Match Thread - Costa Rica

[vanderark14]

3 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

This is all a bit OTT.

There were some new caps & we learned that McKenna is a good option at CB & also that Kevin McDonald at 30 shouldn’t be near this squad.

McBurnie was a handful & good to have another young striker with Cummings to back up Griffiths.

Once again Grant Hanley looked slow, clumsy & we concede easy goals with him in the side - Let’s try Hendry against Hungary and forget about Hanley please.

TBF to Hanley he wasn’t the main problem at the goal, the midfield let the runner through and the atmot by mulgrew to block the shot was pathetic. Our best player was Robertson and he almost cost us a 2nd, The first half was poor but there was a big improvement in the 2nd.

[SWMM82]

We’ve still got Ryan Jack who could potentially come back into the team at right back too......looked good against Holland..... and was a stand out in that position with the u21s

[giblet]

35 minutes ago, EddardStark said:

I casually flicked between channels, watched around 15 minutes of the game in total. How has it come to this?  Not so long ago I never missed a home game and traveled away to games at least twice a year.

I’m with you on that Eddard, felt nothing towards this game. Checked in on score a couple of times only.

[Bobby Russell's Lovechild]

8 hours ago, PASTA Mick said:

Any idiot that has watched Scotland over the last 12 months will have seen the difference in us when Strachan put all the Celtic players in the team. For McLeish to think it was a good idea to start with no Celtic players suggests to me that he is even more unsuitable for the job than I thought. 

There were no real tactics and no plan to win the match tonight. Other than Robertson, it was awful.

I'm a very worried fan tonight.

It was a friendly. Why put out a whole team of Celtic players, we know what they can do.  We need to bed in the youngsters. McBurnie showed a lot of promise for his first cap, McTominay will also gain a lot, even if it wasn't his best game. We even found out McDonald isn't that great, but he has to give these players a fair crack of the whip.  Second half we had far more possession and I can only remember them creating one or two chances, and that's with a team that has six times the amount of caps

Edited March 24, 2018 by Bobby Russell's Lovechild

[Bino's]

47 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

TBF to Hanley he wasn’t the main problem at the goal, the midfield let the runner through and the atmot by mulgrew to block the shot was pathetic. Our best player was Robertson and he almost cost us a 2nd, The first half was poor but there was a big improvement in the 2nd.

We were a man light in midfield

 

Very strange formation

 

[Orraloon]

A 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica isn't a bad result. They are a good side. It was basically a Scotland B team but I'm not sure our A team is much better. Costa Rica are a decent side. I think some folk have forgotten that, 4 years ago, they finish top of "the group of death" containing Italy, Uruguay and England. Then went out on penalties in the QF. I don't know if they played their A team or B team last night, but I think their D team would give us a good game.

[Bobby Russell's Lovechild]

7 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

A 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica isn't a bad result. They are a good side. It was basically a Scotland B team but I'm not sure our A team is much better. Costa Rica are a decent side. I think some folk have forgotten that, 4 years ago, they finish top of "the group of death" containing Italy, Uruguay and England. Then went out on penalties in the QF. I don't know if they played their A team or B team last night, but I think their D team would give us a good game.

They played a good team, 600 - odd caps between them

[Mox]

1 hour ago, ParisInAKilt said:

It was only a friendly. Too early to be judging most of the players and even the manager. 

You are right, but when someone like McLeish is in charge you know how it's going to end.

[Mox]

1 hour ago, EddardStark said:

I casually flicked between channels, watched around 15 minutes of the game in total. How has it come to this?  Not so long ago I never missed a home game and traveled away to games at least twice a year.

Aye, I was watching The Wire last night, no interest at all in these type of games.

[Orraloon]

12 minutes ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

They played a good team, 600 - odd caps between them

Aye, that's a pretty experienced team then. There is a good reason why they are going to the World Cup and we aren't.

 

 

[Super_Scotlandfan]

I think most of the negativity was in the immediate aftermath of the game, so pretty understandable. 

We have to factor in that there’s a lot of new players, new formation and new manager. 

Hope McLeish continues on with the 3 at the back, we can dump it if it fails within the next and the friendlies in the summer. Maybe we could play one half against Hungary with a 4 and the other a 3. 

I think the individuals chosen at each position in the back 3 were wrong. Thought McKenna was solid but struggles a bit with his distribustion, he’d be more effective in the middle. I guess this is easily solved by bringing in Tierney. The right centre back is a little more difficult, should we bring in Hendry or Souttar? I actually think Callum Paterson might be a good option here but maybe not until he’s played there for his club. Thought he was poor as a wing back, he isn’t neat enough on the ball and can’t swing in a decent enough cross to play here. I guess he was a good outlet as someone to hit with a long ball but that’s not what your looking for in a wing back. Forrest and Fraser have both played here this season and impressed, would make much more sense to bring them in. Paterson should be used as an attacking midfielder or utility forward against sides that are poor physically. (And maybe RCB!)

Thought that McDonald didn’t seem mobile enough to play as an international defensive midfielder. I think we should leave this role for McTominay to grow into. Thought he was OK but he’s only young and will improve.

Was disappointed in Cairney but he seemed confused in what role he was playing. He’s central in everything good that Fulham do and isn’t expected to do any tracking back. I’d like McLeish to persevere because in my opinion he is a brilliant player on the ball and is a potential match winner. Needs to play directly behind the striker. 

Didn’t think that Ritchie had as bad a game as some are making out. He wanted to get on the ball and make things happen (Cairney should have done more of this). He linked up well on occasion but didn’t seem to have the final ball.

McBurnie looked good, can hold the ball up well and I think he’s got that bit of confidence a striker needs. That ball across goal he missed was a touch of the Steven Fletcher’s though.

Armstrong looked really good when he came on too. Can really drive us forward and is always looking to make a run into the box. He’s a must start when fit.

Next game something like this:

Archer

Forrest

Hendry

McKenna

Mulgrew

Robertson

Armstrong

McTominay

McGinn or McGregor

Cairney

McBurnie

 

 

[ParisInAKilt]

9 minutes ago, Mox said:

You are right, but when someone like McLeish is in charge you know how it's going to end.

More than likely.

Expecations have been getting lower and lower each year. 

[DoonTheSlope]

1 hour ago, giblet said:

I’m with you on that Eddard, felt nothing towards this game. Checked in on score a couple of times only.

After 10 minutes you knew what it was going to be like. A wee bit like the Qatar and USA friendlies recently

[DoonTheSlope]

Last night wasn’t a case of too many new players taking part it was a sheer lack of enthusiasm and looked like a effort

[Toepoke]

1 hour ago, vanderark14 said:

Our best player was Robertson and he almost cost us a 2nd

Aye that was bizarre, like he forgot where he was on the pitch.

 

Btw that film at the start of Sportscene based on The Smiths 

[ceudmilefailte]

1 minute ago, DoonTheSlope said:

Last night wasn’t a case of too many new players taking part it was a sheer lack of enthusiasm and looked like a effort

Was a chance for one or two players to try and impress and become more involved with the national team. You have to wonder about the desire of a lot of players to carve out long careers at international level. It's almost like the want to see if they are  good enough without having to put in as much effort as they do at club level. Only plus for me was the performance of McBurnie. Robertson was better but we knew that any way. 

Very surprised there was no change of keeper at halftime. Is that not one of the points in friendlies?

[Willie Miller's tache]

Watched it on the telly. What was the booing for at full time?

The ref? Our players? Eck? Their players (for diving)? Chris martin not getting a game? Not getting an invite to the royal wedding?

[DoonTheSlope]

Is McBurnie going to be the new Barry Bannan? Some people saying he was the best player last night. Barry Bannan was the same against Lithuania, looked promising running down the wing but couldn’t Princes Street and lived off it for years and some fans also kept referring back to that game 

Oliver McBurnie looked a pest for defenders but done nothing of note. I can’t say I wanna impressed with anyone, Robertson maybe

[Mee]

3 minutes ago, Willie Miller's tache said:

Watched it on the telly. What was the booing for at full time?

The ref? Our players? Eck? Their players (for diving)? Chris martin not getting a game? Not getting an invite to the royal wedding?

I couldn't work that out either. But judging by the response of people on here I'm surprised they didn't invade the pitch and start a rammy

[Caledonian Craig]

Just now, DoonTheSlope said:

Is McBurnie going to be the new Barry Bannan? Some people saying he was the best player last night. Barry Bannan was the same against Lithuania, looked promising running down the wing but couldn’t Princes Street and lived off it for years and some fans also kept referring back to that game 

Oliver McBurnie looked a pest for defenders but done nothing of note. I can’t say I wanna impressed with anyone, Robertson maybe

Nothing of note? Stretching it quite a lot really. Held the ball up well and off-loaded well when support arrived. Held off a challenge or two before drilling in a shot that Nevas had to get down sharply to push the ball away and had a penalty shout and headed over. Not bad for a debutant with a new look midfield playing too deep to offer him meaningful support.

[Toepoke]

Will be interesting to see how we fare against a weaker team in Hungary. The Costa Rican players looked so much quicker than us with and without the ball (Robertson aside).

 

[Caledonian Craig]

1 minute ago, Mee said:

I couldn't work that out either. But judging by the response of people on here I'm surprised they didn't invade the pitch and start a rammy

Well people do have their own opinions. As do sports reporters.

Take Sky Sports report:-

http://www.skysports.com/football/scotland-vs-costa-rica/report/387974

They seemed quite impressed.

But BBC Sport were less so:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43380252

That can be said of fans as well. Personally, I don't see what the fans were expecting? First match in charge, an experimental line-up with lots of debutants and playing against World Cup Quarter-Finalists and yet fans book because we lose even though stats show we had more shots on goal and more possession.

[Malcolm]

My team would be something like

 

                                mcgregor

bardsley      McKenna      Berra      Tierney

patterson   McGinn mctominay Armstrong robertson

                                         Griffiths

 

if bardsley has retired find a proper defending right back.  Might be tempted to play Berra and Tierney at centre back and move robertson to left back.  Still to be convinced about mctominay so would rotate him with mcdonald/cairney/ etc.   

We really don’t have much up front

 

 

                          

[Alan]

It was a friendly.

We were better 2nd half than 1st.

Lots of new caps.

New formation which didn't work.  They will learn from it.

Loads of usual negativity from fans around me who want to moan to feel big.  The bullies in the stand who damage Scottish football at domestic and international level.

[DoonTheSlope]

39 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Nothing of note? Stretching it quite a lot really. Held the ball up well and off-loaded well when support arrived. Held off a challenge or two before drilling in a shot that Nevas had to get down sharply to push the ball away and had a penalty shout and headed over. Not bad for a debutant with a new look midfield playing too deep to offer him meaningful support.

Yes, Nothing of note. He may have been the best of a bad bunch in many’s eyes but wasn’t even as good as that in mine