Mexico v Scotland Sun 3rd June 2018

[Ludo*1]

It's mad how we've went from our goalkeeper being our absolutely strongest position to potentially a cause for concern within a couple of year. Craig Gordon's form has been iffy at Celtic recently, but he's yet again our cast iron number one. David Marshall is about 3rd choice at Hull (Or at least was when McGregor was there) at a Championship club and McGregor has re-joined the banter bus.  Gordon and McGregor will be 39/40 by the time the next WC rolls around - So we'd be left with one of the 3 from last night. Archer, the most promising of the 3 had a howler of a debut, Bain isn't Scotland standard IMO and McLaughlin who has came from nowhere will be 34. Now, 34 isn't terribly old, but he's hardly the future of Scottish goalkeeping.

Bit of a concern IMO.

[Enigma]

Play McLaughlin for the next couple of years and hope somebody comes though I think.

[King Kebab]

Out of the three keepers we tried out over the South American jolly, I thought Bain looked the most assured out of all of them!!!
I know, I was surprised too!!!

[SlipperyP]

I think we will be able to overturn this scoreline when they send their C squad to Scotland.

[TheScarf]

There should be as many Celtic players shoehorned into the starting 11 as possible IMO.  They play in the CL every season and are getting exposed to elite level players, playing the likes of City, PSG and Bayern.   You can see how much fluid Scotland look with them all playing together as well.  McGregor, Armstrong, Forrest, Tierney,  Griffiths, Gordon (sometimes) are all better choices than guys playing for Fulham, Cardiff, Derby etc.

 

 

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

22 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

There should be as many Celtic players shoehorned into the starting 11 as possible IMO.  They play in the CL every season and are getting exposed to elite level players, playing the likes of City, PSG and Bayern.   You can see how much fluid Scotland look with them all playing together as well.  McGregor, Armstrong, Forrest, Tierney,  Griffiths, Gordon (sometimes) are all better choices than guys playing for Fulham, Cardiff, Derby etc.

 

 

It may have slipped your notice, but Celtic (and the players named) regularly get an absolute horsing against 'elite level players'.

The only player you've named on your list there who is true international class is Tierney. The rest are good players who stroll through the Scottish Premiership looking good but are a million miles away from being able to compete at the top table.

Now, that's not to say that Scotland has better players out there. I doubt if we do. But the simplification that playing in the Champion's League each year automatically equals being an international class player is just that, a simplification.

 

 

[FullTimePint]

9 hours ago, No_Problemo said:

 

It does - really depends how Robertson gets on at left midfield. You obviously lose allot from Tierney if he’s playing LCH.

It’s a difficult one between 3-5-2 (more like a 3-5-1-1 as we don’t have two decent strikers) and 4-4-1-1.

 

I understand why folk think robertson would be a good left mid, but i think we would lose his attacking impact on the game if we did that.

He isnt really a tricky winger that beats a man to get to the byline, more-so, i think he is at his best on the overlap, or when the left mid drifts inside and opens up the space for him to bomb into. If he was consistently one on one, or even trying to beat the opposite left mid and left back, i think we would lose him from the game.

From watching the odd game for liverpool this year in the Champs League, their movement up front opens up so much space, that i think that has been the catalyst for him being able to push so far forward. Im not sure with the squad, or even the rigid tactics we play for scotland that he would get so much freedom.

I think the most likely outcome may be that Tierney or Paterson get shoe-horned into rightback in a 4-5-1, pretty much irrespective of the quality we play against

[Dullard Bluteau]

75% failure rate for McLeish now. His only excuses seem to be " it wasn't a heavy defeat". That's a great comfort to the fans, no doubt. Did the idiots who selected him really expect anything other than failure ?

[TheScarf]

8 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

It may have slipped your notice, but Celtic (and the players named) regularly get an absolute horsing against 'elite level players'.

The only player you've named on your list there who is true international class is Tierney. The rest are good players who stroll through the Scottish Premiership looking good but are a million miles away from being able to compete at the top table.

Now, that's not to say that Scotland has better players out there. I doubt if we do. But the simplification that playing in the Champion's League each year automatically equals being an international class player is just that, a simplification.

 

 

it may have slipped your notice, but the Celtic-based players I mentioned are the best players available to the Scotland manager.  Before we even discuss my point about them playing at a higher level than anyone else.

[CM.]

In the last 2 years aswell Celtic have faced PSG, Bayern Munich, Man City and Barcelona in europe. Outwith top seeds (who we'd be expected to lose to anyway), any country that we've faced in qualifying in the last few years are nowhere near the level of they 4 sides. So to argue McGregor, Armstrong et al shouldn't be in the squad cause they lost a couple of games to opposition of that standard is strange. 

Then theres EdiBairns "best" Scotland XI - Jesus H Christ.

 

 

 

[No_Problemo]

I understand why folk think robertson would be a good left mid, but i think we would lose his attacking impact on the game if we did that.
He isnt really a tricky winger that beats a man to get to the byline, more-so, i think he is at his best on the overlap, or when the left mid drifts inside and opens up the space for him to bomb into. If he was consistently one on one, or even trying to beat the opposite left mid and left back, i think we would lose him from the game.
From watching the odd game for liverpool this year in the Champs League, their movement up front opens up so much space, that i think that has been the catalyst for him being able to push so far forward. Im not sure with the squad, or even the rigid tactics we play for scotland that he would get so much freedom.
I think the most likely outcome may be that Tierney or Paterson get shoe-horned into rightback in a 4-5-1, pretty much irrespective of the quality we play against

Probably agree, however would give Robertson a try at left midfield in the next friendly to see what happens.

[BucksburnDandy]

Thank f**k your no manager then eh. That team looks absolutely woeful, no pace, no energy, absolute pish. And Hanley. [emoji23]

The Scotland team should be built around Callum MacGregor, Stuart Armstrong and McTominay. Robertson and Griffiths too. The rest is up for debate.

Tierney as well

[velo army]

Robertson is one of the best left backs in Europe right now. To put him at LM merely to allow KT a game in that position seems a little bit strange. Not as strange as the idea that Championship hoofers like Cairney and Burke (Burke?) would be better in the Scotland squad than the Celtic boys who helped us go unbeaten in 2018. That's just bizarre.

 

[LiviLion]

10 hours ago, No_Problemo said:

 

I would still like us to try Tierney at left back and Robertson at left midfield to see how it goes, may be a good tactic particularly against the better teams.

 

The Belgium game is an ideal time to try it out.

 

Gordon

 

RB

Mulgrew

McKenna

Tierney

 

Robertson

McTominay

Armstrong

McGregor

Fraser

 

Ritchie/Snodgrass/Phillips/Burke/Cairney

 

Griffiths

 

We have loads of options for the player behind the striker - no idea who I would pick, would depend on form at the time.

 

As for the RB clusterfuck, I would genuinely still be asking Hutton to come out of retirement. We’re that desperate.

Are we allowed to play 12 players these days? Nice of FIFA to bend the rules to help the shiter nations be more competitive. 

[Guest DAVIDB69]

My concern with Griffiths is that with scotland is that a kind of moment in the sun is usually good credit for about 20 caps ie the free kicks against England .

 

Apart from those as great as they were , what has he actually done in a scotland shirt . He still looks too small and light to me to be a regular threat at international level.

 

The style we will play under mcleish is not really suited to him, but i appreciate we don’t have much else

 

[Peppino Impastato]

55 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

It may have slipped your notice, but Celtic (and the players named) regularly get an absolute horsing against 'elite level players'.

The only player you've named on your list there who is true international class is Tierney. The rest are good players who stroll through the Scottish Premiership looking good but are a million miles away from being able to compete at the top table.

Now, that's not to say that Scotland has better players out there. I doubt if we do. But the simplification that playing in the Champion's League each year automatically equals being an international class player is just that, a simplification.

 

 

Your entire post is also a simplification.

[JamesM82]

3 minutes ago, velo army said:

Robertson is one of the best left backs in Europe right now. To put him at LM merely to allow KT a game in that position seems a little bit strange. Not as strange as the idea that Championship hoofers like Cairney and Burke (Burke?) would be better in the Scotland squad than the Celtic boys who helped us go unbeaten in 2018. That's just bizarre.

 

McLeish had basically the right idea in March, 3-4-2-1 with Robertson and Forrest as wing backs. It also negates the lack of a right back. I'm assuming he went 4-5-1 in these two games because he was trying to avoid an absolute pumping.

Gordon

McKenna - Mulgrew - Tierney

Forrest - McTominay - McGeouch - Robertson

Armstrong - McGregor

Griffiths

[No_Problemo]

My concern with Griffiths is that with scotland is that a kind of moment in the sun is usually good credit for about 20 caps ie the free kicks against England .
 
Apart from those as great as they were , what has he actually done in a scotland shirt . He still looks too small and light to me to be a regular threat at international level.
 
The style we will play under mcleish is not really suited to him, but i appreciate we don’t have much else
 

He was fantastic when given a chance in the last campaign. Not just the goals against England - bringing others into play, linking up etc etc. His overall game was excellent against England in particular, which he continued. He then went on to score twice more in the campaign.

[No_Problemo]

Robertson is one of the best left backs in Europe right now. To put him at LM merely to allow KT a game in that position seems a little bit strange. Not as strange as the idea that Championship hoofers like Cairney and Burke (Burke?) would be better in the Scotland squad than the Celtic boys who helped us go unbeaten in 2018. That's just bizarre.
 

I didn’t suggest doing it permanently - I suggested trying it in a friendly for 45 minutes. Y’know, experiment - ultimately Tierney and Robertson could swap about.

[Guest DAVIDB69]

He was fantastic when given a chance in the last campaign. Not just the goals against England - bringing others into play, linking up etc etc. His overall game was excellent against England in particular, which he continued. He then went on to score twice more in the campaign.

Fantastic is maybe over doing it, but in the mcleish era it will be even heavily more defensive , strachan was a few more goals but dreadful defensively so I feel he might struggle to get in the side

I am not convinced he will be a first choice for mcleish