Squad face March

[Stellaboz]

If we can't break down San Marino!? What?

[qos1990]

Team to play Kazakhstan:

McGregor

Tierney
Bates
McKenna
Robertson

McGregor
McTominay
McGinn

Fraser
Burke
Forrest

Use the front three's pace on the break.

Team to play San Marino:
Bain
O'Donnell
McKenna
Tierney
Robertson

McGregor

Forrest
Christie
Paterson
Fraser
McBurnie
Get McBurnie a goal. Paterson getting into the box to give us a plan B if we cant break them down.

Why drop Steven Fletch giving his two performances in last two games? Big man plays a massive part in a lot of goals when he plays and he’s in a decent run of form for sheff Wednesday.

Mctominay playing himself into starting 11, with 2 massive performances for united against Liverpool and last nights m.

[GhostZapper]

1 hour ago, qos1990 said:

 

 

Why drop Steven Fletch giving his two performances in last two games? Big man plays a massive part in a lot of goals when he plays and he’s in a decent run of form for sheff Wednesday.

Mctominay playing himself into starting 11, with 2 massive performances for united against Liverpool and last nights m.

 

Agree - I'd definitely start Fletcher over in Kazakhstan, with Fraser and Forrest wide left and right. Don't need to reinvent the wheel! the 2 performances in November were excellent - same structure to the team. Christie will be a loss if he isn't fit, but the easy solution would be to move McGregor forward into the number 10, and play McTominay (especially after recent performances) in the midfield with Armstrong.

 

More likely to go 2 up in SM with McBurnie coming in, and possibly give Burke some game time. I wouldn't go for a completely different side v San Marino. Maybe if we are a few goals up, its time to change it, but go out with the same mentality and the strongest line up.

[qos1990]

Agree - I'd definitely start Fletcher over in Kazakhstan, with Fraser and Forrest wide left and right. Don't need to reinvent the wheel! the 2 performances in November were excellent - same structure to the team. Christie will be a loss if he isn't fit, but the easy solution would be to move McGregor forward into the number 10, and play McTominay (especially after recent performances) in the midfield with Armstrong.
 
More likely to go 2 up in SM with McBurnie coming in, and possibly give Burke some game time. I wouldn't go for a completely different side v San Marino. Maybe if we are a few goals up, its time to change it, but go out with the same mentality and the strongest line up.

By looks of it Christie is will be struggling for it unfortunately, so as you say mctominay deep with one of McGregor or armstrong and the other pushing on. Rest of team basically picks itself. Last two performances were excellent so keep it as much the same as possible.

Anyone else think we’re leaving it late with announcing squad? Giving they leave the Sunday night to travel. I’m guessing players and clubs will find out before, but ROI announcing there’s today.

[Blootoon87]

Squad is announced on Tuesday the email says.

[GhostZapper]

1 hour ago, qos1990 said:

 

 

By looks of it Christie is will be struggling for it unfortunately, so as you say mctominay deep with one of McGregor or armstrong and the other pushing on. Rest of team basically picks itself. Last two performances were excellent so keep it as much the same as possible.

Anyone else think we’re leaving it late with announcing squad? Giving they leave the Sunday night to travel. I’m guessing players and clubs will find out before, but ROI announcing there’s today.

 

The fly out Monday 18th, so just over a week. Don't think its any later than normal.... the majority of the players will probably know by this weekend anyway, and there may be a handful who'll get a call after this weekends games.

[craigkillie]

2 hours ago, GhostZapper said:

Agree - I'd definitely start Fletcher over in Kazakhstan, with Fraser and Forrest wide left and right. Don't need to reinvent the wheel! the 2 performances in November were excellent - same structure to the team. Christie will be a loss if he isn't fit, but the easy solution would be to move McGregor forward into the number 10, and play McTominay (especially after recent performances) in the midfield with Armstrong.

 

More likely to go 2 up in SM with McBurnie coming in, and possibly give Burke some game time. I wouldn't go for a completely different side v San Marino. Maybe if we are a few goals up, its time to change it, but go out with the same mentality and the strongest line up.

We were absolutely not "excellent" against Israel in November. It was a good attacking performance, but defensively our shape was all over the shop and had McKenna and Bates not both had very good games then we would have been in a lot of trouble. There was a glaring hole in the midfield, and Paterson spent most of the game playing absolutely anywhere but right-back.

That type of performance might well still get us 6 points out of Kazakhstan and San Marino, but we will need to be much better in the games against Belgium, Russia and probably even Cyprus. It's better to try to find that correct set-up now rather than hoping for the best later on.

[accies1874]

McTominay and Tierney coming in might plug the gaps found in the Israel game, although I think we're putting too much faith in someone who, until three or four very good recent performances, was a joke figure amongst Man U fans.
Holding midfield and right-back were the biggest problems in the last round of matches though, and the two of them kind of fit there.
I'm sure McLeish really likes McGinn, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him come in for Armstrong who has been in and out of Southampton's XI.

[GhostZapper]

21 hours ago, craigkillie said:

We were absolutely not "excellent" against Israel in November. It was a good attacking performance, but defensively our shape was all over the shop and had McKenna and Bates not both had very good games then we would have been in a lot of trouble. There was a glaring hole in the midfield, and Paterson spent most of the game playing absolutely anywhere but right-back.

That type of performance might well still get us 6 points out of Kazakhstan and San Marino, but we will need to be much better in the games against Belgium, Russia and probably even Cyprus. It's better to try to find that correct set-up now rather than hoping for the best later on.

Our defensive shape was not all over the place, and you've highlighted our 2 centre halfs had great games!  I agree on Paterson. Got caught a couple of times by a speedy winger, and yes - he is a square peg in a round hole, and its almost as if we try to squeeze him in because 1. hes been playing pretty well in a poor Cardiff team, and 2. we don't have a set RB. That does highlight an area where at present we lack depth. ODonnell was very good in all but one of his matches last year, but was ripped apart over in Israel when we were still going with the 3 at the back with wing backs. Bardsley has been playing well, but won't be near the squad - Hutton has actually been playing well for Villa, but he was always suspect defensively, and we're not going to go back to him. Is Ryan jack an option?  That leaves you back at ODonnell and Paterson. or Tierney.

 

[Stellaboz]

I'd go Tierney,simply because the other options aren't so good and he's handled it well before.

[DA Baracus]

52 minutes ago, GhostZapper said:

Our defensive shape was not all over the place, and you've highlighted our 2 centre halfs had great games!  I agree on Paterson. Got caught a couple of times by a speedy winger, and yes - he is a square peg in a round hole, and its almost as if we try to squeeze him in because 1. hes been playing pretty well in a poor Cardiff team, and 2. we don't have a set RB. That does highlight an area where at present we lack depth. ODonnell was very good in all but one of his matches last year, but was ripped apart over in Israel when we were still going with the 3 at the back with wing backs. Bardsley has been playing well, but won't be near the squad - Hutton has actually been playing well for Villa, but he was always suspect defensively, and we're not going to go back to him. Is Ryan jack an option?  That leaves you back at ODonnell and Paterson. or Tierney.

 

The Israel game at Hampden was definitely a poor defensive display from us. The main issue was the space given to Israel between our defenders and midfield, which they exploited and nearly went ahead from. They were given the time and space to shoot. 

That shit needs to be tightened up.

[woof!]

10 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

The Israel game at Hampden was definitely a poor defensive display from us. The main issue was the space given to Israel between our defenders and midfield, which they exploited and nearly went ahead from. They were given the time and space to shoot. 

That shit needs to be tightened up.

I think Mcgregor was a bit slow closing down for the first. He was new to that role. McTominay will probably come in to shore up that area.

[TheScarf]

Tierney can defend, Paterson cannot.  So Tierney must play RB based on that.

[BB_Bino]

Hutton has actually been playing well for Villa, but he was always suspect defensively, and we're not going to go back to him.

I could of swore that he retired. He was in the club wilderness and was overlooked by Strachan and I’m pretty sure it was reported at that point that he no longer wanted to play for Scotland and spoke about us having to go down the youngster route and not look at guys like him.

[skippy2015]

Would have been great to have Hutton of 2007/2008 down the right and Tierney down the left though lol

[skippy2015]

Or Robertson obviously . Think going forward Tierney on right is the best option the games he’s played there I think he’s done well

[Ex Machina]

I always think Mcburnie looks handy for Swansea but he looks lost and nothing like same player for us. He does deserve time to develop though probably being a bit harsh.

Whenever I've seen McBurnie for Swansea he hasn't looked like a footballer, however his goal return speaks for itself and I'd have him in the squad.

[skippy2015]

George Byers has been playing pretty well for Swansea lately one for the future or if we have a injury crisis

[Tartan Dave]

Am I correct to say harvey barnes is eligible? Would definitely take him in squad . As it stands my line up would be;
Mcgregor
Tierney
Mckenna
??
Robertson
Mctominay
Armstrong
Mcgregor
Forrest
Fletcher?
Fraser

[qos1990]

Am I correct to say harvey barnes is eligible? Would definitely take him in squad . As it stands my line up would be;
Mcgregor
Tierney
Mckenna
??
Robertson
Mctominay
Armstrong
Mcgregor
Forrest
Fletcher?
Fraser

Barnes wants to play for England