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Pick your best team!!!


TheLad

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12 minutes ago, QwaarJet said:

Insane performance by Shankland today. I'd consider him in the running to start in March if he keeps the form up.

He's scoring goals against Partick Thistle. McBurnie is near enough a 1 in 2 striker in the English top flight over the last few months.

Fleck and McBurnie are used to playing with each other so I wouldn't be against giving them both a start to try and take advantage of that.

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Guest DAVIDB69
He's scoring goals against Partick Thistle. McBurnie is near enough a 1 in 2 striker in the English top flight over the last few months.
Fleck and McBurnie are used to playing with each other so I wouldn't be against giving them both a start to try and take advantage of that.


Mcburnie is usually on the bench most weeks as i said earlier he hasn’t offered anything for scotland so far, not sure how long we persist with that .
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57 minutes ago, DAVIDB69 said:

 


Mcburnie is usually on the bench most weeks as i said earlier he hasn’t offered anything for scotland so far, not sure how long we persist with that .

 

Persist? He must of only started a few games. 
Shankland is playing in a league that even isn't entirely professional  I don't know you if can even really compare their form considering the gulf. 

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Look, Shankland did well when he played last time out for Scotland, but McBurnie is being tested at a much higher level and is getting better with every game. He's ungainly. He's daft. He's still got a projectable frame rather than a powerful build. And yet he's linking play and scoring goals in the EPL. 

Side note, I watched Bournemouth yesterday and it looks like Fraser is regaining some form, even if the rest of the team is terrible. He created three decent chances and another five or so opportunities. He was also driving the team up the pitch with clever flicks and passes to go with his speed. I would say that at one point he was the last defender back and put a bunch of Watford players onside. He didn't play that well, but it would be alarming that he was the last defender to begin with. For me, I think it out paid to any last vestiges of notions to play him as a right back. 

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1 hour ago, Drumstick said:

Playing McBurnie would be a monumental risk in a playoff game.  

There's been a rather obvious link between playin McBurnie and poor Scotland performances and results.    He's played 9 times for Scotland after a terrible record at under-21 level, and hasn't scored.   Scotland's lost 8 or the 9 games McBurnie has featured in.    The only winning performance when he came on in Cyprus as late sub.  

After the excellent 2nd half Kazakhstan performance you'd expect Clarke to go with Naismith.   

 

A monumental risk? Over a guy who doesn't even play in the top league in Scotland? Or if not him who else? a 4-6-0?


I don't think he is the long term answer either but he is clearly the best of a bad lot right now. 

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1 minute ago, Drumstick said:

 McBurnie has been horrendous on every one of his performance for Scotland.    It's the main reason we basically lose every game he plays.    

Given this wealth of evidence surely you can comprehend  that evidence suggest he'll continue to be awful for Scotland.  At least with Naismith we've evidence he can play at a far higher level than McBurnie.  

 

Wealth of Evidence? Hes had a handful of starts and the whole team has been pish at times where you seriously cant expect him to create his own chances? 

Naismith has been dogged by injury past few years. If he's fit and firing by March then can be considered but thats looking unlikely. 

Also McBurnie is currently playing in a league where the lowest ranked team would most likely horse Israel so this higher level stuff doesn't really make sense.

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13 minutes ago, Drumstick said:

It's not possible for the midfield to get into the game if the lone striker cannot hold up /control a ball.    The midfielders are constrained when the forward isn't savvy enough to make intelligent runs.    

Either you can take the wealth of evidence and understand that beyond any reasonable doubt Scotland and indeed Sheff Utd would be best of without him.  The issue that he went for £18 million pounds over his value is a moot one.    

If you attend games surely you had a wee glimpse of things with Oliver Burke?    Granted he's been transferred for lots of money and it's because he's been grossly overvalued.    

I'll always value players of their footballing ability and thus Burke will only be 3rd or 4th pick and McBurnie 4th or 5th pick.    

Burke is someone people will always take a punt on due to his physique and pace. You can forgive his lack of composure but sadly I dont think he has any real footballing brain or tactical awareness. He Is still only 22 though and has played in a few countries so you never know but he doesn’t seem to have picked up a great deal.

As for McBurnie I am surprised he has got to the level he has but now that he is there he’s doing ok imo, some days he looks a fish out of water but it’s understandable and his gangly type physique can make him look more Awkward than he is. Given few times he has been in the paper of late would make me wonder how long he will last at this level however.

Edited by gannonball
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McBurnie has been nothing sort of awful every time he has pulled on a Scotland jersey. That cant be ignored, the problem is there maybe isn't a better option, I watched Phillips a few weeks ago and he looked good, doesn't really look to link but ran the channels well and looked dangerous, i would imagine Israel may play a bit deep so may not be space in behind. Its a tough one for Clark.

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Just look at how utterly abysmal McBurnie was when he came on against Cyprus away. 

It was frankly astonishing; he had done nothing to make you think he'd come on and do well, but my god, he couldn't pass the football, he couldn't control the football, he looked absolutely shattered for absolutely no reason... The difference in territory once he came on was stark and we kept going further and further back. He didn't even seem to put much effort in. 

Incompetent. Lazy. Ineffective. A truly honkin' performance.

We don't have the options to not include him in the squad, I suppose, but the difference in the game when we had Naismith Vs when we had McBurnie was startling. 

The link up, hold up, the winning of freekicks, getting us up the park and gaining territory, interlocking with the attacking midfielders, that all gave way when McBurnie took the field. Anytime McBurnie was passed the ball, his first touch was woeful and he either lost possession or, in one case, put it right out for a throw in off his own foot. A simple pass. 

He won nothing in the air, despite his height, and committed fouls rather than win free-kicks. He ended up getting a chance for a one on one charge at the goal but hesitated, struggled to get the ball out his feet again and then, when Burke raced through to supply him an option because it was clear McBurnie was not going to try running past anyone, the pass was played behind Burke, not in front. An abject attempt. 

He also looked absolutely knackered, despite being a second half sub who didn't seem to do much running. Ryan Jack wisely started playing passes to Palmer rather than waste the ball by trying to give it to McBurnie. The Cypriot goalie decked it on the ball but had all the time he wanted to clumsily get up and retrieve the situation. He needn't have rushed his recovery, either. McBurnie barely moved. 

I dearly hope the guy comes good and think he deserves some credit for our goal against Russia; that's who Fraser is trying to get it to and it's his attempt to slide in on the ball that puts the keeper off. That, however, is the only positive contribution he has made in all of his appearances so far. He has been dreadful for us and the difference in our side after he came on in Cyprus underlined it for me. 

Given that griffiths doesn't seem to be ever coming back, given that Fletcher clearly isn't interested any more, our best hope is that Naismith gets properly match fit between now and March. He at least brings something to the table.

McBurnie does not. He actively worsens our performances, prevents the gathering of any momentum and costs us territory and possession. There is no reason to expect this to change. 

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7 hours ago, Smokerson said:

McBurnie has been nothing sort of awful every time he has pulled on a Scotland jersey. That cant be ignored, the problem is there maybe isn't a better option, I watched Phillips a few weeks ago and he looked good, doesn't really look to link but ran the channels well and looked dangerous, i would imagine Israel may play a bit deep so may not be space in behind. Its a tough one for Clark.

Phillips has also been nothing short of awful every time he has played for Scotland. The least technically gifted player in the squad.

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I think no-one would be surprised that I'm pinning my colours on the "start Shankland" mast, but just hear me out anyway:

Shankland is scoring goals every week in the Championship, he's proven that he has a knack for goal, and as a Scottish player that is an invaluable asset. He's also guaranteed to play 90mins every week, which is something none of Scotland's other options up front share. The game against Hibs on Sunday will be a chance for Shankland to prove himself against a more capable defence - and hopefully alleviate fears that he's not good enough.

He's proven in his two caps for Scotland that he capable at an International Level. He was not out of depth against Russia - one of the best sides in the world - he was a marked improvement in comparison to Burke, and pressed the Russian defence and caused some problems. Against San Marino, he was very unlucky not to get a goal early on - due to the keeper's class save, and kept in dangerous areas allowing him his goal later on.

But the most important thing for me as a Scotland fan, is having a player that wants to be there. You get that feeling with Shankland (and Naismith although I would argue other reasons not to start him) but not with Phillips or McBurnie even if they are playing at a higher level.

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16 hours ago, craigkillie said:

Phillips has also been nothing short of awful every time he has played for Scotland. The least technically gifted player in the squad.

Certainly not a world beater and he hasn't set the world alight, i don't think he is the least technically gifted player. I was merely suggesting him as an alternative to McBurnie. Who would start at number 9 for you?

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24 minutes ago, Smokerson said:

Certainly not a world beater and he hasn't set the world alight, i don't think he is the least technically gifted player. I was merely suggesting him as an alternative to McBurnie. Who would start at number 9 for you?

If Fleck plays in the McGinn role then I'd probably take another shot with McBurnie based on their club form together. If McGinn is back I'm not sure. I'd definitely be tempted to pick Lyndon Dykes up there - he's a bit like a more physical version of Naismith, and I reckon he would knock about their defenders pretty well.

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9 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

If Fleck plays in the McGinn role then I'd probably take another shot with McBurnie based on their club form together. If McGinn is back I'm not sure. I'd definitely be tempted to pick Lyndon Dykes up there - he's a bit like a more physical version of Naismith, and I reckon he would knock about their defenders pretty well.

Baileys for breakfast? Good lord.

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