Yorkie

Not sure if it's been mentioned already but good to see wee Ryan Gauld (mind him?) scoring at the weekend. Farense in the mix for promotion to the top division in Portugal.

This. Why Barry Douglas hasn't been called up immediately, I have no idea. By some distance our best and most experienced remaining left back. Also adds some serious dead ball prowess.

Just gonnae gloss over the 22 he bagged for Swansea last season then?

After two whole games? Do we?

No he isn't rotten for Leeds. He's decent for Leeds. English Championship team of the year last year. He's just one of a bunch of centre backs that Scotland have available (Devlin, Souttar, Hanley, Lindsay, McKenna etc) who are all of a relatively similar level - limited. Doesn't really matter which of these gets played but I wish Clarke would pick a centre back pairing and just stick with it. Only way you're going to get a better product in central defence is by letting a couple of those guys get used to playing alongside one another over a series of games.

Excellent point. So next year we're going to have a striker playing in the most technically skilled league in the world at a time when there's a complete dearth of international strikers but Harper's not even getting a mention. FFS we just played a striker who couldn't get a game for Reading. This is Jack's first season in the first team for Malaga, he's scored a few goals and gathered some good reviews from the Malaga faithful. If he'd been playing at some mid-table English Championship side, damn sure McLeish would have called him up by now. Olly McBurnie anyone?

Hard to predict this far in advance but unless Calum McGregor ups his game, he should not be starting. Can't remember the last good game I saw him have for either club or country. Cannot believe folk are talking about bringing back Hanley.

Not getting the calls for Jordan Archer to get a game. Anyone unsure why might want to get themselves on Youtube and check out the highlights of Sunderland v Millwall earlier this season. Oooft!

Sadly, that's pretty much all he did. Was a total waste of a shirt for the rest of the game and getting pelters from Baggies fans on social media. Turns out he may not be the messiah after all.

Would I be right in saying that only one single Scot started in the EPL this weekend?

Jeez - that would take some dragging. Seen the size of O'Connor these days?

Agreed - thought Phillips was really good across the two games although more so against Lithuania than last night. Has terrific pace and if he could keep a shot down, he'd have had a couple of goals. Great to have a bit of pace about the team again - haven't really had that since Anya got old overnight.

Eh? A friendly against Canada in front of a few thousand Scots is too big a game for a kid playing at the top of the Bundesliga? Presumably you're being sarcastic and I've just been whooshed?

Harper has been scoring for fun since he went back to Spain, albeit at a fairly low level. Morgan has been fantastic for St Mirren recently and will certainly move on to bigger things. Never heard of the lad from Chelsea - anyone know anything about him?

What position has Mulgrew been playing at Blackburn of late? He's a decent centre-back on his day and a player I've always liked - hits a mean dead ball too. Him and Berra in central defence, Robertson on the left and then maybe someone like Bardsley (once he's fit again) on the right until Paterson recovers. It's a struggle right enough.

Agree with most of that but Harper currently struggling to get a game for the Brighton development squad so no to him at the moment. Have a feeling that move to Brighton could turn out to be a really bad decision.

Mate and I were discussing last night how big an ask it would be to try either Tierney or Robertson at right back. Just go and do the same thing but on the opposite side of the pitch. Seems to be the way of the modern footballer (Charlie Mulgrew's the only obvious exception I can think of) that you can only play one position. Such a shame they're both left backs. Personally, I'd already write this campaign off as a bad job and play a batch of the youngsters (Souttar, McGinn, Burke) in every game from here on in before having a proper run at the next Euros. Think Darren Fletcher's race may well be run.

That's really interesting - thanks. "e.V" sounds like an eminently sensible structure. Clubs in the UK take note.

Delighted that Sbragia has gone - symptomatic of everything that is wrong in Scottish football at the moment. There's no way that our current crop of U21s should be sitting fifth in a six team group. Disappointed that he's going to be staying on in the SFA.

Malta looking dangerous every time they come forward. Hating this.

I think if Alan Hutton gets a start, then that's me had it with Strachan. The guy's offered nothing going forward for years and is a bombscare defensively. Not even getting a game in the Championship now. And the fact that Gordon Greer is even in the squad depresses me. Would rather they put one of the U21 boys in. Remember when I used to look forward to Scotland games. Now I'm just really worried that we'll get beat by Malta. Malta!

Not as far as I know. Big season for the lad I think - needs first team action at Setubal or don't see the point in the loan. Still glad he's gone there rather than some kick-and-rush mid-Championship side in England. In other 'Scotland Players Not In Action' news, see Jack Harper hasn't been given a squad number at Brighton this season so looks like another season of their U23 league. Went to see Brighton play Colchester in a league cup game last week where Brighton rested all eleven of their first choice side - Harper not even on the bench. So much for my bold predictions of a golden generation coming through

Depressing to see Ryan Gauld being linked with a move to the Championship. Much rather see young Scots lads learn their trades overseas where technique is valued over the ability to run fast and kick the ball a long way. Hope Gauld sticks with it at Sporting.

Naw, still think the lowest point was the Vogts era. Endless run of soul crushing friendly disappointments against the likes of Canada while Stevie Crawford lumbered around ineffectually up front. Almost gave up on the national side altogether during that period.

Don't reckon there's a chance in hell of us making it to the next World Cup - England and Slovakia looks way better than us and we're bound to make an arse of it against either Slovenia or Lithuania - so the next realistic tournament finals would be the 2020 Euros. Would like to see WGS and the SFA target them starting now - four years lead time and a favourable qualifying draw and if we can't make that then we probably ought to disband the national team and focus on curling. And while I'm on the soapbox, how come we don't have any decent central defenders any more?