RicoS321

Last time I watched Wales, they fluked a draw against North Macedonia, with some dirty Hun cunt scoring for the latter. I don't think we see ourselves as inferior to any of the teams you mention, more on a par with them. Which means that when you're the away side, setting up to contain and break isn't ridiculous. The only issue I have with the performance, and Scotland performances more generally, is that we don't react and change during games. I think it was an opportunity missed, as they were flat and so was the crowd. Another way of looking at it, though, is that Clarke saw the draw as enough, because he believes that we're good enough to beat both Denmark and Greece at Hampden. There can be little other way to interpret it. I think we are good enough to beat them both at Hampden, but I'm also aware that a bird in the hand is worth two in the tree, and that we might have injuries or suspensions and we end up dropping points come the home legs.

Sounds like Marshall doing well for Arbroath who won again today. Was their player of the month last month. Played 60 minutes today.

I'm not sure it will tell us more than we could see last night. It could just have been that they don't like playing against our approach, or that they were having an off day, but it was clear that we could have gone at them a bit more last night. I've seen Scotland against better teams under Clarke and seen us play better. I think we got a lot out of the guys on the park, especially Hanley, Hickey and Dykes, but think we could have attempted to win the game with more progressive changes, without going overboard (even simply making the subs before the 83rd minute - especially as Dykes was fucked around the 65th minute mark!).

I disagree with the home versus away factor. Scotland are simply very good at Hampden in comparison to not Hampden. It could be psychological, but I suspect that all the things mentioned by @OrlandoDon above do play a significant role. Of course, the weight of expectation can also play a part in the opposing direction, which is why away teams often frustrated the home team to get the crowd impatient. Psychology is a huge factor, and you can't just ignore it because it isn't definable or measurable. It happens, so you play on it or with it. I don't think we parked the bus at all, we were disciplined and created several good chances (arguably the better chances). There was a spell near the end where we didn't really get out, but that wasn't the overall picture of the game. You're completely right about needing to be braver though. I heard a lot about being against the top seed in the group, but last night they were an ordinary team who we could have beaten. Once you're on the pitch, you're no longer playing a seed, you're playing a team and you need to adjust accordingly. We need to take those chances as an when they arrive, as they don't happen often for a team like us. We did that against Spain at Hampden, adjusting in match to pump them when it was clear they were a bit of a mess. The worst thing about Levein's 4-6-0*, wasn't the stupid formation, it was that after fifteen minutes it was clear that the Czech team were not on form at all and we could beat them - the worst thing was that he didn't immediately change it. What happened later was a rejuvenated Czech team turned up at Hampden and beat us. The Danes could be an entirely different prospect at Hampden, and I wouldn't be surprised if we drew or lost that game. That's when the three points would come into play. Or, at the very least, it could have provided a buffer for the other games, just as the Spain result did. I can cautiously go round a golf course playing iron shots (I can't, I'm shite) and be 18 over par, but I wouldn't win a medal. Conversely, I could belt my driver from every tee and maybe finish 25 over, but every so often the risk taking will result in a 12 over and I stand to win something. I couldn't possibly get to 12 over playing simple iron shots, because at some point I'd have to take a risk to hit a green a shot ahead of where I would otherwise. Walter Smith with Scotland was the expert at playing iron shots, and he gloriously failed as a result (a game against an off-form Ukraine sticks in the memory). No risk football doesn't get Scotland through I don't think. Last night was an opportunity to take a risk that was missed. It'll have to come against Greece or a different Danes at Hampden instead. Not the end of the world, just that the opportunity to take the risk might not present itself in the same manner again. *Apologies, I tried not to bring it up

I don't think he would in fairness, that was a solid away display. The only criticism was that I think he should have made the attacking changes earlier. They are a decent team, but weren't really on it tonight, and I think you have to take opportunities like that when they arise. We should have gone for it in the last twenty, and I think we might live to regret not doing so later in qualifying. Especially with the way the Greeks seem to be playing. Still, a good point.

Gunn is there because his da played for the Dons, and he's neither Zander Clark or Liam Kelly. Also, that lineup builder website didn't have "Lamppost" as an option. I'd bring Bowie on for the last half hour probably. Adams is very hardworking and will run their backline around for a while, which is a good option away from home. Ferguson ahead of Christie I wasn't sure about either. I always associate Ferguson with playing further forward, and I'd be intrigued to see Christie play in the role he does for his club, even though I'd have reservations about the weakness of him and Gilmour together. I'm fairly certain that Clarke will continue to play him on the wing, despite him being ineffective there for quite some time, and we'll see McGinn landing us in shite from a deep lying position instead.

Should be interesting tonight. Might get a good idea of how the qualifying will go. Odds on Clarke shoehorning Hanley (on his wrong side) and McLean into the starting lineup? Thankfully Ralston is out, or he'd have been in too, and with Tierney missing that should see the end of the back three. I'd go with the following. I don't like McTominay and McGinn together, but maybe with Doak providing width, that'll create enough space for them not to step on each other's toes. Christie and Gilmour is quite a light midfield, but we don't really have a hard midfielder who does the yards (McGinn solid, but gets caught in possession far too often to be deep).

That does sound risky. And sore.

The question would be whether Motherwell have a route to the first team or if Lennon Miller was just really fucking good? I think it's the latter. I really think it needs to be part of a publicised strategy. We're taking through 1-2 players per season with the aim of giving them twenty first team games (or equivalent). Get the manager on board and ask the fans for patience. We should be able to carry a young player in a lot of games. It's strange that we apply double standards to carrying a young player, versus carrying Yengi, Ambrose and the myriad of other pish signings over the years. Boyd could easily have played a dozen games from the bench last season.

I'd have Doig over Tierney going forward. Tierney is a great player on his day, but that happens once a season.

Will we get a cut of the transfer?

Massive shock, as Tierney pulls out of the squad through injury. The other lad too. Ridiculously, no call up for Armstrong, despite his massive summer move.

Fucking Sunday league pish!

Great to see young lads like Lazetic, Gyamfi, Duncan and Suman get their opportunity on the big stage. As an aside, we really need to be getting minutes for Lobban. Or we could just send him down south for a million quid, and never see him play.

Aye, it's a strange one. Although he looked good when he first joined. I mentioned previously how I thought that signing Dorrington made zero sense. Whilst there are still plenty of games for him to be involved in during the season, I imagine it'll leave a sour taste missing out on Europe. It's great for us to have an option such as him if we get two injuries at the back (once Tobers is fit I mean), but it's at the expense of a young lad's development, which isn't great. He could have gone to Livingston or Dundee and played every single week. After his involvement last season, I hope we were at least up front and honest with him that he'd be third choice right centre back.

It doesn't look too bad. I'd start Armstrong over Aouchiche if he's fit. Fullbacks are a bit poor, and the midfield is crying put for legs (what we should be getting from Palaversa basically). The other problem being that we've not got much of a plan B, and a few injuries to the players that make things happen and we turn into the nice looking but easy to beat team we've seen since the middle of last season.

Weird. Does it help that he's Scottish, for European purposes? As in, we might as well have another Scot to fill a place that would otherwise be empty? He was decent a few years back, but not entirely sure what he offers. A, sort of, McGrath replacement perhaps?

Think Gyamfi is October, not sure about Tobers. Given they've not had a preseason, they probably won't be up to speed for half the fixtures, so might be easier to just keep them out of it.

Don't you need three goalies? I'm guessing Gyamfi and Tobers could comfortably be left out.

Can naebidy at the BBC contact AFC to find out the whereabouts of Boyd? Just to see if he's okay really, a young loon like that. Also ask him if he's seen Sokler. Cheers.

I think he had to leave after the Germans bombed the city in 1943.

It didn't have the bit about Jesper in earlier! All good now, apart from the ever present segregation and prominent coverage of the scum.

Apparently he went to a campervan trade fair at the Birmingham exhibition centre instead of signing for Villa, and he's currently making his way back up the road in a luxury motorhome. Just rumours like.

Weegie pish Did Nick go to bed early after quickly penning some old firm shite and a couple of afterthoughts?

They don't show you the 78 efforts he blootered over the stand though. He certainly turns a bad window into a nae bad window. Obviously, he's just a stop gap, but it buys us time until January, when we can address the glaring issue of midfield. It's clearly a difficult time to be buying players. In terms of squad building for Europe, I think we're nowhere near the required level, but it is what it is. Hopefully by January we'll have a good picture of where the new signings are at, and we've had six months to nail down a potential midfielder. We're putting all our eggs in one basket with this lad, so he better not get injured! Edit: oh, aye, welcome back Kevin