breeks_mctavish

Best: North Macedonia at home / Wales at home Worst: Czechs at home / Italy away

Do we play Cooper and Souttar ahead of Hanley and Hendry in the playoff? I think I would

When he waved bye to an empty stand after receiving sectarian abuse all game? I know who’s side I’m on!

Rangers fans hate him because he called them out on their bigotry

Sadomasichism!

I hear you, your point is well made. I would only counter that it shouldn’t be automatically discounted from the manager’s thoughts. Getting the best out of a group isn’t always picking the best / in form players of the day. It’s also managing the dynamic and giving players the feeling you’ve got their back. For too long, Scotland managers have selected huge numbers of players from the current flavour of the month. We end up with not enough international experience from a core group of players. That doesn’t mean that players don’t drop out or come into the squad, of course. It’s not a closed shop. It’s also not a case of it being Nisbet’s turn. Clarke has shown enough faith in him to select him for 12+ months. If he wasn’t/isn’t good enough he shouldn’t be in the squad. I actually don’t have a strong preference for Nisbet, by the way. It’s more my impression of how Clarke works. Of course, I might be totally wrong!

I think it’s more pertinent in international football when some players often travel thousands of miles and many international breaks watching from the bench. When you do that and remain upbeat and enthusiastic, im sure you’re doing it in good faith you will be repaid that your chance will come. I’m quite sure international managers would use that as a ploy to keep fringe players motivated. Sure Clarke could say that Brown is a straight replacement for Dykes, but it could be a killer blow for Nisbet’s morale.

No huge loss

Clarke is all about team spirit and the group. It’s against the ethos a bit not to pick Nisbet when there are 3 players out for 2 spaces in the team. Nisbet will think he’s next in line (to partner Adams) and to select Brown in the starting line up risks the harmony of the group. That said, I’m almost certain Brown will come on in the Moldova game.

That is a good point and I hope their trajectory continues upwards. It was only very recently that our defensive options appeared nothing short of disastrous! So we are in a better place now, no doubt.

Tartan blood, I like your posts - I’d definitely describe you as glass half full! I try to be optimistic too but if I look at the career paths of Hendry, McKenna, Souttar somewhat more cynically I’d say McKenna so far is playing well for a bottom half championship team. Hendry‘s club career has taken a surprising but welcome turn for the better with Champions League football for Club Bruges. Still a bit hit and miss for the national side though. Souttar has been unlucky with injuries and hasn’t progressed his career much compared to 3 years ago. All decent players but if we want Scotland to get to the next level let’s hope the next lot are better than this (or the current crop are late bloomers who knows!)

Sounds like a tongue in cheek comment. He’s not actually going to block any call up and he wouldn’t have the power to do so simply by switching off his phone!

👍

Norwich just sacked their boss. Thank Farke

Boom! The saint’s first hissy fit of the Jacob Brown era!

Totally agree

Am sure he’s just being rotated. He’s been playing 50 games a season for Liverpool for the last 3 seasons. That’s before the games he’s played for us. No harm for us if he misses out on the odd game now and again

You might be right. Or he could have watched Grant and Brown and decided he preferred Brown. West Brom got pumped 3-0 in the game Clarke was at. I didn’t see it myself but there’s a decent chance that Grant didn’t make much of an impression in the match. All speculation of course!

Aye he’s not in for his goals record! To be fair to Clarke he’s not going to pick someone without doing his homework and he obviously sees something that would contribute to the team. Seems his main attributes are pace, hard work and strength, not the most exciting write up I’ve ever heard in fairness! Good luck to the boy, hope he gets a chance at some point and plays well.

Haha! I found that quite amusing. We accept pretty low standards from our pundits don’t we. I hope Steve Clarke doesn’t heed their advice. The consequences would be dire 😂

😂

I’m really not sure what this idea of diddy teams at the World Cup is based on, other than outdated notions of international football!

Would be very surprised to see Russell ever line up for us again. However, given Ryan Fraser’s form and fitness over a long period of time then surely Gauld is worth a look at some point. Maybe the MLS is just garbage but there’s been a massive turnaround in his team’s results since joining. We’re not so good that we can ignore all of our creative options. Sure, he might not be good enough, he’s unproven at this level but personally I think he’s earned a shot at it by now.

But apart from all that, you still rate him right?

Totally agree, he will learn nothing from that clown Farke