Team for Malta

[Dalgety Bay TA]

A lot of people picking Paterson and Burke. While I would like to see both start, I will be surprised if either do.The team I think will start, note wouldn't be my choosing, will be

 

Marshall

Hutton

Martin

Hanley

Robertson

D Fletcher

Morrison

Ritchie

Snodgrass

Forrest (on the wrong/left wing)

S Fletcher

 

Although it also wouldn't surprise me if Naismith featured in starting line up somehow.

 

 

[Parklife]

12 minutes ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

A lot of people picking Paterson and Burke. While I would like to see both start, I will be surprised if either do.The team I think will start, note wouldn't be my choosing, will be

 

Marshall

Hutton

Martin

Hanley

Robertson

D Fletcher

Morrison

Ritchie

Snodgrass

Forrest (on the wrong/left wing)

S Fletcher

 

Although it also wouldn't surprise me if Naismith featured in starting line up somehow.

 

 

Depressingly, you're probably correct. 

[davew]

26 minutes ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

A lot of people picking Paterson and Burke. While I would like to see both start, I will be surprised if either do.The team I think will start, note wouldn't be my choosing, will be

 

Marshall

Hutton

Martin

Hanley

Robertson

D Fletcher

Morrison

Ritchie

Snodgrass

Forrest (on the wrong/left wing)

S Fletcher

 

Although it also wouldn't surprise me if Naismith featured in starting line up somehow.

I think you're not far off the team that will start.

WGS will only start 2 from Fletcher, Bannan, and Morrison. So probably Fletcher and Morrison.

Then it's 1 from Fletcher, Martin, and Watt.

I don't see WGS picking McKay (too inexperienced) or Anya (not much point playing a pacey winger against a team sitting in).

Then for the remaining 3 midfield places, it has to be Burke, Forrest, Ritchie, Snodgrass, or Naismith. None of them plays on the left, but one of them will probably get asked to.

Maybe we'll see Naismith instead of Forrest on the left?

[aaid]

That team is spot on - as in, what Strachan will play - with the only question mark being Forrest or Naismith.

Naismith has the experience but Strachan is a fan of Forrest and he's finally in a bit of form. 

[Parklife]

44 minutes ago, aaid said:

Naismith has the experience but Strachan is a fan of Forrest and he's finally in a bit of form. 

Hopefully he's better than he was in Georgia. Who could forget that glorious run down the right flank where he ran right out the pitch. Classic Scotland moment. 

[Bino's]

3 hours ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

A lot of people picking Paterson and Burke. While I would like to see both start, I will be surprised if either do.The team I think will start, note wouldn't be my choosing, will be

 

Marshall

Hutton

Martin

Hanley

Robertson

D Fletcher

Morrison

Ritchie

Snodgrass

Forrest (on the wrong/left wing)

S Fletcher

 

Although it also wouldn't surprise me if Naismith featured in starting line up somehow.

 

 

if yopure right which prob are Naismith has to play on the left

 

its almost not fair to ask Forrest to play on the left as he has no idea what he's doing out there whereas so far on the right he's look quite good this season

[RenfrewBlue]

2 hours ago, davew said:

I think you're not far off the team that will start.

WGS will only start 2 from Fletcher, Bannan, and Morrison. So probably Fletcher and Morrison.

Then it's 1 from Fletcher, Martin, and Watt.

I don't see WGS picking McKay (too inexperienced) or Anya (not much point playing a pacey winger against a team sitting in).

Then for the remaining 3 midfield places, it has to be Burke, Forrest, Ritchie, Snodgrass, or Naismith. None of them plays on the left, but one of them will probably get asked to.

Maybe we'll see Naismith instead of Forrest on the left?

Not picking McKay because he's inexperienced would sum the Strachan era up perfectly. 

McKay is the only one of the 4 wingers that can open up a defence that's sitting in.Anya only has pace, no guile. Forrest is similar although I've not seen him this season so happy to be proved wrong.  Burke appears to be about pace and power too, although again I've not seen him yet, however all reports suggest he's not a tricky winger.

[legenderi32]

My lineup would be:

 

http://bbc.in/2cvsGAQ

[Parklife]

58 minutes ago, RenfrewBlue said:

McKay is the only one of the 4 wingers that can open up a defence that's sitting in.

Has he done that this season? I've only seen two of your four games (killie & hamilton) and he didn't manage to open up either of them when they were sitting in. 

[GHfaeGTA]

Suggestions in media today that Watt might start 

[Dandydon]

If Burke doesn't get a start after a multi million pound deal and when his tail is up then he never will.

[andyD]

I can see Strachan not starting him entirely because of the move. Just to protect the kid from too much sudden exposure. I hope he starts as he seems like the kind of guy who actually thrives on the pressure and expectation. But there's a decent chance he's a half time sub on.

I made the mistake of looking at the Record ealier.. and their 'journos' picking the side is pretty much a horror show. Almost to a man going with Naismith and Fletcher.

Stuart Wilson:
Marshall;
Hutton; Martin; Hanley; Robertson;
Forrest; D. Fletcher; Morrison; Anya;
Naismith; S Fletcher.

Michael Temlett:
Marshall;
Paterson; Berra; Hanley; Robertson;
Burke; Bannan; Morrison; Ritchie;
Naismith; Fletcher.

Andy McGilvray:
Marshall;
Paterson; Berra; Martin; Robertson;
Forrest; McGinn; McKay; Ritchie;
Naismith; Watt.

Paul Thomson:
Marshall;
Robertson; R Martin; Hanley; Paterson;
D Fletcher; Morrison; Snodgrass; Burke;
Naismith; Fletcher.

[norsefox]

Not necessarily my choice, but what I reckon Strachan will go with.

Marshall

Hutton Martin Hanley Robertson

Fletcher Morrison

Forrest Snodgrass Ritchie

Fletcher

 

I don't know a whole lot about Malta but I suspect we'll have a lot of the ball.  Given the requirement for quality possession and the importance of set pieces, I can see Bannan starting ahead of Morrison and Paterson ahead of Hutton (do we have a player better in the air than Paterson?)

I genuinely don't think Burke will start but expect to see him on at some point.  Burke, Anya and Naismith/Watt to get on at some point.

[er yir macaroon]

4 hours ago, aaid said:

That team is spot on - as in, what Strachan will play - with the only question mark being Forrest or Naismith.

Naismith has the experience but Strachan is a fan of Forrest and he's finally in a bit of form. 

He got in behind brilliantly and rolled passes into feet on several occasions in the second half against Killie only for the recipient to blooter it over the bar.

 

Something wrong with quote button - that's a response to Parklife and Barrie McKay.

Edited September 2, 2016 by er yir macaroon

[hannibal smith]

10 minutes ago, andyD said:

I can see Strachan not starting him entirely because of the move. Just to protect the kid from too much sudden exposure. I hope he starts as he seems like the kind of guy who actually thrives on the pressure and expectation. But there's a decent chance he's a half time sub on.

I made the mistake of looking at the Record ealier.. and their 'journos' picking the side is pretty much a horror show. Almost to a man going with Naismith and Fletcher.

Stuart Wilson:
Marshall;
Hutton; Martin; Hanley; Robertson;
Forrest; D. Fletcher; Morrison; Anya;
Naismith; S Fletcher.

Michael Temlett:
Marshall;
Paterson; Berra; Hanley; Robertson;
Burke; Bannan; Morrison; Ritchie;
Naismith; Fletcher.

Andy McGilvray:
Marshall;
Paterson; Berra; Martin; Robertson;
Forrest; McGinn; McKay; Ritchie;
Naismith; Watt.

Paul Thomson:
Marshall;
Robertson; R Martin; Hanley; Paterson;
D Fletcher; Morrison; Snodgrass; Burke;
Naismith; Fletcher.

thanks F**K none of them are picking the team, only one of them has Snodgrass in it.

for me it will be

Marshall

Hutton or Paterson

Hanley

Martin

Robertson

Ritchie

Morrison

Fletcher

Snodgrass

Burke or Forest

Fletcher

 

[Squirrelhumper]

2 hours ago, RenfrewBlue said:

Not picking McKay because he's inexperienced would sum the Strachan era up perfectly. 

McKay is the only one of the 4 wingers that can open up a defence that's sitting in.Anya only has pace, no guile. Forrest is similar although I've not seen him this season so happy to be proved wrong.  Burke appears to be about pace and power too, although again I've not seen him yet, however all reports suggest he's not a tricky winger.

You've probably seen more of McKay than me this year but he was poor on Friday.

Forrest on current form is miles ahead of him.

[Squirrelhumper]

1 hour ago, GHfaeGTA said:

Suggestions in media today that Watt might start 

Can't even get in original squad but straight into the starting 11?

[ProudScot]

7 minutes ago, Squirrelhumper said:

Can't even get in original squad but straight into the starting 11?

Wouldn't be the first time that's happened with GS

[er yir macaroon]

42 minutes ago, Squirrelhumper said:

You've probably seen more of McKay than me this year but he was poor on Friday.

Forrest on current form is miles ahead of him.

I can't agree McKay was poor, certainly not in the second half. He consistently beat his man using shear pace and occasional trickery and played short passes to feet into the box, the kind of thing required against a team sitting in.

[RenfrewBlue]

2 hours ago, Parklife said:

Has he done that this season? I've only seen two of your four games (killie & hamilton) and he didn't manage to open up either of them when they were sitting in. 

 

2 hours ago, Parklife said:

Has he done that this season? I've only seen two of your four games (killie & hamilton) and he didn't manage to open up either of them when they were sitting in. 

Not really. He's not playing as well this season as he did last and to be honest, I was surprised he even got called up.

[RenfrewBlue]

1 hour ago, Squirrelhumper said:

You've probably seen more of McKay than me this year but he was poor on Friday.

Forrest on current form is miles ahead of him.

I've not seen Forrest this season at all, hence my choice of McKay. Agree he's not been as good as last season though. 

Going on Forrests original breakthrough season though, I'd say his game isn't suited to breaking down a packed defence. McKays is and I'd have thought Malta were about Scottish Championship level, so he wouldn't find it too difficult to do.

[Parklife]

29 minutes ago, RenfrewBlue said:

 

Not really. He's not playing as well this season as he did last and to be honest, I was surprised he even got called up.

I'm confused. Why then are you advocating throwing him in to a vital qualifying game if he's not playing well and never has done so in any level above the Scottish 2nd division? 

[Fairbairn]

Probably shouldn't say this as a Rangers fan but I think MacKay is massively over rated. He's got bags of pace and is good when he's got a defender on the back foot but I find him frustratingly predictable and his final ball and decision making require a lot of work. He's still young so plenty of time to address these issues but I think, at present, the Rangers support put way to much expectation on him. 

[RenfrewBlue]

36 minutes ago, Parklife said:

I'm confused. Why then are you advocating throwing him in to a vital qualifying game if he's not playing well and never has done so in any level above the Scottish 2nd division? 

I didn't say he wasn't playing well. Just not as sharp as last season. 

And I'm not sure what the 2nd division line means as he was excellent last season and was one of the key players when we beat Celtic. 

He's more than capable of playing against the mighty Malta, in my humble opinion.

[Dalgety Bay TA]

1 hour ago, RenfrewBlue said:

I've not seen Forrest this season at all, hence my choice of McKay. Agree he's not been as good as last season though. 

Going on Forrests original breakthrough season though, I'd say his game isn't suited to breaking down a packed defence. McKays is and I'd have thought Malta were about Scottish Championship level, so he wouldn't find it too difficult to do.

Malta lost 1-0 home and away to Italy in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. They also only lost 1-0 at home to Croatia. That's not Scottish Championship level.