won comfortably, even if just by the one goal. The Lithuania game was more nerve-wracking than it should have been, true. The Czech game, we invited them onto us after we scored our goals and then we didn't do too badly against Spain in the away game. We comfortably beat Northern Ireland and Wales (which we've failed to do in the past, 0-0 at Hampden, the drubbing in Cardiff) and played well against an Irish side who went on a thirteen game unbeaten run after beating us in what was a close game. Levein's had twenty games in charge, we've won half of them, drew three and lost seven (three of which were against vast superior oppoisition in Spain and Brazil). Some people are going to dislike him no matter what and I can understand why people are rubbed the wrong way by him because of some of the things he's done but I still think he deserves the full support for a second campaign and if we fail spectacularly then fair enough but people who have for his sacking and are saying they aren't supporting him when the qualifiers begin on Saturday should really just get behind their country because at the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing from this campaign and that's qualification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubs Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 Another question is, should we really be anywhere near qualifying for major finals? I would suggest no, to be honest. You basically have to be in the top 16 in Europe and I don't think we're there currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lanarkshire Jag Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Yes, and when Bardsley got injured we were forced to put a centre back at left back, as Levein had chosen to name four midfielders on his seven man bench which left no room for a natural full back, despite having one in the squad. That centre back was then caught out of position for the penalty. Yes, i know that. I wasn't agreeing it was the best thing to do, i was just stating what happened Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lanarkshire Jag Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Another question is, should we really be anywhere near qualifying for major finals? I would suggest no, to be honest. You basically have to be in the top 16 in Europe and I don't think we're there currently. We'll be one of these countries that qualifies for the Euro 2016 and ends up with 3 defeats out of 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbling Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 When has Fletcher said he wanted to play? You're the one claiming "Fletcher doesn't want to play". Fletcher tweeted straight after words to effect of......" To clarify I haven't quit the team, I only asked to be refused for the one game to concentrate on wolves and getting back my fitness" He's since been interviewed for a paper and has repeated his desire to play. Why do you keep pretending that players need to put their name in for selection? The players named in the squad didn't fill out a form and email Hampden asking to be picked. What is crystal clear is Levein isn't selecting Fletcher based on a petty squabble between two arrogant dicks. It cost us a place in Euro 2012 and It was ensure we won't qualify for WC 21014. Cheers Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigy_Bhoy67 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 It goes both ways though. For a start, Fletcher should never have texted to say he didn't want in the team. In a situation like that, you at least phone. That's what Levein was annoyed about. It's petty from both of them, it's childish and it should've been resolved by now but it goes both ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbling Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 It goes both ways though. For a start, Fletcher should never have texted to say he didn't want in the team. In a situation like that, you at least phone. That's what Levein was annoyed about. It's petty from both of them, it's childish and it should've been resolved by now but it goes both ways. Quite. But managers are paid to manage players. Leveins handled the situation in a terrible manner, it will cost him his job, but more importantly it cost us Euro 2012 and will cost us WC 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisGRAEME Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Another question is, should we really be anywhere near qualifying for major finals? I would suggest no, to be honest. You basically have to be in the top 16 in Europe and I don't think we're there currently. We should've qualified for the playoffs at the last 3-4 attempts. Smith failed after collapsing in Belarus (I think it was?), despite almost rescuing it after Berti's terrible start. McLeish failed, despite the horror show of a group we had, Burley failed (which can almost all be attributed to Iwelumo, unfortunately, I thought he was a deece option as a target man...), Levein, so far, has failed. It was entirely achievable in all of these groups, except, Smith/McLeish, and thats the closest we came. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinkinFighter Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 He asked not to be selected. For a friendly no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 For a friendly no? Does that matter? Surely any player should be taking the Darren Fletcher route of making themselves available for any match, friendly or otherwise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginge123 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I think he could be the right man for the job but he needs to have a settled squad. Bringing in new faces is all well and good but there's no point in introducing them wholesale. 13 players in the squad for the next two games have under 10 caps, granted 2 are goalkeepers, and only 2 have more than 25. 13 players played against either the USA in May and/or Australia in August and have been left out of this squad. Bedding in players over a longer period of time would, in my opinion, go a long way towards producing a winning squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aufc Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Fletcher keeps on saying that he want to play, there is only 1 man who's not picking him. But you are right, If Fletcher is lying and actually doesn't want to play, Levein would have the backing of everyone. But Leveins pride is more important than anything. So this will never happen. Fletcher will more than likely be back in the team before the season is out anyways. Why do you lie so much? You just make up shite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubs Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 If Steven Fletcher doesn't want to play a friendly then he isn't committed enough. Get him to f**k. He isn't *that* good - Rhodes could well turn out to be a better player, and he is as committed as they come. I'd rather have a squad of guys will to put a shift in than the likes of Steven Fletcher who couldn't give a monkeys about playing for Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubs Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 We should've qualified for the playoffs at the last 3-4 attempts. Smith failed after collapsing in Belarus (I think it was?), despite almost rescuing it after Berti's terrible start. McLeish failed, despite the horror show of a group we had, Burley failed (which can almost all be attributed to Iwelumo, unfortunately, I thought he was a deece option as a target man...), Levein, so far, has failed. It was entirely achievable in all of these groups, except, Smith/McLeish, and thats the closest we came. Why "should" we have qualified? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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