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Squad Announcment


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17 hours ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

We would end up playing 0-9-1. Or something equally as radical with no centre backs. 

England have tried for years to work formations that got all their best players on the pitch. Its done them next to no good, considering the players and resources they have available, IMO. Their classic one was sticking Gerrard and Lampard in centre of midfield and then shoe-horning Paul Scholes in at left mid.

 

I do actually think Strachan is doing a bit of what you suggest. If you acknowledge we have to go with a back 4 - agreed? And we are pretty lacking in decent strikers - agreed? Then sticking players in the midfield, in the same way that a lot of teams play these days, is the end result. And its roughly the formation which he has been playing. There has been a lot of "he has to change it" chat. But to what? Or rather who? Plenty of suggestions on the 5-10 players who shouldn't be in the squad but I don't think there is any outstanding candidate(s) who are continually over looked who would have drastically changed our fortunes in the last campaign. I do think the lack of say a McCormack or a Bardsley, who has started the new season well but has never been in Strachans squads, is wrong. I do think it would be better to select a youngster as 3rd/4th choice centre back instead of Greer. But I still don't think any of these players left out would make a massive difference to where we are. Some of the comments seem to hint at some gold mine of untested or unselected players waiting in the wings to replace Fletcher and Fletcher and Hutton and whoever else. I would love to know who these players are.

 

Good post.  The only players over the last couple of years that you could legitimately say have been overlooked would be McCormack and Bardsley.   In McCormack's case, it does look as if Strachan doesn't fancy him for some reason.  I suspect that's probably down to him either preferring the other options and/or thinking that they fit into his team better.   While we're not exactly overflowing with options up front, there are at least options and I can fully understand Strachan's point about wanting different types of players up front.

Bardsley is a bit more of a puzzle.  To a greater or lesser extent, a right back is a right back is a right back and for the last few years - until Calum Paterson came on the scene - we've basically had one, Hutton.  so Bardsleys omission looks a lot like there must be something more to it, ie, not just down to football reasons.  Who knows if that's the case or what the issue is.  I think it's pretty interesting that he's never really asked about Bardsley by the press.

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2 hours ago, aaid said:

Good post.  The only players over the last couple of years that you could legitimately say have been overlooked would be McCormack and Bardsley.   In McCormack's case, it does look as if Strachan doesn't fancy him for some reason.  I suspect that's probably down to him either preferring the other options and/or thinking that they fit into his team better.   While we're not exactly overflowing with options up front, there are at least options and I can fully understand Strachan's point about wanting different types of players up front.

Bardsley is a bit more of a puzzle.  To a greater or lesser extent, a right back is a right back is a right back and for the last few years - until Calum Paterson came on the scene - we've basically had one, Hutton.  so Bardsleys omission looks a lot like there must be something more to it, ie, not just down to football reasons.  Who knows if that's the case or what the issue is.  I think it's pretty interesting that he's never really asked about Bardsley by the press.

Bardsley has also got a bit of versatility and has played left back.  I know that's a position which now we have abit of cover for but it does make previous omissions all the more surprising.

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4 hours ago, aaid said:

 

Bardsley is a bit more of a puzzle.  To a greater or lesser extent, a right back is a right back is a right back and for the last few years - until Calum Paterson came on the scene - we've basically had one, Hutton.  so Bardsleys omission looks a lot like there must be something more to it, ie, not just down to football reasons.  Who knows if that's the case or what the issue is.  I think it's pretty interesting that he's never really asked about Bardsley by the press.

We have also had Whittaker in squads, whether he is good enough is another question but he is a player Strachan likes based on his comments after Poland away. 

Bardsley may have been footballing reasons last year. Only really featured for Stoke from about March onwards, was mostly FA and Capital One cup games previous to that. However his non appearance in I think any Strachan squad since he came in probably backs up the non footballing reasons. I've always like Bardsley, a good solid full back, would have him in at right back in front of any of the other options.

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24 minutes ago, Ormond said:

I would say he's got a point with John McGinn being selected ahead of him. Would he even get a game for Stoke's under 23 team?

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1 hour ago, GHfaeGTA said:

I would say he's got a point with John McGinn being selected ahead of him. Would he even get a game for Stoke's under 23 team?

he is one for the future, adam is far too unfit and slow for international football and has had one good half for scotland. Mcginn will be a regular for scotland inside 4 years and every one moaning about him being in will be feeling rather sheepish. pun possibly not intended ;-)

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10 minutes ago, LewisEDI said:

he is one for the future, adam is far too unfit and slow for international football and has had one good half for scotland. Mcginn will be a regular for scotland inside 4 years and every one moaning about him being in will be feeling rather sheepish. pun possibly not intended ;-)

I'm not on the wind up but when was that good half?  I quite like Adam probably because he's liable to do the unexpected and might get a goal from long range but I can understand Strachan's reluctance to pick him. 

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1 minute ago, Hertsscot said:

I'm not on the wind up but when was that good half?  I quite like Adam probably because he's liable to do the unexpected and might get a goal from long range but I can understand Strachan's reluctance to pick him. 

spain at home when he came on at half time

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The problem with Charlie Adam is he's a guy who quite obviously needs to be featuring every week for his club as otherwise his weight and subsequently fitness suffers drastically.

I saw an interview with him last season in which he said he had no interest in leaving Stoke as long as he was guaranteed around 15 starts a season, that shows a massive lack of ambition.

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I can see Adam's point to an extent, he said something similar towards the end of last season. Saying that Strachan was looking for players who were capable of picking out passes and so on and he felt he fitted that bill. I also see the argument about his fitness though and that he seems happy to warm the bench for 20 games a season. The bigger issue at Stoke for me is why Phil Bardsley not getting a look in. 

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9 hours ago, bossman4 said:

. The bigger issue at Stoke for me is why Phil Bardsley not getting a look in. 

At Stoke? Because of Glen Johnson probably. Bardsley has started this season because Johnson is injured. He played 1 league game up until about March last season for Stoke, the rest in that period being FA and Capital One cup games. I assume Johnson picked up an injury towards the end of the season because Bardsley seemed to play a bit more.

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10 hours ago, Rab The Crab said:

The problem with Charlie Adam is he's a guy who quite obviously needs to be featuring every week for his club as otherwise his weight and subsequently fitness suffers drastically.

I saw an interview with him last season in which he said he had no interest in leaving Stoke as long as he was guaranteed around 15 starts a season, that shows a massive lack of ambition.

Does it?

For long spells he's a regular starter and doesn't get near our squad.

Why would he drop a league, get paid less and still not get a sniff in the national team.

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Greer and Martin are the only 2 players that I really can't understand the inclusion of. I'd rather bring a young centre-back in with no long term future (Findlay maybe?) with the hope they gain something from it. 

I don't really rate McCormack but I'd have him ahead of Martin. Again, I'd be tempted to try a younger player like McBurnie. 

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Adam I think hardly gets a sniff because he does simply not fit into Strachans style of play..... he was more suited to Levein's style of play by keep the ball and slowing the game down to a snail pace (also he lived on the crest of that wave for his performance v Spain for a long time).... while Strachan prefers a more passing game and keeping the ball constantly moving, by getting it to players like Maloney, Bannan, Anya, Snodgrass and Naismith, with players like Brown and Morrison keeping the midfield ticking over and interacting with the forward line on the attack.

Saying that, if any player should fit into Strachans style of play, its McCormack.....

Edited by wanderer
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11 minutes ago, wanderer said:

Adam I think hardly gets a sniff because he does simply not fit into Strachans style of play..... he was more suited to Levein's style of play by keep the ball and slowing the game down to a snail pace (also he lived on the crest of that wave for his performance v Spain for a long time).... while Strachan prefers a more passing game and keeping the ball constantly moving, by getting it to players like Maloney, Bannan, Anya, Snodgrass and Naismith, with players like Brown and Morrison keeping the midfield ticking over and interacting with the forward line on the attack.

Saying that, if any player should fit into Strachans style of play, its McCormack.....

Not in the squad, not in the squad, will probably be in defence, Snodgrass yes, Naismith probably won't start, Retired and Morrison yes.

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7 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Not in the squad, not in the squad, will probably be in defence, Snodgrass yes, Naismith probably won't start, Retired and Morrison yes.

Which makes McCormack exclusion seem somewhat bizarre, but I think he has covered himself with the inclusion of Burke in the squad and I should have mentioned Ritchie as well..... which just shows that there is no real room for Adam in Strachan's squad (he has a key group of 5/6 attacking and wide players, and only has room for 3, maybe 4, proper holding midfielders, which at the moment is McArthur, Fletcher and Morrison).

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2 hours ago, ProudScot said:

Does it?

For long spells he's a regular starter and doesn't get near our squad.

Why would he drop a league, get paid less and still not get a sniff in the national team.

Yes.

Moans about not being picked for Scotland.

Needs regular games to be selected.

Isnt willing to move to get regular games.

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9 minutes ago, Rab The Crab said:

Yes.

Moans about not being picked for Scotland.

Needs regular games to be selected.

Isnt willing to move to get regular games.

The last 4 seasons he played 27, 31, 29 & 22 league games for Stoke. that's well over 100 games. He's also regularly scored from midfield.

He may be "guaranteed 15 starts" but he starts much more than that & That's without counting cups.

We won't have many players who have featured more regularly in the EPL over the past 4 seasons than him.

Do your research before quoting non quotes and spouting 'facts' which are not correct.

Edited by ProudScot
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37 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

He may be "guaranteed 15 starts" but he starts much more than that & That's without counting cups.

Do your research before quoting non quotes and spouting 'facts' which are not correct.

This season, he's not started (or played at all) in the league.

Last season he started 12 league games. Only played 4 complete games.

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2 minutes ago, andyD said:

This season, he's not started (or played at all) in the league.

Last season he started 12 league games. Only played 4 complete games.

There has been two league games.

You seem to have left out the bit about playing over 100 matches in the last 4 seasons in the EPL, which was the main point. Well done.

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4 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

There has been two league games.

You seem to have left out the bit about playing over 100 matches in the last 4 seasons in the EPL, which was the main point. Well done.

So would you not agree he's the kind of player that needs minutes or his fitness suffers?

 

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