Scotland v Russia (Match Thread)

[ewan14]

35 minutes ago, COM_Shepard said:

Just got home and read about 10 pages of this thread before caving into the rage after some of the utter drivel thats been said. Sorry rant incoming  

Russia were here for the taking, hands down, they were not a good as everyone (including myself btw) thought they were, but like Clarke and McGinn said in their post match interviews, we were great first 10/15 min, scored, then SHAT ourselves, dropped deep and LET THEM HAVE THE BALL. 

That's why they looked half decent, because we let them have the ball, and that was the story from the first Scotland Goal until the (80th maybe?) minute.

Pass marks to Marshall, Mulgrew, and Christie. Thought Marshalls saves were absolutely brilliant, Mulgrew was the only one who took the ball forward from the back and had some goal saving blocks/tackles. Christie. My word where do I start, he was the only one who took the ball and was POSITIVE. Yes he lost the ball once or twice but he was wanting it constantly and was constantly turning to face the Russian goal and play forward, something we were crying out for since we scored. 

McGregor, McBurnie and (as a Liverpool fan it pains me to say) Robbo were WOEFUL, imo. O'Donnell was pretty poor aswell. Forest wasn't involved at all but I've always seen him as a game changer and we need to give him the ball more.

Also, how in the world are these lads professional footballers if only Christie can put a decent whipped ball into the box? Rather than this floated, hanging in the air shite crosses which the Russian CB or keeper caught every time? Corners, free kicks, and crosses were dreadful.

And don't get me started on those substitutes by Clarke. If that was McLeish or Strachan, everyone would be fuming. 

Rant Over 

I forgot how garbage most of the corners ( MacGregor ) and free kicks were. Thanks for reminding me

[munro7]

 
I would agree with most here, but Cooper Forrest and Fraser. (and later McBurnie)
Cooper I thought was ok, better than a 1 anyway, 4/5 IMO. He didn't deal well with the big Russian CF but I think him and (based on tonights performance) Mulgrew are  our best CBs. I thought tonight they were MASSIVELY let down by both full backs and McTominay., who allowed Russian players to play in behind them and run at Mulgrew and Cooper. 
Fraser and Forrest are our two best players (in this team) imo. Our goal should be to get them 1 v 1 against full backs. Quite simply that didn't happen tonight because 
a) they didn't get good enough service, IE at times players behind them should have fired a low passes to their feet rather than going to O'Donnell and Robbo first 
b) Because we had no good attacking CMs ready to exploit the space left when Russia doubled up on them both.
Other than that I would agree probably. Though, now thinking about it McBurnie should be a 3. He was SO static with is movement it really hurt us. 

Other than that wee purple patch during the Nations League Forrest is an absolute waste of a jersey for Scotland. He’s been utterly anonymous in the rest of his caps.

[HIT THE CHANNEL]

O’Donnell absolutely stinks. So off the level it’s unreal. Looks like boys club player playing with the pros. 

I also think Mcburnie  is gash. Ghost.

We are desperate for a CB and CF. And no one on the horizon. 

Not starting Christie I think was a mistake. He’s a ‘goal from nothing’ man and his shooting/guile would have got us up the park  more. 

On to the play off! 

P.S wasn’t there tonight after 14 years of home campaigns. Cant hack it with the stupid kick off times etc. The  ‘week of football’ can get itself in the fucking bin.

 

[Contra]

Forrest is frequently anonymous then pops up when it matters with big goals should never have been taken off. 

Mcginn and Robertson are having great premier league careers but they lack technical ability, especially Mcginn.

Christie is a different animal this season and once again Scottish managers fail to play inform players, its really so simple.

[Snifter Pee Rot]

Wasn't a good display but the Russians are a decent team, not buying they are pish. Technically they move it about well, are physical and don't waste possession. Our players are mostly the terrier type and they struggle to compete against such sides.  Sat  too deep after the goal as said, no idea what was going on there, just invited pressure. Second half started just the same. I think the ingredients are there to beat a side like Russia but it needs better organisation, a leader at the back and a proven goal scorer. Griffiths should have been selected imo.  Mistake!

[Dee Man]

8 hours ago, Slenderman said:

Polonium tea for the SFA?

With any luck. 

[Cptn Hooch]

2 hours ago, Snifter Pee Rot said:

Griffiths should have been selected imo.  Mistake!

I'm not sure Steve Clarke had the option. I get the feeling Griffiths told him he wasn't ready yet. The guy is not long back from a long layoff with mental health problems, perhaps this international break is a bit soon for him.

[caleyjaggi]

No idea what possessed me to travel to a half empty Hamden for that guff.

Absolute howler not playing Christie. No coincidence we improved after he came on. He’ll start Monday surely but it’ll only be worth it to see him and a few others against top drawer opposition, as we’re getting pumped regardless on this evidence.

Easy to blame Mcburnie, I did for most of the game, but he had high balls pumped to him all night. However, please stop this obsession with picking guys playing in England unless they are exceptional. I thought McTominay could hold his head up but the rest were dire.
Our defence are incapable of getting the ball forward without playing 4 sideways or backwards passes first while the Russians lit cigars and ran the show in midfield. Nobody willing to beat his man until Christie came on and yet I can’t help feel our biggest problem is still bad management.

[MarkoRaj]

5 hours ago, Contra said:

 Mcginn and Robertson are having great premier league careers but they lack technical ability, especially Mcginn..

Robertson lacks absolutely nothing in technical ability. His passing, tackling, heading, possession, chances created stats are outstanding for Liverpool

This is where it starts to get silly for me. It was the team that shat the bed as a collective. Saying things like Robertson lacks technical ability or that mcburnie is out of his depth is just nonsense

They are all good players for their clubs. They all played terribly. It's a mentality thing and nothing else

[kennysmassiveego]

7 hours ago, Fraser Fyvie said:

Clarke already looking like a terrible appointment. Get someone else in and prepare for the World Cup

The terrible truth is that even with a management combo of Ferguson /Mourhino/Venger/ Conte you can’t make that bunch of journeymen players do any better . We have a very limited  talent pool , which a load of twats will say but but but  look what Clarke did with Kilmarnock.  It took Clarke a few weeks to drill the players constantly day after day so that everyone knew what they were doing . A luxury he doesn’t have with Scotland

. O’neil knew what he was doing when he chose Northern Ireland , but it’s taken him several years to get them to where they are . I’m almost sure Clarke will do the same for Scotland if the fans can turn off their sense of entitlement that demands we become a major player in world football . We’re a wee sh!t backwater country that hasn’t invested in our sport for decades with entities like the SFA and SPFL to blame . A dose of reality and some patience please 

[jimmy boo]

I'm not sure Steve Clarke had the option. I get the feeling Griffiths told him he wasn't ready yet. The guy is not long back from a long layoff with mental health problems, perhaps this international break is a bit soon for him.

It would've been interesting to see him take the couple of free kicks on the edge of their box towards the end.

[Lex]

Russia aren’t a good team. They’re a bog standard middling UEFA side who are ranked 46 in the world. A typical second seed team, nothing more nothing less.

They’re exactly the kind of side we will need to beat if we are ever going to qualify for anything.

[Jan Vojáček]

I'd just like to take a moment to pay tribute to the guy two along from me who spent the entire night berating "Allan McGregor" in goals.

[Rab B Nesbit]

1 minute ago, Jan Vojáček said:

I'd just like to take a moment to pay tribute to the guy two along from me who spent the entire night berating "Allan McGregor" in goals.

Sounds about right Jan was similar round me. Great start but pretty miserable stuff after that. We get to do it all again on Monday. 

[Jarballs]

Wasn't able to find anywhere to watch or stream the game here in Harare, sounds like a blessing in disguise. All of the in-depth technical analysis and experience from the last couple of decades sadly points to one simple thing.

We're just pish, aren't we?

Incidentally, my other national team Zimbabwe got beaten on Thursday night in a World Cup qualifier by a Somali side which had lost 27 and drawn 1 out of their previous 28. The womens' team refused to play last week and the youth teams weren't able to travel due to incompetence, corruption and general clusterfuckery from the Zimbabwean FA which makes even the SFA look half-decent.

Maybe I'm the problem. Fire me into the fucking sun. If the alternative is international football carrying on like this, I won't object.

[Oleksandr]

Thing is maybe we're over rating SPL players? It's a really poor league, as seen with the european results (cluj etc). But we still act like McGregor Christie Forrest etc are world beaters

[pandarilla]

Anyone got any theory on why our strongest area of the team seem to be very weak these days (away to kazak was unbelievable considering the players)? We were overrun at the point where we should be dominating.

 

Mcburnie and o Donnell are pish but they have everything last night and were better than any alternative. Robertson had a bit of a mare. Keeper saved us from worse.

 

It's unreal how often that striker was able to bring the ball down unchallenged from a high ball. Not just winning headers, fucking bringing it down on his chest.

 

I have full faith the manager will get it right but there's not many positives to come from that game.

 

 

[kennysmassiveego]

18 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

I'd just like to take a moment to pay tribute to the guy two along from me who spent the entire night berating "Allan McGregor" in goals.

Perhaps McGregor has shagged his wife ? 

[Bairnardo]

Starting to wonder if we should just forget about National football. It seems to be passing us by. Even with good players on the park we always look less than the sum of our parts. Starting to wonder if an wver decreasing number of fans are the only people who actually give a f**k and everyone else is going through the motions

[Diamonds are Forever]

9 hours ago, COM_Shepard said:

Just got home and read about 10 pages of this thread before caving into the rage after some of the utter drivel thats been said. Sorry rant incoming  

Russia were here for the taking, hands down, they were not a good as everyone (including myself btw) thought they were, but like Clarke and McGinn said in their post match interviews, we were great first 10/15 min, scored, then SHAT ourselves, dropped deep and LET THEM HAVE THE BALL. 

That's why they looked half decent, because we let them have the ball, and that was the story from the first Scotland Goal until the (80th maybe?) minute.

Pass marks to Marshall, Mulgrew, and Christie. Thought Marshalls saves were absolutely brilliant, Mulgrew was the only one who took the ball forward from the back and had some goal saving blocks/tackles. Christie. My word where do I start, he was the only one who took the ball and was POSITIVE. Yes he lost the ball once or twice but he was wanting it constantly and was constantly turning to face the Russian goal and play forward, something we were crying out for since we scored. 

McGregor, McBurnie and (as a Liverpool fan it pains me to say) Robbo were WOEFUL, imo. O'Donnell was pretty poor aswell. Forest wasn't involved at all but I've always seen him as a game changer and we need to give him the ball more.

Also, how in the world are these lads professional footballers if only Christie can put a decent whipped ball into the box? Rather than this floated, hanging in the air shite crosses which the Russian CB or keeper caught every time? Corners, free kicks, and crosses were dreadful.

And don't get me started on those substitutes by Clarke. If that was McLeish or Strachan, everyone would be fuming. 

Rant Over 

 

Perhaps, but he was the main cause of us dropping deep. Dropping too deep doesn't just happen, it is triggered by a defender/defenders. Watch every time the Russia midfield win the ball, Mulgrew immediately turns and runs side-on back towards his goal, then Cooper has to drop, and the whole team drops back accordingly. I was watching the game screaming at them to hold the line and stop conceding so much territory so easily. It's even worse when they had a giant up front and no pace, it is literally the opposite tactic of what we should be doing. Keep the big guy as far away from the goal as possible by keeping a high line and pressing high up the pitch.

Look at Dzyuba's header in the first half which Marshall saved, instead of holding his line 18 yards out, Mulgrew retreats into the box (while Cooper and Robertson don't) allowing Dzyuba to push in with him and win the header. Or look at the first goal, its scored from the middle of the penalty box where your centre backs should be, where is Mulgrew? Running back towards his goal virtually on the goal line! Ridiculous. There were numerous examples, but there's 2 for starters. He made a few blocks etc, but only because the defence was all over the place, largely caused by him.

Like I said further up the thread, this may have been tactics, but it seems more a case of being mentally weak once we had a goal to defend.

Edited September 7, 2019 by Diamonds are Forever