Scotland v Belgium (Match Thread)

[Bing.McCrosby]

7 hours ago, Savage Henry said:

Why would football being a middle class sport, which of course it is, make the national team any less skilful or successful?

Because less kids would be playing the game.

[ewan14]

Did the U - 21s play good football ? ( sorry , cannot find any highlights )

[Bing.McCrosby]

Just a quick look at the international results from tonight puts in perspective the complete overreaction on here.

[54_and_counting]

People seem surprised that a defence with a centre half who only has 2 caps and a right back who only has 11 caps and has been at partick, luton and killie all his career, are being scudded off of a team with stars who play in the best leagues in the world 

Odonnell has played most of his career facing jobbers and utter shite players, so why id he expected to stroll up against some of the world's best when he's 27, and look like he's the part, he has no experience against guys like this and will never get enough in time to be good at international level

Thr belgian team currently strutting its stuff the now was built years ago, they know each other, they have experience, something scotland should maybe look at copying

[Lurkst]

3 hours ago, 54_and_counting said:

Thr belgian team currently strutting its stuff the now was built years ago, they know each other, they have experience, something scotland should maybe look at copying

Aye, heard it mentioned their starting XI had over 700 caps in total!

 

[54_and_counting]

1 hour ago, Lurkst said:

Aye, heard it mentioned their starting XI had over 700 caps in total!

 

Hazard has more caps than the scotland backline on monday night altogether, 

Cooper might well be a good centre half for the level he's at, but at his age he's woefully short of the required experience against better players to be able to step up and look decent in games like monday night, 

Odonnell has 11 caps and he's 27, Scotland have struggled for a right back for years, where was he, what makes him good enough now when he wasnt good enough years gone by when scotland managers were using anya as a right back, he'll never be experienced enough at a high enough level to be the standard scotland need (wether he's good enough ability wise is another debate) 

The scotland squad apart from a few is full of players who havent played at a high enough level against the likes of hazard etc to simply be thrown in at the latter stages of their careers and expected to perform

[flyingscot]

22 hours ago, GordonS said:

Alcohol definitely plays a part, but you don't need it in the stadium itself. They could put on a fan zone in the south car park, maybe another one on the empty ground behind the north-east corner. On Friday night I couldn't get on a tram at Saughton an hour and forty-five minutes before the game at Murrayfield, there were that many people going so early. There were tens of thousands in the ground 90 minutes before kick-off, though none in their seats. They were drinking, eating the far better food, getting their face painted, playing ball games in the west fan zone, listening to live music, socialising. It's taken years to build that up but now they have fans in a really good mood when they get to their seats, and they make a ton more money too. Who gives a shit about their 'demographic'?

Though the demographic thing... it depends on where you're sitting. Those in the expensive seats are often obviously much wealthier, less interested in the game and more there for the socialising. But in the cheap seats where I sit it's all pretty average people of the type you used to get regularly at Hampden.

As Scotland have become more shite and the experience of going to Hampden wears thin, especially compared with other things we do for fun, the demographic at Hampden has changed too. It's more hardcore and there are far fewer kids. 

Well that is exactly it, Scotland rugby is now an experience that the game is sort of just organised around. That said Murrayfield's layout helps with that, as does the away fans just being part of it rather than segregated. The fact the team is not abjectly Matt Williams bad now and is average with a chance of winning games helps however! I'm not sure how much of it would transfer to football, my experience is that Scotland football games are mainly guys compared to the rugby.

However, if Scotland's football team improved like under Walter Smith, we'd see the fans back subject to the silly kick off times. 

[No_Problemo]

Hazard has more caps than the scotland backline on monday night altogether, 
Cooper might well be a good centre half for the level he's at, but at his age he's woefully short of the required experience against better players to be able to step up and look decent in games like monday night, 
Odonnell has 11 caps and he's 27, Scotland have struggled for a right back for years, where was he, what makes him good enough now when he wasnt good enough years gone by when scotland managers were using anya as a right back, he'll never be experienced enough at a high enough level to be the standard scotland need (wether he's good enough ability wise is another debate) 
The scotland squad apart from a few is full of players who havent played at a high enough level against the likes of hazard etc to simply be thrown in at the latter stages of their careers and expected to perform

Does Anya still play with Derby and ever get a game?!

I would 100% play him over O’Donnell.

[Kuro]

If we could get Harvey Barnes, Angus Gunn, Che Adams and Ryan Fredericks we'd be very close to a very good team.

Also H Souttar and we'd really just be one holding midfielder and one more CB as cover short of a very very good side.

[velo army]

What we lacked in this game (and the Russia game) was any sort of leadership on the field. No snarling angry b*****d like Barry Ferguson or Scott Brown. In the Russia game we had the entire team shite themselves after going a goal up, with nobody cajoling and encouraging, or leading by any sort of example. Robbo is a smashing player, but there's limited influence you can have on the game from left back.

The entire midfield was pretty rudderless. 

[Kuro]

Just now, velo army said:

What we lacked in this game (and the Russia game) was any sort of leadership on the field. No snarling angry b*****d like Barry Ferguson or Scott Brown. In the Russia game we had the entire team shite themselves after going a goal up, with nobody cajoling and encouraging, or leading by any sort of example. Robbo is a smashing player, but there's limited influence you can have on the game from left back.

The entire midfield was pretty rudderless. 

I've thought for a while Tierney could do a great job as a defensive midfielder.  Could see him in there one day, but we need him at RB more just now.

[velo army]

10 hours ago, Kuro said:

I've thought for a while Tierney could do a great job as a defensive midfielder.  Could see him in there one day, but we need him at RB more just now.

Aye it would take a ballsy manager to stick him in there (the howls from the TA and the numpties in the media would be deafening). I thought he was superb at centre half against the Dutch at Pittodrie, so you could be right.

I personally think we need Armstrong in there, never mind how much he plays for his club. He wants to take responsibility and will come short to take the ball, before driving forward with it. I didn't see anyone doing that against Cyprus or Russia (didn't make it down for the Belgium game) and it was infuriating. He's also got the leadership that guys like McGregor and McGinn (who both disappeared after 20mins v Russia) lack.

[Savage Henry]

 

Does Anya still play with Derby and ever get a game?!

 

I would 100% play him over O’Donnell.

 

I’d play you over O’Donnell. And I’ve never seen you play.

 

Edit: unless you are Harry Soutar, in which case it’s O’Donnell every time.