*** Scotland Euro 2020 (2021) Thread ( merged) ***

[benny]

34 minutes ago, BigAlim said:

McGinn seems to escape criticism in a Scotland shirt and even has the fans singing his name

 

The laddie seems to make moving 10 yards and playing a pass look like the most difficult thing in the world

Plays like he has a banjo strapped to his back.

Robertson another.Does a lot of runs where his final ball is poor.

Spoils a lot of good work by some terrible distribution.

McTominay again apart from the England game utter shite.

[Maroon Sailor]

36 minutes ago, jimbo99 said:

Everyone talking about dearth of strikers as the main failing.
All 5 goals Scotland conceded in the tournament were highly avoidable, and were the results of bad lapses in defensive concentration and/or

poor decision making.

 

Think we are all talking about the lack of a class act up front or an attacking midfielder.

 

Defensive lapses wouldn't be so costly all the time if we had someone who could tear the opposition apart.

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Maroon Sailor

[Boab]

1 hour ago, This is My Story Podcast said:

We can talk about playing style, formations till we are blue in the face. The fundamental flaw with the national team is the happy clapping, here for a party, doe a deer culture. Clapped off the park last night, three day party for a nil nil draw and the usual if my aunty had balls chat after the Czech game. If everyone is “proud” just to get there, what pressure to maintain standards are there? Robertson, Tierney, Hanley, McTominay, McGinn, Gilmour, Adam’s, Fleck, McBurnie.......all play/played in the EPL, one of the best leagues in the world. Come to Scotland and their levels drop massively. There is zero pressure to perform. Until that culture is changed we will achieve nothing. In the back door of the easiest Euro’s to qualify for. Finished bottom with one point and one goal in the easiest Euros group set up to qualify from. Other nations comparable in size through, playing better with poorer players. Every pundit I listened to last night just “so proud” of what Scotland achieved. Every paper. Every player. “Proud” of themselves for what should be a national embarrassment. Out without even laying a glove on anyone and the biggest disappointment of it all is we never even had a proper go in any the games. 

It’s called supporting the team. We can criticise guys like Dykes etc and Clarke for sticking with him but leave the fans out of it.

We gave the Hearts team a rousing send off after being trounced by Rangers in 96’. 
It’s what supporters do.

What would you have preferred last night ? Booed off the park ?

 

[Nelly Terraces]

I said on another thread that I expected Scotland to lose every game, and if it hadn't been for England being so utterly anaemic they would have. Just look at the results over the past 10 or 11 games, they're dreadful and the next match up is away in Denmark where they have no chance. 

 

They talk about these guys who play for top level clubs, fair enough, but I've seen very little from any of them to show that they're anything other than run of the mill, Gilmore excepted. Not a single one of them effected the game last night & Croatia were running the show while Graeme Souness was right about Scotland, their tactics were from another age & the worst I've seen from any team in an otherwise excellent tournament.

 

Hoofing the ball forward to 2 big useless lumps up front. Pretty much sums up Scotland really. 

[Harry Potter]

1 minute ago, Nelly Terraces said:

I said on another thread that I expected Scotland to lose every game, and if it hadn't been for England being so utterly anaemic they would have. Just look at the results over the past 10 or 11 games, they're dreadful and the next match up is away in Denmark where they have no chance. 

 

They talk about these guys who play for top level clubs, fair enough, but I've seen very little from any of them to show that they're anything other than run of the mill, Gilmore excepted. Not a single one of them effected the game last night & Croatia were running the show while Graeme Souness was right about Scotland, their tactics were from another age & the worst I've seen from any team in an otherwise excellent tournament.

 

Hoofing the ball forward to 2 big useless lumps up front. Pretty much sums up Scotland really. 

Spot on nelly, i turned the tv off at 2-1, was a horrific watch.

[This is My Story Podcast]

17 minutes ago, Boab said:

It’s called supporting the team. We can criticise guys like Dykes etc and Clarke for sticking with him but leave the fans out of it.

We gave the Hearts team a rousing send off after being trounced by Rangers in 96’. 
It’s what supporters do.

What would you have preferred last night ? Booed off the park ?

 

You can support the team but also demand more than what you got. This whole “happy to be there” mantra isn’t good for anyone. It’s the players/managers fault but I don’t think the TA help with the accepting failure outlook. Just my Opinion of course. 

[Smoked-Glass]

We are awful. 

 

A fit thumb is what the team needed plus the threat from free kicks. 

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, Japan Jambo said:

 

I do think we need to reflect but putting another manager up against the wall with a blindfold won't solve anything. We need a bit of introspection with regard to our mentality; all I hear today is proud, proud, proud - why? what of? we struggled to get there, stood up for one game and squandered two games with home advantage. We have a real talent for over-celebrating minor victories and papering over losses, the 'unlucky' chat really boiled my piss.

We need a better manager that won’t be happy with the plucky loser mentality, I agree with everything else.  

[Pasquale for King]

2 minutes ago, This is My Story Podcast said:

You can support the team but also demand more than what you got. This whole “happy to be there” mantra isn’t good for anyone. It’s the players/managers fault but I don’t think the TA help with the accepting failure outlook. Just my Opinion of course. 

Spot on. 

[King prawn]

If we had a striker who could put the ball in the net, the group stages would have gone completely differently in my opinion. Everyone is rightly upset at the result but we had plenty of chances last night to put the ball in the net - Dykes and Adams just aren't going to cut it at an international level. 

[Pasquale for King]

2 hours ago, This is My Story Podcast said:

We can talk about playing style, formations till we are blue in the face. The fundamental flaw with the national team is the happy clapping, here for a party, doe a deer culture. Clapped off the park last night, three day party for a nil nil draw and the usual if my aunty had balls chat after the Czech game. If everyone is “proud” just to get there, what pressure to maintain standards are there? Robertson, Tierney, Hanley, McTominay, McGinn, Gilmour, Adam’s, Fleck, McBurnie.......all play/played in the EPL, one of the best leagues in the world. Come to Scotland and their levels drop massively. There is zero pressure to perform. Until that culture is changed we will achieve nothing. In the back door of the easiest Euro’s to qualify for. Finished bottom with one point and one goal in the easiest Euros group set up to qualify from. Other nations comparable in size through, playing better with poorer players. Every pundit I listened to last night just “so proud” of what Scotland achieved. Every paper. Every player. “Proud” of themselves for what should be a national embarrassment. Out without even laying a glove on anyone and the biggest disappointment of it all is we never even had a proper go in any the games. 

Spot on. 

[Pasquale for King]

2 minutes ago, King prawn said:

If we had a striker who could put the ball in the net, the group stages would have gone completely differently in my opinion. Everyone is rightly upset at the result but we had plenty of chances last night to put the ball in the net - Dykes and Adams just aren't going to cut it at an international level. 

We lost 5 goals in two home games, how many goals can we score to make up for that. 

[John Findlay]

Just now, Pasquale for King said:

We lost 5 goals in two home games, how many goals can we score to make up for that. 

6.

[King prawn]

4 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

We lost 5 goals in two home games, how many goals can we score to make up for that. 

6 

 

But jokes aside, we had plenty of chances against the Czechs, enough to win it, a few good ones against England and 3 fantastic opportunities last night. On every occasion we lacked someone clinical enough to put it in the net. 

 

And all that does is invite more pressure onto ourselves. 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by King prawn

[The Old Tolbooth]

4 minutes ago, King prawn said:

If we had a striker who could put the ball in the net, the group stages would have gone completely differently in my opinion. Everyone is rightly upset at the result but we had plenty of chances last night to put the ball in the net - Dykes and Adams just aren't going to cut it at an international level. 

 

Adams does, I thought he was excellent but he can't do it all on is own because Dykes and Nisbet are utter mince! I'm actually lost for words that Dykes played before Adams against the Czech Republic, and was subbed off instead of Dykes last night. It's criminal to leave Griffiths at home for this tournament, because I'm pretty sure he would have bagged a couple of those chances at least. I reckon Steve Clarke has been found wanting big time and he's completely naive as a manager, but who the hell would want that job? 

[King prawn]

1 minute ago, The Old Tolbooth said:

 

Adams does, I thought he was excellent but he can't do it all on is own because Dykes and Nisbet are utter mince! I'm actually lost for words that Dykes played before Adams against the Czech Republic, and was subbed off instead of Dykes last night. It's criminal to leave Griffiths at home for this tournament, because I'm pretty sure he would have bagged a couple of those chances at least. I reckon Steve Clarke has been found wanting big time and he's completely naive as a manager, but who the hell would want that job? 

Adams is a better player in general and I agree he should have started against the Czech Republic but he still missed his fair share in the two games he started. 

[May one-six]

30 minutes ago, Nelly Terraces said:

I said on another thread that I expected Scotland to lose every game, and if it hadn't been for England being so utterly anaemic they would have. Just look at the results over the past 10 or 11 games, they're dreadful and the next match up is away in Denmark where they have no chance. 

 

They talk about these guys who play for top level clubs, fair enough, but I've seen very little from any of them to show that they're anything other than run of the mill, Gilmore excepted. Not a single one of them effected the game last night & Croatia were running the show while Graeme Souness was right about Scotland, their tactics were from another age & the worst I've seen from any team in an otherwise excellent tournament.

 

Hoofing the ball forward to 2 big useless lumps up front. Pretty much sums up Scotland really. 

You're right. It's laughable how people now seem to think we can get a result in Denmark/Austria. It's as if they've not been watching our games or take no heed of our world ranking. We are currently a third rate national football team and very big outsiders to reach the World Cup.

[The Old Tolbooth]

3 minutes ago, King prawn said:

Adams is a better player in general and I agree he should have started against the Czech Republic but he still missed his fair share in the two games he started. 

 

That's what I mean though, he can't do it all himself, and there's zero quality to play alongside him, I wonder if McBurnie, had he been available, would have started. I worry more about where our defence and goalkeeping situation is heading, because we have nothing coming through as far as I can see. 

[Pasquale for King]

6 minutes ago, King prawn said:

6 

 

But jokes aside, we had plenty of chances against the Czechs, enough to win it, a few good ones against England and 3 fantastic opportunities last night. On every occasion we lacked someone clinical enough to put it in the net. 

 

And all that does is invite more pressure onto ourselves. 

 

 

I don’t think we had any fantastic opportunities in any of the games, no sitters. Chances yes but no team takes them all. You can’t lose 5 goals at home in two games and expect to win. Playing left backs and midfielders at centre half doesn’t help. 

[Pasquale for King]

11 minutes ago, The Old Tolbooth said:

 

Adams does, I thought he was excellent but he can't do it all on is own because Dykes and Nisbet are utter mince! I'm actually lost for words that Dykes played before Adams against the Czech Republic, and was subbed off instead of Dykes last night. It's criminal to leave Griffiths at home for this tournament, because I'm pretty sure he would have bagged a couple of those chances at least. I reckon Steve Clarke has been found wanting big time and he's completely naive as a manager, but who the hell would want that job? 

You would need to pay 2 or 3 times what Clarke gets to source a decent manager, there’s loads going about looking for a job. 

[Ray Gin]

1 hour ago, jimbo99 said:

Everyone talking about dearth of strikers as the main failing.
All 5 goals Scotland conceded in the tournament were highly avoidable, and were the results of bad lapses in defensive concentration and/or

poor decision making.

 

And all 5 were excellent finishes.

 

[Pasquale for King]

16 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

6.

Realistically that’s unlikely is it not? Only Italy have scored that many so far. 

[The Old Tolbooth]

Just now, Pasquale for King said:

You would need to pay 2 or 3 times what Clarke gets to source a decent manager, there’s loads going about looking for a job. 

 

They couldn't even land Michael O'Niell when they had the chance as the Norther Irish FA offered him more than we could, what chance do we have with these charlatans running our game mate. 

[Pasquale for King]

4 minutes ago, The Old Tolbooth said:

 

They couldn't even land Michael O'Niell when they had the chance as the Norther Irish FA offered him more than we could, what chance do we have with these charlatans running our game mate. 

That’s part of the problem too, nothing changes whilst the game in this country is run for the benefit of two clubs. 

[132goals1958]

12 minutes ago, May one-six said:

You're right. It's laughable how people now seem to think we can get a result in Denmark/Austria. It's as if they've not been watching our games or take no heed of our world ranking. We are currently a third rate national football team and very big outsiders to reach the World Cup.

 

Yeah not forgetting we failed miserably in the European Nations blocking off an alternative route.

[The Old Tolbooth]

3 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

That’s part of the problem too, nothing changes whilst the game in this country is run for the benefit of two clubs. 

 

Exactly mate, it'll never change either. 

[Cruickie's Moustache]

Simply lacking in quality in various positions.

 

McTominay, given his type of game,  shouldn't be anywhere near the right back slot but has to be there as were are struggling.

Hopefully the young lad Patterson keeps improving.

Armstrong was just poor poor poor last night, first touch terrible and stuck a fair few passes to a red shirt. Time to go

Che Adams needs to taught how to do a diving header instead of jumping like a ballet dancer trying to get a high foot on the ball.

Dykes tries and roughs the opposition up a bit but is still just at the level of the Livingston striker he was.

 

Not a fan of Hanley but thought he was pretty decent. Marshall kept the score down last night but with him and Gordon's age who is coming up behind!!

 

All of the goals were just down to poor marking.

1st McTominay loses his position (not for the 1st time when playing in a defensive role)  trying to go for a ball going well over his head and leaves the middle open. Other too slow to cover.

2nd Croatians all lining up at the edge of the box for the second and no-one even watching for the cut back, especially when you have one of the best players in the world waiting.

3rd Why is Tierney marking a guy who is 6ft plus and O'Donnell is standing out at the corner of the box on a midfielder.

 

Basic stuff really. 

 

So going forward we need a young up and coming goalie, Patterson to improve for right back, improvement in the centre backs, Gilmour to be fit, get McTominay further forward, Dykes and Admas to improve as a partnership or hope someone else begins to shine. A couple of wingers.

 

Not much to ask for!!!  

[hmfc_liam06]

1 hour ago, BigAlim said:

McGinn seems to escape criticism in a Scotland shirt and even has the fans singing his name

 

The laddie seems to make moving 10 yards and playing a pass look like the most difficult thing in the world

 

McGinn has been woeful this tournament.

[Pasquale for King]

2 minutes ago, Cruickie's Moustache said:

Simply lacking in quality in various positions.

 

McTominay, given his type of game,  shouldn't be anywhere near the right back slot but has to be there as were are struggling.

Hopefully the young lad Patterson keeps improving.

Armstrong was just poor poor poor last night, first touch terrible and stuck a fair few passes to a red shirt. Time to go

Che Adams needs to taught how to do a diving header instead of jumping like a ballet dancer trying to get a high foot on the ball.

Dykes tries and roughs the opposition up a bit but is still just at the level of the Livingston striker he was.

 

Not a fan of Hanley but thought he was pretty decent. Marshall kept the score down last night but with him and Gordon's age who is coming up behind!!

 

All of the goals were just down to poor marking.

1st McTominay loses his position (not for the 1st time when playing in a defensive role)  trying to go for a ball going well over his head and leaves the middle open. Other too slow to cover.

2nd Croatians all lining up at the edge of the box for the second and no-one even watching for the cut back, especially when you have one of the best players in the world waiting.

3rd Why is Tierney marking a guy who is 6ft plus and O'Donnell is standing out at the corner of the box on a midfielder.

 

Basic stuff really. 

 

So going forward we need a young up and coming goalie, Patterson to improve for right back, improvement in the centre backs, Gilmour to be fit, get McTominay further forward, Dykes and Admas to improve as a partnership or hope someone else begins to shine. A couple of wingers.

 

Not much to ask for!!!  

Good post, you left out a good manager. 

[hmfc_liam06]

2 minutes ago, Cruickie's Moustache said:

Simply lacking in quality in various positions.

 

McTominay, given his type of game,  shouldn't be anywhere near the right back slot but has to be there as were are struggling.

Hopefully the young lad Patterson keeps improving.

Armstrong was just poor poor poor last night, first touch terrible and stuck a fair few passes to a red shirt. Time to go

Che Adams needs to taught how to do a diving header instead of jumping like a ballet dancer trying to get a high foot on the ball.

Dykes tries and roughs the opposition up a bit but is still just at the level of the Livingston striker he was.

 

Not a fan of Hanley but thought he was pretty decent. Marshall kept the score down last night but with him and Gordon's age who is coming up behind!!

 

All of the goals were just down to poor marking.

1st McTominay loses his position (not for the 1st time when playing in a defensive role)  trying to go for a ball going well over his head and leaves the middle open. Other too slow to cover.

2nd Croatians all lining up at the edge of the box for the second and no-one even watching for the cut back, especially when you have one of the best players in the world waiting.

3rd Why is Tierney marking a guy who is 6ft plus and O'Donnell is standing out at the corner of the box on a midfielder.

 

Basic stuff really. 

 

So going forward we need a young up and coming goalie, Patterson to improve for right back, improvement in the centre backs, Gilmour to be fit, get McTominay further forward, Dykes and Admas to improve as a partnership or hope someone else begins to shine. A couple of wingers.

 

Not much to ask for!!!  

 

2 of the 5 goals conceded were from not closing down crosses, both of them come from our left. Yes the defending after that was poor but stop the cross, stop the goal.

[graygo]

2 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

All I can say is thank feck it's over. Sick of the happy clappers when everyone knows we are not good enough. They started the game with no intensity no desire and no commitment, it was clear from the KO we would fail and I turned off after the first goal.

Has anyone in the set up heard of making a tackle? We allowed them to walk up the park to our box and spray passes around without a single player putting a boot near them. When a manager sticks with a keeper who fecked us so badly shows he is not good enough, as for Adams how the hell did he get a gig, not that he was the only one.

 

We had 3 corners in the first 5 minutes in the game I watched.

[Pasquale for King]

8 minutes ago, hmfc_liam06 said:

 

McGinn has been woeful this tournament.

Definitely. He needs to play off the striker, he’s not got the discipline to play in midfield, never has. 

[iantjambo]

We’ll always be a wee football nation unless we ditch the wee football nation mentality. The amount of people who have been blowing their stack because England didn’t beat us is staggering. We finished bottom with a point, while the finished top with 7. Does anyone really think that they give a toss?

 

We’re out in the first round (again) but the tartan army will continue to happy clap. 

[graygo]

1 hour ago, Harry Potter said:

Spot on nelly, i turned the tv off at 2-1, was a horrific watch.

 

Hibs supporters walk out of games when they are losing, we quite rightly rip the piss out of them for it.

[Hearts1975]

Sick as a dog at that ☹️ We can say the usual, we’re not good enough, we always let ourselves down etc etc but even although Croatia are a good team, we made them look good IMO 

 

Easy for anyone to say but we were left chasing the ball. The possession stats at half time were horrendous 

 

Not very often I would agree with Graeme Souness but I think he hit the nail on the head when he said half time was the time to change it 

 

Hook a striker for another midfielder to try and get more possession in the middle of the park - with the extra midfielder we could have set him up to man mark modric or at least try and make it more difficult for him. 
 

don’t care what anyone says, you try and nullify Modric, as every single thing goes through him. I ain’t any tactician but making that type of change at half time would make sense if we could execute it 

 

Hindsight of course 😥

[Harry Potter]

1 minute ago, Awbdy Oot said:

 

Hibs supporters walk out of games when they are losing, we quite rightly rip the piss out of them for it.

I never walked oot, just switched it aff.

[Hearts1975]

20 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

Definitely. He needs to play off the striker, he’s not got the discipline to play in midfield, never has. 

He turned a Croatian boy on the wing - brilliantly tbf - then after that moment of brilliance and a big green park to run through with no one in front of him he tries to haul his big fat arse no more than 20 yards before the boy caught up with him. 
 

Typical 
 

 

[Pasquale for King]

1 minute ago, Hearts1975 said:

He turned a Croatian boy on the wing - brilliantly tbf - then after that moment of brilliance and a big green park to run through with no one in front of him he tries to haul his big fat arse no more than 20 yards before the boy caught up with him. 
 

Typical 
 

 

He was looking for the foul as always instead of looking up and playing a pass. Vastly overrated player. 

[henryheart]

1 hour ago, Jambos_1874 said:

 

The only thing I agree with in your post is that Hampden was the worst looking stadium, bar perhaps the one on Seville.

 

The cost of tickets was outrageously high so I don't blame people not wanting to go to a neutral game. There was an absence of promotion because we are in the middle of a pandemic which, sadly, many people have forgotten. There are other focuses and encouraging large groups of people to congregate is clearly not a good idea.

 

We haven't been to a tournament in 23 years and therefore this is a learning curve. Mistakes were made and we perhaps would have done some things differently, but the team gave their all and there is also a lot of talent in the team with many of the players yet to reach their peak. Croatia showed their quality last night and are a seasoned tournament team. I'm disappointed we're out, but also fairly pragmatic about it. I'll hold my hands up and concede that I am not one of those people who is offended by the Tartan Army and who likes to knock them/Scotland at any opportunity.

 

I appreciate your measured comments.

 

The ticket prices were high, but I suppose that this is the case for every major sporting event no matter where, and that the organisers will have been expecting there to be demand on the basis that this is a once every 4 year tournament featuring top teams with top players. Croatia were World Cup Finalists in 2018 after all. Scotland will have promoted itself as a venue on the basis that tickets would get sold otherwise it would simply not have been awarded games. I appreciate that each venue will have had different capacity limits, but no venues appeared as sparsely populated as did Hampden when it was neutral.

 

Obviously we are in a pandemic, but there are ways of welcoming the tournament that does not involve needlessly attracting crowds. I was thinking more about selling the tournament. In Glasgow I would have expected at least welcoming banners (remember the Hearts v Gretna banners in George Square?), shops with displays welcoming the tournament etc. I was in the centre of Glasgow last weekend and you would never have known what was going on and there was nothing to sell the  tournament or generate 'new fans', so is it any surprise that the Czech Republic v Croatia attendance was so low?

 

Like you I am pragmatic about the team, but I'm not sure that I buy that this is part of a learning curve because Scotland has not qualified for so long. All team evolve and change, as do their managers, so each tournament will see many new faces. Scotland had the benefit of playing all their games in familiar territory, this pool of players has been consistent since Steve Clarke took over and has been away together on numerous occasions. The players will be familiar with their direct opponents in many cases, and no team has come up with revolutionary tactics. There wasn't a lot that was new for them to experience. The players are what they are and as you write, there is talent and in some potential, but unfortunately there are others, particularly in key areas where mistakes are punished, that are well out of their depth.  

 

 

[Pasquale for King]

6 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

Sick as a dog at that ☹️ We can say the usual, we’re not good enough, we always let ourselves down etc etc but even although Croatia are a good team, we made them look good IMO 

 

Easy for anyone to say but we were left chasing the ball. The possession stats at half time were horrendous 

 

Not very often I would agree with Graeme Souness but I think he hit the nail on the head when he said half time was the time to change it 

 

Hook a striker for another midfielder to try and get more possession in the middle of the park - with the extra midfielder we could have set him up to man mark modric or at least try and make it more difficult for him. 
 

don’t care what anyone says, you try and nullify Modric, as every single thing goes through him. I ain’t any tactician but making that type of change at half time would make sense if we could execute it 

 

Hindsight of course 😥

Irs not really hindsight, teams have to nullify Modric and have done so all season. England and the Czechs did it, whoever puts them out will do it. To not do so and seem amazed that Perisic is good in the air shows you how poor the management team are. 

[Hearts1975]

1 minute ago, Pasquale for King said:

He was looking for the foul as always instead of looking up and playing a pass. Vastly overrated player. 

It looked like that but I genuinely think that he ran out of steam, had no turn of pace and that’s why he went down like a ton of bricks 

That’s the difference though - if that was a Croatian boy you wouldn’t have seen him for dust as he would see the counter opportunity. Even one that had a big fat arse 🤷‍♂️

 

[Hearts1975]

1 minute ago, Pasquale for King said:

Irs not really hindsight, teams have to nullify Modric and have done so all season. England and the Czechs did it, whoever puts them out will do it. To not do so and seem amazed that Perisic is good in the air shows you how poor the management team are. 

Clarke never even watched the England Croatia game so he probably didn’t see the fact that England marked him out the game and that’s why Croatia were bang average 

 

Imagine not watching your 2 main opponents in the group. Clarke got his tactics spot on in the England game but for all the deserved credit he should get for this, he has to take the flak as he got it horribly wrong against the other 2 sides 

[Maroon Sailor]

Bottom line is Scotland were capable of getting through the group before the tournament started - Clarke fecked up.

 

Too busy trying to be nice to certain players and to protect them from critics.

 

It was him that should've got the stick. Don't see him staying around when he fails to take Scotland to Qatar.

[Pasquale for King]

4 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

It looked like that but I genuinely think that he ran out of steam, had no turn of pace and that’s why he went down like a ton of bricks 

That’s the difference though - if that was a Croatian boy you wouldn’t have seen him for dust as he would see the counter opportunity. Even one that had a big fat arse 🤷‍♂️

 

The roll of fat on his head perhaps shows he could do with losing a bit of weight, Hanley for instance looks like he’s lost at least a stone. 

[Hearts1975]

1 minute ago, Pasquale for King said:

The roll of fat on his head perhaps shows he could do with losing a bit of weight, Hanley for instance looks like he’s lost at least a stone. 

Hanley’s the player that surprised me the most (in a good way) - that didn’t help us and Scott McKenna isn’t an international defender and should t be anywhere near the team. We had better on the bench. 

[Martin_T]

A few things in retrospect seem quite odd.

 

-The team selection for the first game, no holding midfielder and both Cooper and Hendry, who have rarely featured under Clarke both started the game.

-Che Adams not starting against the Czechs

 

To be honest I have doubts about Clarke, he set's teams up to draw and his biggest successes in the Scotland job have been draws, wins either in extra time or in penalties. He's probably still the best candidate for the job, but with the players he has, I think he should be doing better.

[The Apprentice]

7 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

It looked like that but I genuinely think that he ran out of steam, had no turn of pace and that’s why he went down like a ton of bricks 

That’s the difference though - if that was a Croatian boy you wouldn’t have seen him for dust as he would see the counter opportunity. Even one that had a big fat arse 🤷‍♂️

 

I honestly don't think he did run out of steam, he's always more interested in trying to draw a foul from an opposition player than focussing on what he should be doing with the ball. He did it in the Czech game, tracked back and won the ball aggressively in his own box, drove forward and then fell down like a sack of spuds and like last night the ref was wise to it.

[Boris]

14 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

He was looking for the foul as always instead of looking up and playing a pass. Vastly overrated player. 

 

This.  Maroon tinted glasses on perhaps, but I just don't get the McGinn hype.  Never have.

 

I'll caveat that by saying that I think he is a decent club player, but international class?  Nope.

[A_A wehatethehibs]

I think we can all agree on 2 things. 
 

Stuart Armstrong shouldn’t be playing again for Scotland. Full focus on Turnbull and Gilmour.
 

And the same goes for O Donnel that’s him had his time. Fair enough Clarke’s been loyal and he’s a “character in the dressing room” but he’s not international standard and should not be in the next squad. Promote from the u21s, bring Phil Bardsley out of retirement, who cares. O donnel has to go.

Do that and we have a chance of the World Cup. 

[Pasquale for King]

2 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

Clarke never even watched the England Croatia game so he probably didn’t see the fact that England marked him out the game and that’s why Croatia were bang average 

 

Imagine not watching your 2 main opponents in the group. Clarke got his tactics spot on in the England game but for all the deserved credit he should get for this, he has to take the flak as he got it horribly wrong against the other 2 sides 

His tactics haven’t changed from game to game, bringing in Gilmour , who wouldn’t have even been there is Kenny Maclean was fit and it wasn’t a 26 man squad, helped us a play a bit more football. They worked against England, but not against the Czechs and Croats. 
They were travelling so didn’t watch it live but he said he would catch up with it afterwards. He clearly didn’t  think it was necessary, clueless.