PASTA Mick

Our youth teams are doing alright. We also tend to move players up quite quickly so rarely have our strongest youth teams playing.

I think so. The movement and demand of Scottish under 18s over the last year or two reminds me of what happened to Belgium a few years before they became as good as they are now.

I honestly think Gilmour is just the start of some very good players that will come through for us over the next 5 years. There are some cracking young players about to come through.

Fleck is having a great season but let's see how he gets on when Sheff Utd do lose the momentum they've had for a couple of seasons. McGregor has been excellent for Celtic for years and every manager that's managed him plays him every minute they can. He's so underrated on here but he is a terrific player.

I'm working on the basis that McGinn won't make it. He's not.

I'm all for staring a midfield 3 of Gilmour, McTominay and McGregor. What a 3 that could be.

If we don't qualify I'll be supporting the virus.

When was the last time one of our players moved between 2 of Europe's best teams?

Getting McGinn fit would be a boost. Maybe Tierney too. Already good that McTominay is fit again and that Griffiths is back playing regularly and scoring goals. The defence is still a worry. Israel have forwards that score goals at this level. Norway and Serbia is an even bigger step up.

Leon King has signed a professional contract with rangers. I think that is great news for rangers but a bit disappointing for those that thought he might end up at a big club. If I was Gerrard, I'd be giving him games this season now the league is all but over.

I don't think there should have been a draw at all. It should have been all done on the final tables - League A - Iceland/Romania v Israel/Hungary League B - Bosnia and Herzegovina/Northern Ireland v Slovakia/Rep of Ireland League C - Scotland/Bulgaria v Norway/Serbia League D - Georgia/Belarus v N. Macedonia/Kosovo I predict that Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway and Georgia will all qualify but would back us over Norway if we'd been at home for both matches.

There are some mental ideas on players within the Scotland support.

I like it. There was always likely to be changes after the first effort. The group we have this time is excellent! Instead of Albania we have Czech Rep and Slovakia. These are the sort of sides we need to learn to beat home and away if we want to reach a World Cup.

I think the difference between Fletcher and Gilmour is the competition each player had/has for places. Don't get me wrong, I won't be upset at all if he did start against Israel. I do expect to see him in the squad. It would be interesting to see who misses out if he is called up. Maybe an easier decision to make if McGinn doesn't make it.

Scotland winger Oli Burke has been placed in isolation for 10 days in Spain after contracting mumps at his La Liga club, Alaves.

Any other position (other than left-back maybe) and it's an easy decision. However, Gilmour is up against some of our better players in McTominay, McGinn, Armstong, Fleck, McGregor and Christie. Even McLean, Jack and Cairney could be considered. I think Gilmour has a great chance of getting to a higher standard than all of those but right here, right now, he's not quite ahead of them. Personally, I'd include him in the squad but wouldn't be starting him against Israel. By the time we play them again in September, it might be a different story.

It hasn't but the format has changed a bit since the last time. If we did go down into League C, we'd be likely up against the other teams that get relegated from B this time (Northern Ireland, Hungary and Bulgaria maybe).

You are indeed correct and I'd confused myself. Thanks for that

One way to do it would be to play a bunch of our younger players. Fill the squad with players like McCrorie, G.Johnson, Campbell, McIntyre, Gilmour, Turnbull, M.Johnston, Middleton, Hornby whilst keeping the younger players already in the squad - Tierney, Taylor, McTominay, Burke, McBurnie, Brophy - making it an under 25's team or something. We would be more of a developmental squad but would likely struggle against sides like Turkey, Romania and Austria.

Yes, but we cannot get either of them - only teams in League A can. As it hasn't been confirmed how the Euro 2024 qualification will be done yet. However, I expect it will be the same except there won't be a place for the League D teams as their place will go to the host, Germany. Getting relegated would also likely be damaging to our WC 2022 chances. But realistically, we're going to struggle anyway. We simply aren't nearly one of the top 13 sides in UEFA. It's probably fair to say that we either want to win our group or finish last.

I think it needs something because it's suddenly become quite difficult to give new players a chance without putting them into a meaningful match.

I'd love to go back to Graz - easily one of my favourite away trips. I've not been to Russia but also fancy going to Czech Rep again. I've never been to Turkey or Slovakia so wouldn't mind them but think Northern Ireland gives us the best chance of winning. Israel or Romania for travel as I've not been to either but Bulgaria wouldn't be too bad either.

Probably depends what the alternative is. Teams likely to be in the next round include - Wolves, Sporting CP, Getafe, Bayer Leverkusen, Basel, Sevilla, Arsenal, LASK, Man Utd, Inter Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, Shakhtar Donetsk, Wolfsburg and Roma. There aren't too many in there that I'd really want to avoid. Ideally you stay away from the Spanish, German and English sides but even most of those would be team I would hope Celtic could have a go against. rangers seem to be able to compete against most sides at this level too. Having said that, tonight won't be easy.

Might not have been as clear as I thought I was...I'd add goalkeepers to the list where we've seen a huge decline as in we've gone from Gordon, Marshall and McGregor to picking 2 'keepers from League 1 in england.

Fingers crossed. Haaland getting sent off for over-celebrating a winner in the 120-minute would do me.