Scotland v Moldova

[Theyellowbox]

12 minutes ago, Ewan8472 said:

Robertson ?

Playing him at right back when Tierney is much more versatile.

[calcutta]

The only saving grace is that the chances of us putting in two decent performances in a row seems vanishingly small, so at least we haven't used our "good" performance up yet before Austria. Whether we have one good game in us is a different matter I know.

[BFTD]

8 minutes ago, Binos said:

Ireland being 5 points behind Luxembourg after 4 games 

Ireland are back to being pre-1988 shite, but I'm quite happy not to have Luxembourg in our group.

No matter the quality of their side, those of us of a certain vintage still remember them being the undisputed diddies of Europe, and losing to them is still the stuff of nightmares. Drawing was bad enough.

[Ro Sham Bo]

26 minutes ago, Meldrew said:

never watched the game, but i had a look at the score on the BBC Website, Patterson seemed to be the stand out going by the fan ratings, so have the peepell taken time out from singing songs about hungry people to vote for one of their own ? 

Him and Gilmour are flavour of the month so will get the votes regardless of how bad they actually play. 

[GAD]

Just in from the game and it wasn't great. Actually think Nesbitt probably looked worse in the flesh than he would have on TV because the amount of times he just wasn't where he was meant to be was unreal. He was like one of those guys at fives who is always standing in the wrong place. His play for the goal and for the Gilmour chance was actually quite good, but apart from that he was absolutely miles off it. He's clearly a better player than he showed tonight, and I don't think Clarke did him many favours leaving him on so long because he looked desperate to be anywhere else and was just waiting to be subbed. 

In general I thought our play was so slow at times, and we really let them off the hook a bit, especially after scoring early. Lots of aimless passing between the centre halfs, and a really slow tempo made it easy for them to regroup. Quite telling that our goal came from Patterson winning the ball higher up the field and immediately breaking forward, but it was something that didn't happen often enough.

 

[Ro Sham Bo]

1 minute ago, GAD said:

Just in from the game and it wasn't great. Actually think Nesbitt probably looked worse in the flesh than he would have on TV because the amount of times he just wasn't where he was meant to be was unreal. He was like one of those guys at fives who is always standing in the wrong place. His play for the goal and for the Gilmour chance was actually quite good, but apart from that he was absolutely miles off it. He's clearly a better player than he showed tonight, and I don't think Clarke did him many favours leaving him on so long because he looked desperate to be anywhere else and was just waiting to be subbed. 

In general I thought our play was so slow at times, and we really let them off the hook a bit, especially after scoring early. Lots of aimless passing between the centre halfs, and a really slow tempo made it easy for them to regroup. Quite telling that our goal came from Patterson winning the ball higher up the field and immediately breaking forward, but it was something that didn't happen often enough.

 

He's really poor. He's never good enough for international football and it's an embarrassment to our game that he is one of the best forwards we can produce. 

[Gordopolis]

I forgot Cowie existed. An easily forgettable player.

What's your beef with him, man?

[Crùbag]

4 minutes ago, GAD said:

Just in from the game and it wasn't great. Actually think Nesbitt probably looked worse in the flesh than he would have on TV because the amount of times he just wasn't where he was meant to be was unreal. He was like one of those guys at fives who is always standing in the wrong place. His play for the goal and for the Gilmour chance was actually quite good, but apart from that he was absolutely miles off it. He's clearly a better player than he showed tonight, and I don't think Clarke did him many favours leaving him on so long because he looked desperate to be anywhere else and was just waiting to be subbed. 

In general I thought our play was so slow at times, and we really let them off the hook a bit, especially after scoring early. Lots of aimless passing between the centre halfs, and a really slow tempo made it easy for them to regroup. Quite telling that our goal came from Patterson winning the ball higher up the field and immediately breaking forward, but it was something that didn't happen often enough.

 

Nisbet is nowhere near international standard, not that Scotland is a high standard these days.

All in all, more utterly dispiriting and eyebleeding dross from Scotland. So negative, feeble and lacking in hunger or urgency. It feels like watching a Neilson or Levein team at times.

[Richey Edwards]

That was dire.

[DAFC.]

Plenty of chances to make the scoreline handsome.

Would blame Clarke for quite a lot of that actually. Apart from one good move resulting in a tap-in, Dykes was pretty useless. I am unsure what Christie’s role was tonight: the game totally passed him by.

McGinn proved how pivotal he was again for us tonight. It’s as if we just don’t click as a team without him in there.

Patterson, whilst being key to the goal, was far too keen to make an impression tonight. I think the opposition caught on to that early doors. The substitutes of McGregor and Adams were correct but taking Nisbet off, who looked our most creative striker, was a bit odd. I know he’ll want to rest McGinn for the Austria game which made sense for that substitute.

Quite a lot of passive performances tonight. Hard to get yourself up for a game as a Scotland player when you have a decomposing pumpkin as your manager to be fair.

Austria are really not that good, probably not even better than us in all honesty, and are there for the taking, but a solid performance in Vienna taking away a draw, at least, would be welcome. We should be routing on us getting a win, given the talent we have at our disposal, but it is Scotland after all, and we never do things the easy way.

If I was a Falkirk fan, I could count on one hand the amount of good Scotland away performances I’ve seen against equal or higher opposition in my lifetime: England 2000; Norway 2006; France 2007; Croatia 2013; Serbia 2020; and England 2021…and even in some of them we were playing backs against the wall stuff for 90% of the match.

[Big Fifer]

Just in. Good result and combined with the madness in the other game gives us a chance. But man that performance wasn't great. Gordon's distribution really isn't good, he kept getting the ball from the left back position and Hendry/Patterson empty and he hasn't even looked. so just lumps it forward. Thought McGinn, Patterson, Robertson, Christie and Nisbet were absolutely miles off it. We miss far too many chances, we can't keep doing that if we want to be considered potential qualifiers. 

Only other thing was a bit of an annoying experience at Hampden, first time I've seen crowd trouble over the years. Man, his wife and two teenage lads arrive just before KO and find folk in their seats just next to me, but said folk were steaming drunk and incapable of speaking. Not able to talk, but perfectly able to try start a fight with the dad of the group. Pretty sad to see before he was eventually huckled away by the rest of the crowd. That combined with the young team chucking stuff at folk made for a bit of a shite matchday experience. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by Big Fifer

[The Saintee]

Journalist in the press conference praises Patterson and asks if he brings a positive and new dynamic to the team that might have been missing.

Clarke has a go at him for disrespecting SOD 

[Ludo*1]

3 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:

Let's be fair here, this should be a bodying with the likes of Nisbet getting to add a fair few to his tally. If we struggle tonight, our problems are deeper than we think.

Yup.

[mizfit]

Journalist in the press conference praises Patterson and asks if he brings a positive and new dynamic to the team that might have been missing.
Clarke has a go at him for disrespecting SOD [emoji38]

He’s seriously unhinged when it comes to SOD.

[Ewan8472]

8 hours ago, Richey Edwards said:

Surely we will not lose this?

I think this is going to go one of two ways:

a) we win comfortably - by 6 or 7 and everyone goes home happy.

b) we labour to a 2-0 win.

Total optimist

[Richey Edwards]

Just now, Ewan8472 said:

Total optimist

We did labour, but it was to a 1-0 win.

I'd remembered during the second half that I'd posted that. I'd have bit your hand off for a second goal at times.

[Ewan8472]

31 minutes ago, Theyellowbox said:

Playing him at right back when Tierney is much more versatile.

True , but Tierney cannot defend these days

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

10 minutes ago, DAFC. said:

Plenty of chances to make the scoreline handsome.

Would blame Clarke for quite a lot of that actually. Apart from one good move resulting in a tap-in, Dykes was pretty useless. I am unsure what Christie’s role was tonight: the game totally passed him by.

McGinn proved how pivotal he was again for us tonight. It’s as if we just don’t click as a team without him in there.

Patterson, whilst being key to the goal, was far too keen to make an impression tonight. I think the opposition caught on to that early doors. The substitutes of McGregor and Adams were correct but taking Nisbet off, who looked our most creative striker, was a bit odd. I know he’ll want to rest McGinn for the Austria game which made sense for that substitute.

Quite a lot of passive performances tonight. Hard to get yourself up for a game as a Scotland player when you have a decomposing pumpkin as your manager to be fair.

Bite your hand off for a draw in Vienna then it’s up to us to smash the team that shall not be named.

 

Funny what people see eh?  I thought that was about the worst McGinn has ever played for us, gave the ball away loads and kept trying to buy free kicks which the ref wasn't having.

As for Nisbet - by a mile our worst player.  His first touch is brutal, his positional sense is abysmal and the point where McGinn passes it up to him and he ran off with his back turned nearly made me leavebthe game early.

Patterson I thought largely played well.

Very few decent performances, we were slack all over the park

[Thorongil]

Patterson’s left foot is a real weakness. I know he is right sided but he needs to be able to use his left at a basic level. 
 

Hendry looks good. Gilmour really seems to struggle with the athletic side of the game. Looks feeble and slow and can’t seem to stay with players off the ball. Hopefully that will improve. 

 

[Gordopolis]

True , but Tierney cannot defend these days

Good point re Tierney. Where was the T1000-esque KT of the pre-Euros games - beasting forward with the ball right Ino the opposition box the after time?
Is he carrying a knock or just out of form?