Israel Vs Scotland 28th March

[Marshmallo]

You'd think having a back five would free up the midfield to push on a bit but they are sitting so deep. We are ceding so much of the park.

Adams has offered plenty and has been one of the few players who hasn't panicked in possession, but he's getting no help from Fraser or the aforementioned midfield.

I'd be tempted to go to a back four and put Armstrong or Christie on.

[TheScarf]

Can’t believe folk on there still think we’re better than Israel.

[AUFC 1910]

It’s been said already but that formations is just shite.
We have got decent players on that pitch that are looking to do a job.
Not a fan of the manager, but plenty on here seeing the exact same thing.

[Menga Bus]

Have to sacrifice a defender, way too much respect being shown and it’s leaving us isolated up top. Get dykes on next to adams, sacrifice robbo or Hanley and move tierney into cb or lb 

[Distant Doonhamer]

Thoroughly depressing half of football. McTominay and McGinn utterly anonymous. Marshall needs to do better at the goal. Woeful stuff.

[Jambomo]

I hate football.

[Guest bernardblack]

Just now, Honest_Man#1 said:

I’ve always been against doing it, but I genuinely would be begging shagger to come back for the Euros.

I came here to post this. Usually would be against it but I’d play him 

[D Angelo Barksdale]

[welldaft]

2 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

We do have better players, and we're a better team than them too. That's why we're ranked ahead of them both by FIFA and UEFA, and have finished above them both times. I'd very strongly back us to do so again in this group too. However, it is also simultaneously true that their style of play is incredibly effective against ours and therefore they consistently come out on top in these head-to-heads.

Their style. You mean playing basic football. Something we are clearly not adept at doing. 

This has been an appalling performance. We knew what was coming. And we have literally just let it happen. 

Israel deserve to be winning by at least one goal. 

[Lex]

Usual shite. I think the kindest thing you can say here is I’m sure absolutely one is surprised at how this is going.
Israel aren’t a good team, but they’re more than a match for us and they prove this every time we play them.
We will be out the World Cup unless we win this, a point is no use. I hope the players at least start looking arsed in the second half.

[Highlandmagar]

Clarke is a fraud.

[Deanburn Dave]

How many times do we get given the run a round by Israel and still come out with all this 'we have better players' twaddle?
 

There's been a few posters saying "we have better players".....the evidence strongly suggests they are kidding themselves. Israel have more mobility, creativity and ambition.

[John Lambies Doos]

Marshall should have saved, Tierney and Robertson can't play in same team and we just don't close the ball down.
We have good players but Clarke isn't moving this team forward

[charger29]

I repeat.  Our midfield is so bad.  People actually think our defence is the problem.  [emoji23]

And somehow getting worse every game that goes by.
Only real positive has been Adams looking decent in the few opportunities he's had. Other than that, very poor across the park. Need to keep looking for that RCB too.

[Savage Henry]

1 minute ago, Les Cabbage said:

Totally honking, we pressed high the first 20 minutes and looked okay and then for some reason stopped. Since then Israel have battered us and are deservedly ahead.

Think our chances of qualifying are pretty much humped if we lose here, things are looking pretty bleak in terms of the World Cup, really shows how much we shot ourselves in the foot with the 2 games in November.

It’s as easy a group as Scotland are likely to get.  Not getting second in this group would be as bad as anything McLeish did in his second spell. 

[Jacky1990]

I said this to a mate on Thursday...the jury is still out on Clarke for me. Qualification is brilliant but it has masked a lot of shite performances under him before and since. Even the Serbia game we only drew in the 90 mins.

He might have improved us slightly since McLeish, but we are still short of where we were under Strachan in my opinion.

Big 45 mins for him for me. 

[Dunning1874]

Yet another case of the midfield being far too passive, sitting off and allowing a shot, but mostly an absolute howler from Marshall. He should be comfortably saving that.

Our record against Israel is an embarrassment. I'd consider sacrificing a centre back for Armstrong or Dykes here.

[Stellaboz]

f**k going to Qatar anyway. c***s.

[Salt n Vinegar]

2 hours ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

Hi.  Simple, really.  One or two points out of six just won't do.  I'm done with needing other teams to do us favours- I can't remember the last time anyone did.  We need to be winning the group and if we end up second, that'll have to do.  Every point dropped is a disaster.  7 out of 9 would be just about tolerable but 4 out of 9? Nope. 

Ever the optimist, I've stuck a fiver on Scotland to win 2-0 at 11/1!

I refer to my earlier post.  Isn't it remarkable that football makes sane people do insane things?  11/1 ffs. 

[AJF]

Dare I say it, but I can’t see any great improvement in Scotland other than the defence since Clarke has come in.

The Play Off victory, as outstanding as it was, may have papered over the cracks.