mcnish

Lots of talk about us needing wingers all of a sudden but when Robertson and Hickey are fit and on the pitch they do the job perfectly of providing offensive threat from the flanks, and actually are our main attacking weapon. Unfortunate they were (mostly) absent tonight and it showed. Patterson was pish tonight but Ralston is never going to make an international standard player so its not really an option to start him.

If we were incapable of picking 11 Scotsmen in a team without being losers then we deserve to be losers. As it happens we are quite capable so no need to go down that route like the rugby team

I'd rather pick Scottish players for Scotland. or else international football is meaningless,its just like club football. Just look at our rugby team, all English, South Africans, Aussie and New Zealanders with a minority of scots in the squad as our country can't produce rugby players anymore. Fair enough the likes of McTominay with a Scottish Dad can reasonably claim to identify as Scottish but granny rule has always been a joke and I'd rather not see us use it. I'd sooner see the likes of Daniel Armstrong - who is performing well week in week out- get a call up than the likes of Harvey Barnes who are just taking us as a back up option because his national team doesn't seem interested. Where's the pride left when you're resorting to that?

Well Athletic Bilbao's policy of only picking Basque players and Sociedad only Basque and a small number of foreigners creates that situation every year. Would be interesting to see how the OF teams, or indeed most the SPL would cope with that local player policy!

That's a lousy angle to judge but from all the footage I've seen Hendry was pretty clearly offside and interfering. Definitely not a foul. Pity as Mctominay aced the free kick and Hendry didn't need to be where he was

Clarke's just making himself look like an idiot now though as he had confidently proclaimed just a few weeks ago that Anderson had spent time weighing up his options and now decided to commit himself to Scotland and now he's contradicting that again by saying he needs time again to think it through! Basically acknolweding that the whole injury in training thing was a sham He's already set his stall out with Adams and Gunn that he's going to indulge English players and long as they like until they decide they can't do any better so its inevitable you get situations like this, and will continue to do so. At least he's not going begging after Barnes now (not that he'll be available for a while anyway)

That makes no sense That makes no sense at all. Why would Clarke call up a player who had been dithering for years over his identity and then make a big deal of how he had now pledged his allegiance to Scotland, then tell him actually he wasn't really in his plans at all so he can just wait and see if he gets a sniff in a couple of years?!? There's no chance that's how it went down. Anyway those on this thread who insisted, due to their personal insight, he merely withdrew from the last because of an injury and is still fully committed to us (same as he did three successive under-21 squads whilst being fit to play for his club either side) clearly know better

I'm not impressed by McGregor's form so far this season. Not sure its even lower half EPL quality, let alone top half. I'd prefer Ferguson in his place and then we've got a team to keep going for 2026 world cup. Can't see Clarke ditching Mcgregor any time soon though.

Never made any sense his doing it over the last two years but still keeps happening!

Anderson actually has plenty of form for this, if you've been following his international career. Almost always pulled out our under-21 squads and then was fit to play for his club either side, which is how he managed only a single cap at that level

Could be the defensive Jack Harper for all we know. If TA board members picked the Scotland team Harper probably have had thirty senior caps by now because he used to play for Real Madrid youth team

August 19:- Pretty emphatic:- "If I had to choose between Scotland or Australia, I'm choosing Australia," said Dykes. "Scotland have a great team and my parents are Scottish. Obviously if I had the choice I would always pick Australia." October 19:- wavering slightly:- He said: “I grew up in Australia so I’d probably choose Australia if both of them came in for me. “But it’s hard. My parents are Scottish and I have Scottish blood. “If Scotland came and Australia didn’t come, then obviously I would like to play for Scotland. August 20:- 180 degree turn:- "I always knew deep down I was going to pick Scotland, to be honest. Without Scotland, I wouldn't be playing football." Footballers are so full of sh*t! 😄

Can't believe people are still arguing Hornby should still be in the senior team, I thought he'd stopped being flavour of the month by now. Not good enough to get near the Everton first team and discarded by them having not even impressed in Under-23 football, mediocre performances for a mediocre Belgian team who he lost his place at, and looked poor in recent under-21 games. Yet because he's not played senior football in England or SPL people can mythologise about him being a lot better than he is , as nobody can see him in action to disprove it. And James Scott as well?? Are we that desperate for strikers???

Tend to agree about why Robertson looks impressive for Scotland but trying to convert him in to a midfielder (already our only strong part of the team) isn't the answer. Alaba can adapt to midfield as he has spent a significant amount of time playing there at club level for Bayern. That doesn't mean any left back can automatically adapt to being equally competent in midfield. Robertson has no familiarity with the role(nor TIerney) , he might be a disaster there and it could end up undermining our midfield, where we already have several proficient players, as well as nullifying out best player and turning him in to our worst. Being blessed with two international class left backs could turn in to a curse if we get too imaginative in trying to find a way to accommodate the both of them.

Obviously not Forrest! Was thinking Ryan Christie actually