Moving forward

[Coooombe]

Just now, The Moonster said:

Aye, appreciate that, was just wondering if Taylor would be competent enough there for when O'Donnell/Tierney aren't available.

I suppose we'd have to try it to find out. He's probably behind Barry Douglas in the left back pecking order as well, so it may be worth trying him at right back first. It's completely mental how many left backs we have when we have literally one competent right back. 

[charger29]

56 minutes ago, forameus said:

March next year will be the next international window, straight into qualifiers.  Expect even if we're a five team group, we wouldn't miss out both March dates.  We'll likely have court (UEFA) mandated friendlies anyway.

I think I'd be happy with a 5 team group.

I think it'd allow McLeish to say to the likes of Robertson, Tierney etc., "you can take a break for this friendly". I doubt players are that happy with even more competitive fixtures being added to the calendar due to the nations league. Especially in the UK with 2 domestic cup competitions.

 

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, The Moonster said:

Could Taylor do a job at right back?

He played right-back a few times for us in the early days, but I'm not sure I'd be happy with him playing there for Scotland at any point. He's not like Tierney, who is a natural defender regardless of position.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, craigkillie said:

Taylor is excellent and is likely to go far in the game, but unfortunately as a left-back his international chances are likely to be limited. Ferguson and Gilmour will definitely play for Scotland in my opinion.

Liam Smith is as good a RB as I've seen at this level since Jackie McNamara, he did well at Hearts, he was excellent for St Mirren last season and he's been outstanding for us this season.

I reckon we have absolutely zero chance of holding on to him and I'd be shocked if he wasn't capped at full international level within the next 12 months.

[forameus]

4 hours ago, charger29 said:

I think I'd be happy with a 5 team group.

I think it'd allow McLeish to say to the likes of Robertson, Tierney etc., "you can take a break for this friendly". I doubt players are that happy with even more competitive fixtures being added to the calendar due to the nations league. Especially in the UK with 2 domestic cup competitions.

 

It does mean that we get given one of the "best" teams as our pot 1.  Whether the 4 that made it to the finals, and will be in the 5 team groups are the ones to fear (we'd still have Spain, France, Portugal, Italy etc all waiting) is subjective.  We lose a pot 6 team, and from looking at us in the Nations League I'd quite like to see us finally face a pot 6 team and comfortably put them to the sword.

Those pot 5 teams though...

[charger29]

25 minutes ago, forameus said:

It does mean that we get given one of the "best" teams as our pot 1.  Whether the 4 that made it to the finals, and will be in the 5 team groups are the ones to fear (we'd still have Spain, France, Portugal, Italy etc all waiting) is subjective.  We lose a pot 6 team, and from looking at us in the Nations League I'd quite like to see us finally face a pot 6 team and comfortably put them to the sword.

Those pot 5 teams though...

Yeah, you could just give some players a break against the pot 6 team too. The most important thing for me is not burning out the players.

From looking at how the main tournament seeding works, I think getting an easy team in pot 5 is key to getting a good seeding. There's a massive difference in quality between Macedonia and Gibraltar (6-0 agg. in nations league) and yet points and goals difference in the main quali is what decides the pots for the tournament now.

[woof!]

17 hours ago, The Minertaur said:

23 man squad.

Goalkeepers - Craig Gordon will be 37 by the tournament and Allan McGregor will be 38.  I'd be amazed if neither of them were to make the team but you would hope that there would be a youngster coming through just now who could step up. Will Scott Bain be getting game time somewhere? Liam Kelly at Livingston is looking good but very young just now.

Defence - Left back is easy with Robertson and Tierney absolutely nailed on.  Centre half you'd have McKenna, Devlin, Bates and possibly Berra (would be 35) or Souttar.  Ryan Porteous a possible back up?  Right back you're either playing Tierney or O'Donnell I presume.  Not much depth at all here. Graeme Shinnie could come in here if needed. 

Midfield - Forrest, Armstrong, Fraser, McGregor, Christie.  These 5 are crucial to us.  Who else do you include? Oliver Burke if he can get a run of games for his club? Matt Ritchie?  In centre mid we could do with McTominay going on loan or leaving Man Utd and I'm sure John McGinn will still be starring for Aston Villa. Could Lewis Ferguson sneak in too? Has been superb for Aberdeen in big matches this season and only will get better.

Forwards - Fletcher and McBurnie I'd have as nailed on as being in the squad.  Fletcher was superb this week and McBurnie looks a bit raw but has great potential.  Leigh Griffiths and Stevie Naismith I'd like in the squad too. 

I've probably missed somebody very obvious!

Looking at the u21 squad from the recent matches to see who could potentially have a breakthrough to the full team -

Gk - Ross Doohan, Ryan Fulton, Robby McCrorie

DF - David Bates, Ross McRorie, Thomas McIntyre,Ryan Porteous, Liam Smith, Greg Taylor, Ryan Williamson.

MF - Chris Cadden, Allan Campbell, Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Morgan, Stevie Mallan, Elliott Watt.

FW - Eamonn Brophy, Fraser Hornby, Michael Johnston, Glenn Middleton, Oliver Shaw.

Not too many names leaping out at me as being future stars.  Middleton could be good and Johnston has shown in spells that he is gifted but I'd be surprised if any were in the coming squads.

I'd also call up Ricky Foster for the preliminary squad and then kick him when the final 23 are announced.  Not even sure I'd wait that long. Get him along for training and get him to put the cones out.

Fraser Hornby is fairly certain to break through. Lewis Morgan is another. 

[Gordopolis]

Fraser Hornby is fairly certain to break through. Lewis Morgan is another. 

Is he ( Hornby)?
I like the idea of having a big thunk like him up top who can do what fletcher does and be a good goal threat too, but it's all just hope at the moment. Be great if he gets into the Everton first team and starts notching goals at that level but he's just as likely to end up on loan at Coventry and go off on a Kevin Kyle type career.
Fingers crossed but we need to wait and see.

[djchapsticks]

19 hours ago, WATTOO said:

Liam Smith is as good a RB as I've seen at this level since Jackie McNamara, he did well at Hearts, he was excellent for St Mirren last season and he's been outstanding for us this season.

I reckon we have absolutely zero chance of holding on to him and I'd be shocked if he wasn't capped at full international level within the next 12 months.

Alan Stubbs passing up on Liam Smith is something that I said would haunt St Mirren. 

Think most of our fans were up in arms that we let him go to Ayr without so much as an offer when we could have had him signed up at any point. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, djchapsticks said:

Alan Stubbs passing up on Liam Smith is something that I said would haunt St Mirren. 

Think most of our fans were up in arms that we let him go to Ayr without so much as an offer when we could have had him signed up at any point. 

Yes, all the St Mirren fans that I know had said they couldn't believe that he'd signed for us and they were all very disappointed that he hadn't ended up back in Paisley permanently.

As I say, it's still early days but he's improving every week, he's got pace, he can tackle, he reads the game well and he's excellent coming forward and to top it all he very rarely receives a booking and appears to have a wonderful attitude.

I reckon Ross may take him to Sunderland as I believe he's a big admirer and of course they've been watching Shankland.

Irrespective, it's just great to watch young Scottish players develop.

[King Kebab]

Is he ( Hornby)?
I like the idea of having a big thunk like him up top who can do what fletcher does and be a good goal threat too, but it's all just hope at the moment. Be great if he gets into the Everton first team and starts notching goals at that level but he's just as likely to end up on loan at Coventry and go off on a Kevin Kyle type career.
Fingers crossed but we need to wait and see.

Did you mean to add the "T"???

[Gordopolis]

Did you mean to add the "T"???

Yeah I did. No idea if it's even a word but it should be, meaning "big lumbering dufus". Kind of like either of the two who stand at the sides of Boyzone (or whatever the kidz listen too these days) just clicking their fingers and not actually singing.

[Bing.McCrosby]

12 hours ago, woof! said:

Fraser Hornby is fairly certain to break through. Lewis Morgan is another. 

 

9 hours ago, Gordopolis said:

Is he ( Hornby)?
I like the idea of having a big thunk like him up top who can do what fletcher does and be a good goal threat too, but it's all just hope at the moment.

He was one I was going to mention at the very start, I watched him in the toulon tournament and he looked a really good player (to me anyway)

Good feet and link up play, he was even hitting the free kicks.

More than just a big thunk, or hunk

Would be great to see him starting some games or even getting a January loan, he's just coming back from a bad injury.

Im fairly confident he will in fact become a real life version of hotshot hamish.

[woof!]

13 hours ago, BingMcCrosby said:

 

He was one I was going to mention at the very start, I watched him in the toulon tournament and he looked a really good player (to me anyway)

Good feet and link up play, he was even hitting the free kicks.

More than just a big thunk, or hunk

Would be great to see him starting some games or even getting a January loan, he's just coming back from a bad injury.

Im fairly confident he will in fact become a real life version of hotshot hamish.

Hornby is very good at laying the ball off or holding up play with  a good first touch.. I thought that stood out a mile. He also seems to be a natural finisher. So a bit of Fletcher and Griffiths in his game. 

[Gordopolis]

1 hour ago, woof! said:

Hornby is very good at laying the ball off or holding up play with  a good first touch.. I thought that stood out a mile. He also seems to be a natural finisher. So a bit of Fletcher and Griffiths in his game. 

That would be a perfect combination for the modern game. Kind of like the noughties when we wanted a striker who was a perfect mix of Kenny Miller's work rate and mobility along with Kris Boyd's penalty box nous and finishing.

As I say, fingers crossed for thunk boy Hornby

[red23]

On 23/11/2018 at 12:28, WATTOO said:

Yes, all the St Mirren fans that I know had said they couldn't believe that he'd signed for us and they were all very disappointed that he hadn't ended up back in Paisley permanently.

As I say, it's still early days but he's improving every week, he's got pace, he can tackle, he reads the game well and he's excellent coming forward and to top it all he very rarely receives a booking and appears to have a wonderful attitude.

I reckon Ross may take him to Sunderland as I believe he's a big admirer and of course they've been watching Shankland.

Irrespective, it's just great to watch young Scottish players develop.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scotland-boss-alex-mcleish-makes-13637012

looks like he's on his radar

(joking aside hope he's found)

[Tartan Dave]

Siriki Dembele is worth a look

[Iabella Duke]

On ‎23‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 12:18, djchapsticks said:

Alan Stubbs passing up on Liam Smith is something that I said would haunt St Mirren. 

Think most of our fans were up in arms that we let him go to Ayr without so much as an offer when we could have had him signed up at any point. 

Smith's replacement at St. Mirren, Paul McGinn, had already been signed before Stubbs arrived.

Hearts let Smith go for free so every other SPFL manager also passed up on him.

Indeed, its surprising that Hearts let him go in the first place as he's obviously such a stick on future Scotland star.

[Marshmallo]

On 11/22/2018 at 16:37, WATTOO said:

Liam Smith is as good a RB as I've seen at this level since Jackie McNamara, he did well at Hearts, he was excellent for St Mirren last season and he's been outstanding for us this season.

I reckon we have absolutely zero chance of holding on to him and I'd be shocked if he wasn't capped at full international level within the next 12 months.

hahahaha

[Craig McCulloch Burley]

Motherwell duo Turnbull and Hastie can in Scotland Squd one day of furture