Match thread

[Diamond Scot]

6 minutes ago, Kirk said:

Aye i agree, we need to play guys like Mcginn, Gauld, Christie etc

McGinn plays in the Scottish Championship, gauld not playing 1st team football and christie nowhere near starting 11 for Celtic.

Im all for using new or younger players but they have to be either better than we already have or next in line for a player who is in decline / not playing reguarly. Ie Patterson for Hutton.

Just playing new young guys will take us nowhere if these guys arent playing at a decent level. If you arent good enough to get into a poor Celtic team how are you going to fair against England and Slovakia. 

Also who those who keep slating Steven Fletcher. Only Naismith and McCormack are credible alternatives. Griffiths is scoring goals but in much lesser league. He failed in England, has done nothing in Europe and nothing for Scotland. His movement is horrible, doesnt have international pace and simply isnt anywhere near the level required.

[thewolf_1980]

I'm in Belfast for the weekend and watched the Northern Ireland game last night in the Glentoran Supporters Club and was surprised at the apathy towards their own team. The same feeling was repeated in a few of the bars in the city too, when I spoke to locals. It rather pissed me off that a country who don't appear too interested in their team have qualified whereas our passionate support get hee-haw but grief.

Glad I missed our game. It's becoming painfully predictable.

[Kirk]

29 minutes ago, Diamond Scot said:

McGinn plays in the Scottish Championship, gauld not playing 1st team football and christie nowhere near starting 11 for Celtic.

Im all for using new or younger players but they have to be either better than we already have or next in line for a player who is in decline / not playing reguarly. Ie Patterson for Hutton.

Just playing new young guys will take us nowhere if these guys arent playing at a decent level. If you arent good enough to get into a poor Celtic team how are you going to fair against England and Slovakia. 

Also who those who keep slating Steven Fletcher. Only Naismith and McCormack are credible alternatives. Griffiths is scoring goals but in much lesser league. He failed in England, has done nothing in Europe and nothing for Scotland. His movement is horrible, doesnt have international pace and simply isnt anywhere near the level required.

Mcginn will be playing at a decent level this year and looked good when hr got a chance. Gauld id agree needs to get some gsme time somewhere. Christie featured a bit at the end of the season and I think will play this year. Add to that the midfielders strachan overlooks/keeps on the bench and i think we woulf look better. Brown snd fletcher for me are done. Id givr griffiths a decent chance before writing him off, or Rhodes but thats not an option sadly. So we go with a non goal scoring striker. 

[Diamond Scot]

33 minutes ago, Kirk said:

Mcginn will be playing at a decent level this year and looked good when hr got a chance. Gauld id agree needs to get some gsme time somewhere. Christie featured a bit at the end of the season and I think will play this year. Add to that the midfielders strachan overlooks/keeps on the bench and i think we woulf look better. Brown snd fletcher for me are done. Id givr griffiths a decent chance before writing him off, or Rhodes but thats not an option sadly. So we go with a non goal scoring striker. 

As it stands McGinn will be playing at the same level this year as he did last year. Even of he moves it certainly wont be to the EPL where our 2 starting centre mids play. Fletcher played and captained every game in the EPL and McArthur was key at Palace. So thats he standard. Brown playing just in Scotland is below and the likes of McGinn and Christie are most certainly below.

Griffith has had chances. He went to play in England and failed. S Fletcher went to play in England and has mainly been a success. Alternatives to S Fletcher are people who have done well at that level. So that gives us Naismith and McCormack.

 

I agree we need to freshen things up but for me thats certain positions where our current players are starting to lack game time. Ie Patterson for Hutton. Phillips / Burke etc for Maloney.

[Kirk]

50 minutes ago, Diamond Scot said:

As it stands McGinn will be playing at the same level this year as he did last year. Even of he moves it certainly wont be to the EPL where our 2 starting centre mids play. Fletcher played and captained every game in the EPL and McArthur was key at Palace. So thats he standard. Brown playing just in Scotland is below and the likes of McGinn and Christie are most certainly below.

Griffith has had chances. He went to play in England and failed. S Fletcher went to play in England and has mainly been a success. Alternatives to S Fletcher are people who have done well at that level. So that gives us Naismith and McCormack.

 

I agree we need to freshen things up but for me thats certain positions where our current players are starting to lack game time. Ie Patterson for Hutton. Phillips / Burke etc for Maloney.

I know what you are saying and im probably going down more what I really want to see and what I think will work long term.

Darren fletcher for me isnt as good as he was and Id like to see someone younget and fresher come in.

I rated S fletcher and i think his link up can be great but if you are going one up front then he is not the man for it at all. Hes not s goalscorer for a start.

Griffiths hasnt really had a chance for Scotland and has matured as a player since his stints in England, hes never going to be world class but none of our options are. Still wish he woukd give Rhodes a chance as part of 2 up front but wont happen sadly. 

Begining to dread this campaign

[Rossy]

Our players are nothing more than average journeymen, but so are the players from Northern Ireland and the RoI, yet they've both qualified. 

We need a manager who can get more than the sum of the parts from the players he has available, and Strachan is failing miserably.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Rossy

[Wolfgang Overthebar]

1 hour ago, Kirk said:

I know what you are saying and im probably going down more what I really want to see and what I think will work long term.

Darren fletcher for me isnt as good as he was and Id like to see someone younget and fresher come in.

I rated S fletcher and i think his link up can be great but if you are going one up front then he is not the man for it at all. Hes not s goalscorer for a start.

Griffiths hasnt really had a chance for Scotland and has matured as a player since his stints in England, hes never going to be world class but none of our options are. Still wish he woukd give Rhodes a chance as part of 2 up front but wont happen sadly. 

Begining to dread this campaign

But you wouldn't be dreading the campaign if we were playing a Celtic reserve and a Sporting Lisbon B team player in the team? Or selecting someone playing in the Scottish championship where some of the opposition is part-time?

I'm all for bringing in young players if they are proving their worth - reserve football and scottish championship level of play is not proving their worth. These young players have to prove themselves at a decent level. 

[Kirk]

54 minutes ago, Wolfgang Overthebar said:

But you wouldn't be dreading the campaign if we were playing a Celtic reserve and a Sporting Lisbon B team player in the team? Or selecting someone playing in the Scottish championship where some of the opposition is part-time?

I'm all for bringing in young players if they are proving their worth - reserve football and scottish championship level of play is not proving their worth. These young players have to prove themselves at a decent level. 

Not exactly what I was saying, more meaning the past two games we really should have experimented a bit, brought some of these young guys in and gave them some game time. Not a huge fan of Mckay but he should have played longer. Waste of time giving him 5 mins. If these guys are the future then at some point they have to get experience snd better in the friendlys than just throwing them in. As I said Mcginn looked good when he made his debut and csnt see him staying at hibs. Hope your not one thst was calling fir Lee Wallace to play whenhe was in the thirs division.

[Bennyal]

Who here actually thinks we will qualify for the World Cup? This is how I see the qualifying going

malta away - win 

Lithuania home - win

slovakia awak - lose

england away - lose 

slovenia home - win

england home - draw

lithuania away - draw or narrow win

Malta home - win

slovakia home - win

slovenia away - win

thats 20 or 22 points if we win in Lithuania

 

 

[Larky Masher]

1 hour ago, Rossy said:

Our players are nothing more than average journeymen, but so are the players from Northern Ireland and the RoI, yet they've both qualified. 

We need a manager who can get more than the sum of the parts from the players he has available, and Strachan is failing miserably.

I agree with this but would add a manager who doesn't constantly belittle the players as being journeymen would also be a positive step.

[thewolf_1980]

10 minutes ago, Bennyal said:

Who here actually thinks we will qualify for the World Cup? This is how I see the qualifying going

malta away - win 

Lithuania home - win

slovakia awak - lose

england away - lose 

slovenia home - win

england home - draw

lithuania away - draw or narrow win

Malta home - win

slovakia home - win

slovenia away - win

thats 20 or 22 points if we win in Lithuania

 

 

How is life in cloud cuckoo land?

[Bennyal]

5 minutes ago, thewolf_1980 said:

How is life in cloud cuckoo land?

It's the only way to live

[scotsgary2]

15 minutes ago, Bennyal said:

Who here actually thinks we will qualify for the World Cup? This is how I see the qualifying going

malta away - win 

Lithuania home - win

slovakia awak - lose

england away - lose 

slovenia home - win

england home - draw

lithuania away - draw or narrow win

Malta home - win

slovakia home - win

slovenia away - win

thats 20 or 22 points if we win in Lithuania

 

 

I think your England at home draw is a bit of fantasy but agree with the rest pal.... 

[scotsgary2]

16 minutes ago, Larky Masher said:

I agree with this but would add a manager who doesn't constantly belittle the players as being journeymen would also be a positive step.

POST my friend

[thewolf_1980]

7 minutes ago, thewolf_1980 said:

How is life in cloud cuckoo land?

I think your prediction of winning 3 out of 4 against the Slovs is EXTREMELY ambitious.

[wembley67lisbon]

3 hours ago, Diamond Scot said:

 

Griffith has had chances. He went to play in England and failed. S Fletcher went to play in England and has mainly been a success. 

 

12 goals in 26 games is hardly a failure. Scored 40 goals last season so without doubt should be leading the line in the qualifiers. Is used to playing on his own too

[macy37]

I don't see any more than a max of 15 points in this line of fixture. I just can't.

[Rossy]

1 hour ago, Bennyal said:

Who here actually thinks we will qualify for the World Cup? This is how I see the qualifying going

malta away - win 

Lithuania home - win

slovakia awak - lose

england away - lose 

slovenia home - win

england home - draw

lithuania away - draw or narrow win

Malta home - win

slovakia home - win

slovenia away - win

thats 20 or 22 points if we win in Lithuania

 

 

I don't see us beating Malta away.

[Paulo2576]

1 hour ago, wembley67lisbon said:

 

12 goals in 26 games is hardly a failure. Scored 40 goals last season so without doubt should be leading the line in the qualifiers. Is used to playing on his own too

I'd love Griffiths to be scotlands striker but he doesn't look it to me. That 40 goals should've been a lot more. Do you not feel his touch is way below where it should be? I think he looks so awkward when he has to be in control of the ball. Sometimes he has a deadly left foot no doubt but too often its all he has.

[MikeyGC]

My prediction on how the campaign will go:

Malta Away: Win (Praying).

Lithuania Home: Win.

Slovakia Away: Lose/draw.

England Away: Lose.

Slovenia Home: Win.

England Home: Lose (Hate to say it but need to be realistic).

Lithuania Away: Win/draw (However could also be our bogey / 'Georgia' match).

Malta Home: Win.

Slovakia Home: Win/draw (Will be similar to Poland game at home I think & may be a must win).

Slovenia Away: Win/draw (Optomisitic Prediction).

 

Really hoping England do what they usually do in their qualifying groups and walk it by beating every other team, and not dropping points to our 'group rivals'. 

[wembley67lisbon]

45 minutes ago, Paulo2576 said:

I'd love Griffiths to be scotlands striker but he doesn't look it to me. That 40 goals should've been a lot more. Do you not feel his touch is way below where it should be? I think he looks so awkward when he has to be in control of the ball. Sometimes he has a deadly left foot no doubt but too often its all he has.

Yes I actually agree. His finishing is top notch though. I think we might be 2 up next year so hopefully he improves his touch 

[borojock]

55 minutes ago, MikeyGC said:

My prediction on how the campaign will go:

Malta Away: Win (Praying).

Lithuania Home: Win.

Slovakia Away: Lose/draw.

England Away: Lose.

Slovenia Home: Win.

England Home: Lose (Hate to say it but need to be realistic).

Lithuania Away: Win/draw (However could also be our bogey / 'Georgia' match).

Malta Home: Win.

Slovakia Home: Win/draw (Will be similar to Poland game at home I think & may be a must win).

Slovenia Away: Win/draw (Optomisitic Prediction).

 

Really hoping England do what they usually do in their qualifying groups and walk it by beating every other team, and not dropping points to our 'group rivals'.

Joining in with predictions I think:

Malta Away: Easy win, if its not theres something seriously wrong. I thin a great idea that the team were there for a week training and played at Maltas stadium against Italy

Lithuania Home: Another easy win, they don't have a great team or a recent track record

Slovakia Away: Hoping for a gutsy draw but I think we'll lose this one, I don't think by a big margin

England Away: Hate to say it but I think we'll lose and by 3 goals

Slovenia Home: Really have to win this one I don't think they are a great time and I think we'll get a win

England Home: Need to play 5-3-2 and have good ball retention, I think we'll get the dra

Lithuania Away: Win only by one and not  great game we always stuggle against these teams actually most teams these days

Malta Home: Win and easy

Slovakia Home: Draw

Slovenia Away: Draw

Prediction finish third and another tournament missed

[HIGHTOWER 1314]

malta away - win 

Lithuania home - win

slovakia awak - draw

england away - lose 

slovenia home - win

england home - draw

lithuania away - draw or win

Malta home - win

slovakia home - win

slovenia away - win

Edited June 5, 2016 by HIGHTOWER 1314

[Guest allyc]

We will get 16 points tops..

Edited June 5, 2016 by allyc

[Hertsscot]

1 hour ago, wembley67lisbon said:

Yes I actually agree. His finishing is top notch though. I think we might be 2 up next year so hopefully he improves his touch 

I think at some point we have to play with two up front or some different formation, even with five in 'midfield' we still seem to have little control of that area of the park and are just not creating anything.  Chances are with our current defence we're going to let at least one in, so we're going to have to take more of a risk.