My Match Thoughts

[PASTA Mick]

In hindsight, we should have started with Morrison instead of Mulgrew but understand why we didn't after the performance by Charlie against Ireland. We just needed to freshen things up a bit.

Also, it might have been better to start with Dorrans instead of Anya.

Martin has a lot to prove and I think Strachan might be having second thoughts about his role at this level now.

[Tartacus]

I'd certainly have James Morrison in midfield over Charlie Mulgrew. Mulgrew is the classic jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Although we do have a wealth of midfield options so can't be too critical.

A bit harsh. Unlike many of our players Mulgrew generally controls the ball and gives it to someone he knows. I like him.

[Marky]

Coming to these match threads a bit late as I've been away for a few days. Was astounded that until the last few posts of this thread no one had even mentioned James Morrison. He was by far our best player on the night.

Also surprised to see so many negative comments about Darren Fletcher. After his first couple of touches I sent my mate a text saying Fletcher is finished. However after a few minutes I thought he really found his feet and put in a pretty tigerish performance, winning s lot of ball in midfield.

Maloney got pass marks. Robertson had about as much good as he had bad.

Other than that I'd say every other player came second best and we just lost to a much better team in the night.

People can say it doesn't matter or it was only a friendly all they like, but it mattered to me. Every Scotland game matters to me, not least against England.

But I guess if we say we don't care or it doesn't matter, we don't have to analyse our abject failings on the night quite so much. I think that's dangerous.

[dohadeer]

Coming to these match threads a bit late as I've been away for a few days. Was astounded that until the last few posts of this thread no one had even mentioned James Morrison. He was by far our best player on the night.

Also surprised to see so many negative comments about Darren Fletcher. After his first couple of touches I sent my mate a text saying Fletcher is finished. However after a few minutes I thought he really found his feet and put in a pretty tigerish performance, winning s lot of ball in midfield.

Maloney got pass marks. Robertson had about as much good as he had bad.

Other than that I'd say every other player came second best and we just lost to a much better team in the night.

People can say it doesn't matter or it was only a friendly all they like, but it mattered to me. Every Scotland game matters to me, not least against England.

But I guess if we say we don't care or it doesn't matter, we don't have to analyse our abject failings on the night quite so much. I think that's dangerous.

'Abject failings?'

I'd say there is little need to analyse in great detail friendly matches like this. Let's leave that to the management and coaching team. I'd much rather analyse campaigns/years as a whole than get too hung up on the performance/outcome of one particular friendly.

This is often the problem, as fans of an international team we only see around 10 games a year, months apart and then people spend ages over-analysing each game because there is so much time between games. Players are judged ridiculously harshly based on these sporadic international games - for example as Chris Martin will be following the England game - when the people who are judging these players have no knowledge of how they perform week in, week out for their clubs.

[North East Loon]

Having returned from a week in Glasgow for the 2 games I am now recovering !!

I've watched the 2 games again, Ireland was the one we all cared about 2 words.....job done.

England game disappointing, but definite positives. Robertson going to be great player for us, still a young laddie, he made mistakes but so much confidence, he will get a lot of caps for us.

We played ok first 25 minutes or so but England got in our faces and upped the tempo, I think Friday took its toll at that point.

2nd half lost the quick 2nd goal, disaster !!

Thought we looked a better more mobile team when Morrison, Russell and Stevie May came on, great goal from Robertson. Russell and May deserve another chance.

Martin does not cut it for me, not enough movement.

Shaun Maloney power of work over the 2 games, gave everything.

Alba !!

[Caledonian Craig]

This is my issue with us playing England in a friendly. More emphasis is being put on the defeat. If that had been a friendly against say France or Belgium or Spain we would have shrugged our shoulders and said it was only a friendly and been more upbeat and taking more from things having beaten Ireland. It was a tough loss at 3-1 but it was down to a miriade of things. Too many of our key players under-performed (perhaps mentally burnt-out as Gordon theorises), we badly missed Steven Fletcher up front as we learnt Chris Martin is in no way an able replacement and we had a slack night at the back. Also without Fletcher and against what is a top side we are not well set-up as a team to turn around a deficit. But look at the bigger picture of the past 18 months and we can take a heck of a lot of positives out of them - far too much to stress out too much in losing a friendly.

[davew]

It's a bit late now, but I am now convinced that we should have used the same formation against England that we used against Germany.

That is, 4-1-4-1. Had everyone been fit, it would have meant dropping one of Anya, Maloney, Naismith, or Fletcher. But with Fletcher out anyway we should have lined up with

Naismith

Anya Morrison Brown Maloney

Mulgrew

[Toepoke]

It's a bit late now, but I am now convinced that we should have used the same formation against England that we used against Germany.

That is, 4-1-4-1. Had everyone been fit, it would have meant dropping one of Anya, Maloney, Naismith, or Fletcher. But with Fletcher out anyway we should have lined up with

Naismith

Anya Morrison Brown Maloney

Mulgrew

That's how we started the 2nd half isn't it?...