Scotland v Czech

[DA Baracus]

Just now, Thorongil said:

Is that the Podcast? I can’t find it.

It's on live now. MW and digital.

[Bob in Denny]

Just now, Thorongil said:

Is that the Podcast? I can’t find it.

MW

[Rjc-1988]

A poor starting selection but very few players did well - I thought only Hanley, Robertson, Adams and Forrest did themselves justice on the day. The rest were a mix of being out of their depth and completely out of touch on the day. Part of the challenge is being able to really deliver on the “big stage ” on the “big day” and Scotland has never done that even when we had a few World class players at our disposal. Two home games out of 3 - if we can’t qualify even in a weak third place scenario that is a really poor effort given the advantage we have had.

Same old story!!

[Ulises de la Cruz]

1 minute ago, Thorongil said:

Is that the Podcast? I can’t find it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_scotland_mw

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

31 minutes ago, oldbitterandgrumpy said:

In recent times as a Scotland supporter you join a queue, wait 23 years, eventually gain admission, then get soundly punched in the face as you walk through the door. As  someone who endured Argentina '78 (and, yes, it's still too soon to talk about it), it's the same old story.

I think this pretty much sums it up. 

We had the chance to grab the initiative troday, but chose to line up with 5 defenders (including 3 pretty average centre backs and one basic, not international class right back), 4 midfielders that played all the same position (including 2 in Christie and Armstrong who are woefully out of international form), and a Championship level lone striker. 

Yes, we created some half chances against a poor Czech team, but we were utterly one-paced, one-dimensional, and ultimately well short of the level required to make any kind of mark on an international tournament. 

The manager was a coward today, and our big name players (Robertson aside) chose not to use their abilities to drive forward and try to win, but to pass the ball sideways and backwards. 

Wembley against England is hardly the place to blood Gilmour and Patterson, or to go for it by naming Dykes, Adams and Fraser in the side.....but we have no choice.  To name the same sort of team as today is meekly settling for a 2 goal defeat at best. 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Bob Mahelp

[BazMac]

3 minutes ago, Jacky1990 said:

Clarke - 4/10. Starting Armstrong deep with McGinn ahead didnt work. Constantly trying to overload the left didnt work without Tierney. Without Tierney and McTominay in the back three we looked devoid of ideas and showed a refusal to go through midfield at times. Gilmour or Turnbull should have been on instead of McGregor. Tactically outdone by the Czechs.

Aye.  Easy to say in hindsight, but i think we really needed to vastly rethink our approach to the game after losing Tierney.  If he was training individually yesterday then we must have had a good bit of warning that this could happen.  Seems like we tried to play the same game down the left, without the players to play it.

[Alert Mongoose]

In an alternate time zone/universe, Hendry’s shot goes in the top corner. That’s the comfort blanket I’m holding on to.

[Jammyp]

Too many folk believing the hype, we are not a good side. We have not decent quality in important positions. Would Dykes start for any other team in the tournament ?

Built ourselves up to be better than we are or have looked like being for many years. Just what we will be laughing at England for in a couple of weeks.

[HuttonDressedAsLahm]

1 minute ago, WeAreElgin said:

Why? Players shoot from that range all the time. The block was unfortunate and Marshall was miles out of position.

More annoyed at the fact Lyndon Dykes couldn't shoot, couldn't win a header, couldn't challenge for a header, couldn't really do anything. He blew it big time.

It became clear quite quickly that the lofted ball to Dykes just wasn’t working. The centre halves were winning just about everything.

From the East Stand it was so obvious how out of his depth SOD was. I’d agreed in the past that he was always a solid 5/6 out of 10, but I couldn’t believe how slow his movement and thought process was.

It’s that imbalance which causes Robertson so many problems - teams can double mark him because they know the risk on the other side is much more limited.

Forrest needed to come on far earlier. McGregor did nothing, and I’m frankly surprised that Clarke thought that would achieve anything.

Adams has to start, and we probably need to take some risks with Gilmour/Turnbull/Patterson. 

[Diamonds are Forever]

25 minutes ago, roverthemoon said:

The responsibility for covering the goal is 100% Marshall’s. Prepare for every eventuality, not dick about too far forward and be lobbed.  The Czech striker said afterwards he noticed Marshall’s shit positioning earlier which is the nail in his coffin. 

 

20 minutes ago, roverthemoon said:

My tactic is for the goalkeeper to prepare for worst case scenario. Not wander upfield and leave your goal exposed. The striker literally said in his interview that he noticed the poor positioning of Marshall earlier so was ready to capitalise. Hendry’s decision making was poor as was Marshall’s 

 

One eventuality (and a much more likely eventuality than someone lobbing the goalie from 50 yards), is that we lose the ball and it is punted over the top and Hanley is expected to win a foot race with their striker which he'd obviously lose, and they'd score from that. Therefore Marshall's position has to take this into account and is presumably why he chose/was instructed to be that high up the pitch. Just because the Czech striker noticed this doesn't mean it's a mistake, any more than a winger saying he noticed space in behind an attacking full-back is, it is a tactical trade off. The Czechs had no joy with balls in behind today which will partly be down to Marshall's positioning making that a tough ball for the Czechs to make.

You cannot play football constantly accounting for the worst case scenario, if you did you'd have 11 players behind the ball the entire game and never venture out your half. It is a game of risk/reward trade-offs, on this occasion we were on the wrong side of it due to an incredible finish. I think people are being far too simplistic in their analysis of it. That is the position you'll find most goalies take these days, the difference is their teams wont lose possession in such a stupid way that Hendry did.

[Aufc]

O’Donnell can be summed up by the moment in the first half when christie beat his men and was on his left foot and SOD just ran straight into him. Decision making needs to be better.

Gilmour might be inexperienced but he is good on the ball and can take the ball off the back 3 and keep it. Too often the back 3 passed it amongst themselves then stuck it high to dykes who didn’t win it.

As i said earlier, I am fairly positive about the overall performance but Clarke needs to take ownership of the poor team selection.

Also, he talks about being loyal to players that got him there as the reason for SOD playing. However, why is jack Hendry playing over Declan Gallagher then? Gallagher man marker Serbia’s danger man of the game. That attitude needs punted.

Team v england

Marshall

Paterson
Gallagher
Hanley
Cooper
Robertson

Gilmour
Mctominay
Armstrong

Mcginn
Adams

[Thorongil]

Thanks all, got them now.

[Judy Murray]

The pundits were excruciating today. McFadden speaking as if we have a chance of drawing level with about 0.5 nanoseconds left is just embarrassing. 

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

6 minutes ago, Aufc said:

O’Donnell can be summed up by the moment in the first half when christie beat his men and was on his left foot and SOD just ran straight into him. Decision making needs to be better.

Gilmour might be inexperienced but he is good on the ball and can take the ball off the back 3 and keep it. Too often the back 3 passed it amongst themselves then stuck it high to dykes who didn’t win it.

As i said earlier, I am fairly positive about the overall performance but Clarke needs to take ownership of the poor team selection.

Also, he talks about being loyal to players that got him there as the reason for SOD playing. However, why is jack Hendry playing over Declan Gallagher then? Gallagher man marker Serbia’s danger man of the game. That attitude needs punted.

Team v england

Marshall

Paterson
Gallagher
Hanley
Cooper
Robertson

Gilmour
Mctominay
Armstrong

Mcginn
Adams

Tierney for Gallagher, Dykes for Armstrong. 

Again though, we need to find some way to introduce width....Fraser or Forrest. Without that we're going to end up with 3 midfielders all tackling each other again. 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Bob Mahelp

[Aufc]

Tierney for Gallagher, Fraser for Armstrong. 

Assuming tierney is out.

I like Fraser but I’d rather have mcginn playijg off the striker and if you play Fraser then mcginn plays deeper

[Jammyp]

6 minutes ago, Diamonds are Forever said:

 

You cannot play football constantly accounting for the worst case scenario, if you did you'd have 11 players behind the ball the entire game and never venture out your half. It is a game of risk/reward trade-offs, on this occasion we were on the wrong side of it due to an incredible finish. I think people are being far too simplistic in their analysis of it. That is the position you'll find most goalies take these days, the difference is their teams wont lose possession in such a stupid way that Hendry did.

Absolute rubbish. The keeper doesn't stand near the center circle. 20/30 yards out maybe not 40/45. If it was the case there would be many more goals from half way. It was saying to them if we lose the ball you have a free shot on goal.

[Rjc-1988]

Too many folk believing the hype, we are not a good side. We have not decent quality in important positions. Would Dykes start for any other team in the tournament ?
Built ourselves up to be better than we are or have looked like being for many years. Just what we will be laughing at England for in a couple of weeks.

Totally agree - while Steve Clarke has undoubtedly improved the results and performances we are still short of real quality in the key areas. If you continue to pre-programme yourself for a major let down from Scotland you are seldom disappointed. The more unrealistic the hype becomes the more likely the let down that will inevitably follow.

[DA Baracus]

'Nick a goal'

'Sit in'

'Grab something'

'Keep it tight'

 

How often do we hear shite like this from folk involved in Scottish football. So negative. It permeates throughout our game and coaches. It's almost like negativity is taught here.

[Ian38018]

C'mom folks - we are a third rate side, who just lost to a second rate one.   Just imagine how crap this afternoon would have been, sitting in Hampden watching Serbia v Czech Rep.  Just enjoy being at the party, however briefly.

[TheScarf]

3 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

'Nick a goal'

'Sit in'

'Grab something'

'Keep it tight'

 

How often do we hear shite like this from folk involved in Scottish football. So negative. It permeates throughout our game and coaches. It's almost like negativity is taught here.

Yeah it’s a loser attitude.