2020 Group Draw

[forameus]

As always, people seem to be struggling to accept that there's a position between "WE'LL PUMP THESE FUCKING KAZAKH <INSERT ANIMAL HERE> FUCKERS!" and "We're Scotland so there's no chance we'll win there".  

[Estragon]

Looking into this further, it's absolutely vital that we win our first qualifier in Kazakhstan.  It's obviously very reminiscent of disappointing Scotland venues of yesteryear, but in our last 5 Euro campaigns, we've had our first qualifier away from home on four occasions - and have never won one.

Two draws in Lithuania, one in Toftir, and a spirited defeat to Ze Germans.  It's an uphill struggle straight away.

All in all, of the 18 teams who finished in positions 1 & 2 in the Euro 2016 qualifiers - 15 won their opening game.  Switzerland lost to England, who won every game - Portugal lost to Albania before winning every other game, including doubles over Denmark and Serbia - and Austria drew 1-1 with Sweden.

[King Kebab]

I do think that 12 points from San Marino and Kazakhstan are stick ons but we seem to be overlooking the fact that Cyprus away is the dodgy one, we have struggled although won both previous fixtures there before but they were a fight and somewhat fortuitous results both times in fact we need about 9 mins of injury time to beat them in one of the ties!!!
Shouldn't be underestimated, we had a far superior side and players then to what we have now and we just got away with it then!!!
We should cuff them at home though, they don't travel well!!!

[an86]

10 minutes ago, King Kebab said:

I do think that 12 points from San Marino and Kazakhstan are stick ons but we seem to be overlooking the fact that Cyprus away is the dodgy one, we have struggled although won both previous fixtures there before but they were a fight and somewhat fortuitous results both times in fact we need about 9 mins of injury time to beat them in one of the ties!!!
Shouldn't be underestimated, we had a far superior side and players then to what we have now and we just got away with it then!!!
We should cuff them at home though, they don't travel well!!!

Kazakhstan is no gimme. We *should* beat them, but we should have won in Georgia as well. 

[craigkillie]

13 minutes ago, King Kebab said:

I do think that 12 points from San Marino and Kazakhstan are stick ons but we seem to be overlooking the fact that Cyprus away is the dodgy one, we have struggled although won both previous fixtures there before but they were a fight and somewhat fortuitous results both times in fact we need about 9 mins of injury time to beat them in one of the ties!!!
Shouldn't be underestimated, we had a far superior side and players then to what we have now and we just got away with it then!!!
We should cuff them at home though, they don't travel well!!!

I'm not sure that a game which took place before most of our players were born will have much bearing on this upcoming meeting.

[craigkillie]

I was just having a look off the back of that, and Steven Fletcher was the only outfield player in the last squad who was born in the 1980s. Mulgrew, McDonald, Snodgrass and Naismith are the only other 1980s outfield players who are likely to feature in the coming campaign.

In fact, in the Mexico friendly, we had 9 minutes where every player on the park was born in 1990 or later, between Jon McLaughlin going off at half-time and Charlie Mulgrew coming on in the 55th minute.

[sjc]

26 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

I'm not sure that a game which took place before most of our players were born will have much bearing on this upcoming meeting.

True but worth bearing in mind that since then the "gulf" in class between the players for both Nations has narrowed considerably.

[tirso]

We should be aiming high.  I don't see why on our day we can't beat any team in that group; Belgium included.

I hate all the talk of "aiming for second place".   Just try and win the games in front of you.  Did Bosnia and Iceland aim for second place when they topped tough groups?  

What weirdly makes this a tough group in a different way  is that we're in Pot 3 and not Pot 4.  There would usually be an extra big team capable of taking points off the top 3.

[The Moonster]

Nice that we're moving on from "Kazakhstan will f**k us" to "Cyprus nearly fucked us before, they could f**k us this time!(!!)".  Next we'll be panicking that San Marino scored a goal last year so they might score some more against us.

[King Kebab]

I'm not sure that a game which took place before most of our players were born will have much bearing on this upcoming meeting.

I think in your eager attempt to fob of my point you have missed it entirely, I stated the fact that our squad then, which is massively superior to what we are able to call upon now, struggled in the away tie against Cyprus in the qualifying groups for the WC, a group that we were expected to at the VERY LEAST qualify from if not actually win it!!! 

 

We have gone backwards since then, meaning that even if Cyprus' level has remained pretty much the same, we are now in fact much closer in standard to each other than we were back then, which makes my point very salient indeed and the game a potential banana skin for us!!!

So wind yer neck in!!!

[craigkillie]

Cyprus away is a potentially difficult game because any away game against Pot 4/5 teams can be potentially challenging for us (or indeed pretty any team in Pot 2/3). A result which happened 30 years previously will have absolutely no bearing on our match in November 2019.

[King Kebab]

 

[Bully Wee Villa]

47 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Nice that we're moving on from "Kazakhstan will f**k us" to "Cyprus nearly fucked us before, they could f**k us this time!(!!)".  Next we'll be panicking that San Marino scored a goal last year so they might score some more against us.

I don't see it as being that mental to suggest we might struggle against Kazakhstan when we have previously fucked it up against shite like Lithuania, Georgia, Macedonia and the Faroes. We should win but not really sure why you're getting hysterical if anyone suggests the possibility of us taking less than six points from Borat's mob. 

[sjc]

I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting Kazakhstan or Cyprus are good teams let alone World beaters. More likely the focus is on how gash Scotland are.

Let's be honest, in a race to the bottom, Scotland have a history of letting us down. Even in the days when we had World class players.

[King Kebab]

I don't see it as being that mental to suggest we might struggle against Kazakhstan when we have previously fucked it up against shite like Lithuania, Georgia, Macedonia and the Faroes. We should win but not really sure why you're getting hysterical if anyone suggests the possibility of us taking less than six points from Borat's mob. 

Because we've won two games in a row against two teams of a similar standard to us and because of that we are now riding the crest of that wave of optimism that has not only washed away the previous 20 years of hurt but is also simultaneously propelling us towards our destiny of being the Future Champions of Europe!!!
And I'm sure apropos of nothing, Craigkillie will produce his spread sheet telling us how those games against those countries you mentioned were beyond some secret demarcation line known only to him and have absolutely no bearing on any game we play from now on in!!!
#whaslikeus

[The Moonster]

37 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

I don't see it as being that mental to suggest we might struggle against Kazakhstan when we have previously fucked it up against shite like Lithuania, Georgia, Macedonia and the Faroes. We should win but not really sure why you're getting hysterical if anyone suggests the possibility of us taking less than six points from Borat's mob. 

We've got fans saying we will, at best, draw over there. I'm just sick of the defeatist attitudes that so many fans in Scotland seem to revel in. You say we've struggled against those countries in the past, but we've also gone to similar places and handed those teams their arse.  If we show up and are professional about the job then Scotland win the game with ease.  

I highly doubt the Russians are sitting looking at the group thinking "as long as we don't f**k up in Kazakhstan we'll do okay here". 

 

[Bully Wee Villa]

Nah, they probably think in Russian. 

[sjc]

1 minute ago, The Moonster said:

We've got fans saying we will, at best, draw over there. I'm just sick of the defeatist attitudes that so many fans in Scotland seem to revel in. You say we've struggled against those countries in the past, but we've also gone to similar places and handed those teams their arse.  If we show up and are professional about the job then Scotland win the game with ease.  

I highly doubt the Russians are sitting looking at the group thinking "as long as we don't f**k up in Kazakhstan we'll do okay here". 

 

I'd say channel your anger towards those in charge of our game that steadfast refuse to evolve their thinking towards the development of the game from grassroots upwards.

That'll be were the defeatist attitude stems from I'd guess.

[microdave]

32 minutes ago, sjc said:

I'd say channel your anger towards those in charge of our game that steadfast refuse to evolve their thinking towards the development of the game from grassroots upwards.

That'll be were the defeatist attitude stems from I'd guess.

I think the defeatist attitude comes from 20 years of failure. Folk are maybe just trying to cushion any future failure by thinking we're not going to qualify. I'm getting a wee bit like that too if I'm honest compared to previous campaigns where I thought we'd qualify even in the difficult groups. However, I'm not yet at the stage where I expect or think we'll lose to the teams in lower pots.

[sjc]

6 minutes ago, microdave said:

I think the defeatist attitude comes from 20 years of failure. Folk are maybe just trying to cushion any future failure by thinking we're not going to qualify. I'm getting a wee bit like that too if I'm honest compared to previous campaigns where I thought we'd qualify even in the difficult groups. However, I'm not yet at the stage where I expect or think we'll lose to the teams in lower pots.

There is that I suppose but that doesn't negate the ineptitude of those running our game though.