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Scotland - will some players now retire from international duty after the Euros?


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I genuinely think that there will be a few players who announce their retirement

Craig Gordon and David Marshall are both in their late 30's. Marshall has 47 caps though so can see him staying on for another campaign to get to the 50 mark

The goalkeeper situation is worrying though overall, all 3 of the goalies in the final squad are in their 30's and I can't think of a young keeper that is looking to break into the Scotland pool. We have been blessed having 3 really good keepers in Gordon, McGregor AND Marshall the last 15 years but we need to look to the future

Declan Gallagher is also 30ish I think

Though not in the squad I can't see players like Considine, Steven Naismith, Shinnie, Bannan, Phillips, Russell ever getting getting in the squad again

Also with the emergence of Turnbull and Gilmour I can't see John Fleck getting another game especially as Kenny McLean and Ryan Jack will return

I hope that we can breed some young new players in now, but I am deeply concerned with keeper situation as Gordon and Marshall can't go on forever, and McLaughlin is no spring chicken either. It will be interesting.

 

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GK position certainly is a worry unless Robbie McCrorie (have I got the right lad) can show he's international class. 

We have other options but all of them are not even Scottish: Ciaran Slicker, Jed Steer or Angus Gunn (not happening imho). I know nothing of any of these GKs but I presume Steer is mid 20s to early 30s?

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I don't see anyone announcing their retirement.

That's the one obvious benefit from having a relatively young, and pretty inexperienced squad.  You can imagine that other countries will be saying goodbye to quite a number of players - even Modric perhaps?

The reality is that Clarke has at least a 30-man pool to choose from, likely extended to 40 when you consider those on the real periphery (McCrorie, Porteous etc.)

I don't see anyone obviously falling out of recent squads and into the wilderness outwith perhaps Fleck, Burke, Considine, and McBurnie.  That said, they'll all be back in again if their performances earn it.

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Don’t think I see anyone officially retiring from internationals following this but I imagine there will be a few players that like Bannan, Martin(s) so on we just won’t see anymore.

Gallagher will be lucky to get back in a squad again with the re-emergence of Hanley. While McKenna and Cooper are playing at a higher level and both are younger.

O’Donnell should really be phased out now IMO but who knows with Clark. As you have Patterson and Forrest who can both cover that RWB role.

As a couple have said Fleck may also struggle to get back in a squad with Gilmour available and Jack/McLean returning from injury. Especially if a guy like Lewis Ferguson or similar gets a decent move which would push Fleck further down.

Then some guys that didn’t even make the squad like Considine, Shankland (he’s what 5th choice now?) and Paterson will be gone.

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I think one of Marshall or Gordon might retire but can't see both doing so.
McLaughlin could come out and retire but I think it's more likely he and Considine just wont be considered for selection anymore rather than any official retirement (barring a particularly unlucky run of injuries to others)

Declan Gallagher, John Fleck, Liam Palmer, Paul Hanlon, Kenny McLean and Leigh Griffiths might have played their last games for Scotland as we turn over the squad and with other players coming in after this cycle. 

Maybe folk like Paterson, Shankland and a few others are done but they're young enough to force their way back in.

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2 hours ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

Liam Kelly was outstanding at Fir Park - if he can find 1st team football somewhere this season then he might be the man

He's also a modern goalkeeper good with his feet distribution good. I think we need to play a lot less direct and have the players to do it, so he would help with that.

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With the unusual circumstance of a major tournament being played after the qualification for the next one has already started I don't see there being a turnover of players just now. Once the World Cup qualifiers are done it may happen then.

The only one I could see going now could possibly be Gordon but even that I wouldn't say i expect it?

Edited by Rodhull
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His ship sailed a long time ago, if it was ever really in the harbour. He's not even a first team regular at his club. Other countries have MLS players in their squads, so there was no restriction on him being involved anyway.

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Was wondering earlier what on earth had happened to Lewis Morgan, so much so that it took me a good five minutes to recall the name of the player I was thinking about. I saw him a few times in his St.Mirren days and thought he definitely had the look of a future international about him. Went to Celtic and promptly vanished.

I don't think the way Clarke puts the team out right now would really suit a player like Morgan, but there will be games where we're playing 4-2-3-1 etc, and more and more nations seem to be playing 4-3-3/3-4-3, so perhaps in a couple of years he'd be exactly the type of player we might be looking for.

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