Team For Poland - TA specific - Tartan Army Message Board Jump to content

Team For Poland


The Black Bra

Recommended Posts

If you'd have asked me a few weeks ago then my team would have been nothing like the one below. The problem with international football is if you have a bad game then you sometimes have to wait months to put that right and win fans over and fans never forget bad performances esp at international level.

I.e Chris Martin awful v England. Overweight slow and not mobile. However looked a different player when he came on v Germany and club form excellent. Again wasnt a great fan of Rittchie lots of effort and no final product, but again he has won me over.

We can't have any passengers v Poland I.e. Forrest (waste of a jersey) and Hutton is lazy. ( thought he could have done much better to prevent WBA goal yesterday, standing ball watching!

Anyhoo we need people who will run all day for you Anya and Maloney have been too lightweight recently.

I think Russell and Naismith are good going forward but give you some dig and something in defence too. Brown has had a mare recently and Fletcher hasn't done enough.

So I'd go with ...

Marshall

Whittaker Hanley Martin Robertson

Fletcher MacArthur

Ritchie Russell Naismith

Martin

Ask me in 2 weeks and I'll have changed my mind again haha that's why we love footy I suppose ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whittaker for Hutton is fair enough, went for Hutton as he is starting games for Villa again and Whittaker had stupid sending off recently.

Would be happy with Rhodes up front with Naismith behind if Maloney doesn't make it. He only needs one chance to score.

Will be utterly stunned if WGS drops Broon but seems obvious to everyone else, MacArthur & Fletcher playing well at a higher level, Broon badly off form.

If S.Fletcher, Forrest & Brown start and we don't get a result I think Syrachan will have to win fans back on his side, that seemed unthinkable a year ago.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not be shocked in the slightest if the team was as close to the same team Vs Germany as possible. So swapping in D Fletcher for Morrison.



I don't like playing Mulgrew, but I understand the appeal. Tall guy, so gives height when defending corners with a bit of 'presence'. Same reason for playing S Fletcher as well, as he'd provide a bit of physicality when defending too.



Whether WGS picks Robertson at left back will state a lot about our attacking intent from the start, as will him playing with 2 or 3 natural centre mids.



Strachan has some HUGE decisions ahead of him. Based on his previous selections, Marshall, Hutton, Martin, Hanley and Brown are shoe-ins to start, and he'll probably decide who makes up his remaining 6 players from: Whittaker, Mulgrew, Robertson, D Fletcher, McArthur, Ritchie, Maloney, Anya, Naismith, Forrest and S Fletcher.



Sitting here giving it a bit of thought I couldn't decide who I'd want the 'front 4' to be. Form says Ritchie and Naismith need to be a part of it. I really like Anya, and Maloney has scored most of our goals. But I'm not sure leaving S Fletcher out is a wise move.



Good luck Gordon...no pressure... :blink:


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't play Brown, D Fletcher and McArthur in the same team, I was just saying I wouldn't be shocked if Strachan chose to do that. But it's a decision that he needs to make. Consolidate at the start, work into the game and then go for it later if necessary. Or, as you seem to suggest going out more attacking from the start.

I think Poland will sit back and try and counter us. A point is fine for them, but possibly game over for us. So I think we'll need to break them down. Who we pick to do that is another question altogether...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still think Strachan's job is safe whatever happens, he'll get start of next campaign at least.

If he plays S Fletcher and we dont get the result then I will be doubting him. Fletcher is struggling to get a game and lets be fair couldnt score in a brothel with his fancy car parked outside, a weeks wages in his hand, sitting there for months he wont score.

Naismith and Griffiths should get a chance to score up front.

Not sure how Griffiths would fit in but playing with our Celtic players it should help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still think it should be this

Marshall or Gordon

Hutton Hanley Martin Whittaker

Brown McArthur

Ritchie Maloney Anya

Naismith or Fletcher

Hutton has many doubters but played well v Germany and I think Ritchie looked a real threat when he entered the fray

Baring Injury I think this will be the team that starts v Poland. It's to squeeky bum for WGS to deviate to far from his game plan. NOt saying I am happy with this but I think it is what will happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WGS obviously has agame plan.But as for a plan b i dont think we have the players to implement another dimension to our game.So if its not working from the outset he doesnt have the resources to change the game.

Of course we have the players to play in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3. But Strachan insists on a 4-2-3-1 and seems to be completely committed to playing it regardless of the form of the players. Whereas all the players who slotted into this formation were on form at the beginning of the campaign that can no longer be said to the case. Therefore we should and need to change the formation. I suggest that we go for two up front, from Naismith, Rhodes, Griffiths or Russell (God - even Goodwillie or May). Could pick anywhere from 7 players for midfield but would be happy with Fletcher partnering Morrison or Brown once again partnering Mulgrew in the middle.

if you think we don't have the players for a different formation, I suggest you are buying into possible media or management hype. A team can be greater than the sums of its parts if playing players on form in their natural position - whether that be Strachan's Plan A or any other formation. The key is to pick in form players and that is what we don't seem to be doing. I am of the opinion that if we pick a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 with in form players then we would beat Poland. If we go out again with one up front and Fletcher leading the line, we will struggle to get a draw..........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Change it for Poland game and catch the Poles off guard. If it works then great, we should be winning.

If not, switch back to tried and trusted, and catch the Poles off guard again when they have adapted to our other formation.

Whatever happens, we shouldnt be going into the Poland game with the Poles knowing exactly how and who we will play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We all know that Strachan has a plan A but does he have a plan B? Can he change a game with the current players if we were chasing a win? Thats the questions I would be asking

As much as I like strachan ( and still do), there was no Plan B when we went 1 down in Tiblisi.

It seemed to be lets keep it 1 down and go for it in the last 10mins.

You could argue that if you can't beat a team that is ranked 147th in the world you don't deserve to go to the euros. On the other hand one bad performance could have scuppered our chances. That would be cruel. So lets beat Poland. :ok:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it were up to me I'd go:

----------------------------------Gordon--------------------------------

Hutton------------Martin--------------Hanley--------Robertson

----------------------Fletcher---------Mulgrew-----------------------

Anya--------------------------Maloney--------------------Russell

-------------------------------Naismith---------------------------------

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


×
×
  • Create New...