No Shinnie or Christie???

 

Wtf Strachan.

 

I agree we should keep the same team who should've beaten England but bringing in Whittaker and excluding them?

 

Nuts

Just to add - because he'll be linked once Portugal punt him...

Roberto Martinez is a terrible international manager. Has had Belgium's golden generation and a very good Portugal team under him and has impressively held both back from reaching their potential. Portugal should have lost to Colombia last night and I struggle to see them get beyond the last 16, when they really should be potential winners.

Last thing we need is him rocking up on a huge salary for four years.

So between us we have only come up with McGlynn & Ange.

Surely there must be others that could be in the running 

Dismissed Rico's McInnes comment as sure it is made in jest 

Probably not time yet for Moyes and personally not sure Alex Neil would be right for it.

42 minutes ago, BigAl said:

So between us we have only come up with McGlynn & Ange.

Surely there must be others that could be in the running 

Dismissed Rico's McInnes comment as sure it is made in jest 

Probably not time yet for Moyes and personally not sure Alex Neil would be right for it.

It will be interesting to see who applies 2bf.  Whoever it is that gets the job is hardly inheriting a shambles.  

6 minutes ago, tlg1903 said:

It will be interesting to see who applies 2bf.  Whoever it is that gets the job is hardly inheriting a shambles.  

Fair comment.

Going off at a tangent, as someone that obviously spent a considerable amount of money going over to the tournament, I am curious to hear your thoughts on how Clarke set up his team for the three games and his tactics for them 🤔

Just now, BigAl said:

Fair comment.

Going off at a tangent, as someone that obviously spent a considerable amount of money going over to the tournament, I am curious to hear your thoughts on how Clarke set up his team for the three games and his tactics for them 🤔

My only big criticism is the playing of Mcginn left midfield.  It doesn't work and Christie is far more effective there.  Thought we shat it a bit after going ahead against Haiti and was disappointed he didn't make changes sooner but could understand why.  I didn't care about the performance as long as we got the win at the time. 

Morocco I thought we did well to keep it to just one at half time after a disastrous start but second half was our best performance in the WC.  I thought we really competed with them and I'm still furious we didn't get a pen for the foul on Mcginn.  This game is the one I was most drunk for as I was watching in a pub in boston so wouldn't really want to say more than that. 

Brazil is really frustrating as we started well then gifted them their first two goals and the first was such a sucker punch particularly.  I don't think much blame can be attached to Clarke for this result 2bh as the game was over the moment the second went in.  

 

I have a lot of sympathy for Clarke 2bh.  I also think losing Gilmour was such a huge blow, he would have made a massive difference on all 3 games. 

Maloney wouldn’t be the worst shout in the world. Don’t get the appeal with Ange at all. Can see Pressley being in with a shout.

Ange would be going from one extreme to the other.

There aren't any good Scottish managers, so I guess it will be a foreigner. However don't be surprised if the SFA cock this up.

3 hours ago, Slim said:

Maloney wouldn’t be the worst shout in the world.

Failed Hibs manager Maloney? That guy?

Fae Kheredine at the BBC:

"Former Hibernian and Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson has put himself forward for the job as Scotland head coach leading a dream team of Ally McCoist, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson."

1 hour ago, swaddon said:

Fae Kheredine at the BBC:

"Former Hibernian and Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson has put himself forward for the job as Scotland head coach leading a dream team of Ally McCoist, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson."

Been out of the game for a decade. Seems like it's a good time to bring him back.

Rafa Benitez says he fancies a shottie of the Scotland job.

(Not his actual words).

15 hours ago, swaddon said:

(Not his actual words).

Correct. If you watch the interview it was absolutely nothing like what he said. Real clutching at straws stuff to suggest he is interested.

Cue the Roberto Martinez stories now that Portugal are out.

Now Ange is away to Saudi I'd suggest we are more likely to get someone like Darren Fletcher with a backroom team of Scott Brown and James McFadden.

His Benitez actually a good football manager? Fuck knows. A lot of the "big name" foreigners seem to approach the game in exactly the manner Clarke did but with better players at their disposal. What is it we'd actually be getting from someone like Benitez that justified the additional outlay? Other than his backstory? I could see it with Postecoglu, I guess, but most of big names appear to only work with associated big named players.

Martinez doesn't appear to be much more than a name too, although I could be wrong. Doesn't strike me as a great manager.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't be paying for the label. These cunts are just Nike shoes, made in the same sweatshops (Largs?) as their Hi-Tec equivalent, but with a fancy logo.

Ally McCoist says he will never turn down the Scotland job.

Neither would I, and I would hope that neither of us would be offered it.

The SFA claim that a new manager announcement is imminent.

13 minutes ago, swaddon said:

The SFA claim that a new manager announcement is imminent.

Please be Stephen Robinson.

Roberto Martinez is the favourite with the turf accountants.

Ex-Don Toni Kombouare (75) is also quoted at 18-1. Alex Ferguson is 40-1, for some reason.

5 hours ago, swaddon said:

Roberto Martinez is the favourite with the turf accountants.

Ex-Don Toni Kombouare (75) is also quoted at 18-1. Alex Ferguson is 40-1, for some reason.

Would be okay with Martinez but would be much happier with Rico’s suggestion and would like to think club would not stand in Robinson’s way.

Please don’t let it be Naismith.

Is Martinez actually a good football manager? Or has he just been around a bit? Seemed to do fairly shite in both his international roles.

Anyway, when's the Scotland thread returning to its rightful home?

Martinez led Belgium to third place in the 2018 World Cup and won the Nation's League with Portugal.

But it helps if you're blessed with world class players at international level. Which we are not.

Also, his wife is Scottish, therefore he is Scottish by marriage.

It's going to be Naismith isn't it? That would be typical of the numpties at the SFA.

With Xavi turning up as the new head coach for the Netherlands, that may well suggest we’re getting Martinez as he was heavily linked with that Netherlands role.

37 minutes ago, Kowalski said:

With Xavi turning up as the new head coach for the Netherlands, that may well suggest we’re getting Martinez as he was heavily linked with that Netherlands role.

If it is Martinez, we don't have a golden generation for him to ruin, like he did with Belgium and Portugal.

Sebastien Pocognoli is the preferred candidate for the top job in international football.

No, me neither.

Sebastien Pocognoli confirmed on a two year deal. I asked AI about him


Playing career
Born August 1, 1987, Pocognoli was a Belgian international left-back with 13 caps. He played for Standard Liège, West Brom, Brighton, and — notably for his coaching style — AZ Alkmaar under Louis van Gaal, whose influence shaped his tactical thinking. He retired in 2021 and moved straight into coaching.

Union Saint-Gilloise (2024–2025) — the breakthrough
Taking over the Tony Bloom-owned Belgian club in July 2024, he had an outstanding debut season:

• Finished third in the regular season behind Genk and Club Brugge, then won nine of his last ten matches in the championship play-offs, capped by a final-day win over Gent to clinch the club's first league title in 90 years. Wikipedia

• Also won the Belgian Super Cup, and was named Belgian Coach of the Year.

• The following season he kept up the form, winning seven of his first nine matches and recording USG's maiden Champions League win, 3-1 away at PSV Eindhoven. Wikipedia

• He posted the highest points-per-match average (2.12) of any Belgian Pro League coach this century among those with 50+ games, ahead of Philippe Clement and Frank Vercauteren. fotmob

• Style: dubbed "the Belgian Simeone" by USG fans for his pragmatic, demanding approach and habit of dressing all in black on matchdays — organisation and pressing were the foundations, getting the most out of a squad that lacked the star power of Belgium's traditional big clubs.

AS Monaco (October 2025 – June 2026) — the stumble
Poached by Monaco to replace Adi Hütter, results were mixed: he guided them into the Champions League knockout stages and had success in Europe, but a domestic record of just 16 wins from 38 matches saw him sacked after only eight months, finishing seventh in Ligue 1. Crypto Briefing

Tactical profile
His approach favors a 3-4-1-2 formation emphasizing high-intensity counter-pressing combined with possession-based play — a hybrid of defensive solidity and attacking ambition, consistent with the Van Gaal influence from his playing days. Sofascore

Overall managerial record: 121 games, 62 wins, 33 losses, 1.75 points per match.

The SFA's pursuit of him is being framed as a shift toward data-driven, less conventional appointments compared to Steve Clarke's more traditional profile — and at 39, he'd be a notably younger, more progressive pick than recent predecessors.