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Caledonian Craig
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Posts posted by Caledonian Craig
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Tierney on for the last 20.minutes against Barcelona.
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14 minutes ago, DesiScotsman said:
Thankfully it doesn’t look like a serious one and is expected to be fit for the final game of the season:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c72ppwlknpyo
Yes Klopp is not like Ten Haag as in realises Robertson has a big summer ahead and will not risk him.
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2 hours ago, ger intae them said:
Kinda old news now, but first I’d heard a bit more detail on the hickey injury. It would explain the length of time out …….. and if believed, puts the total kibosh on him being in Germany.
Fact remains it was reported in March he was back on the training ground. Frank himself said that.
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Italy won't defend their title. Will opt for France to beat England in the final.
My expectations have been lowered in the ladt few months by injuries to key players and our run of form but will still go to Germany with hope of us getting out of our group for the first time at a major tournament.
I will leave for Germany four weeks tomorrow and will be staying in Munich, Berlin and stopovers in Cologne and Stuttgart and have tickets to all three games. Will extend my stay if weget through to the knockout stages.
Its just great to be involved and not watching without any interest at home on TV.
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During the leadership contest or at least following Swinney's announcement as new FM we heard unionist.parties having the nerve to call for an early election. i'd play them.at their own game and fill them with the same meaningless pish they are always giving is when asking for IndyRef2. Tell them: 'Now is not the time' or that it is the will of the Scottish people that say they still in.power for the full tenure.
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6 hours ago, scotlad said:
You don't need to tell me, I remember our previous tournament experiences only too well. My eyes are wide open.
I get the impression though that some people think because we beat Spain and qualified with relative ease that we've nothing to worry about next month. I think differently though, going by recent form and the likely absence of certain players in key positions. My gut feeling is we'll finish bottom of the table again.
Aye, I might be a miserable cunt, but I'm a miserable cunt who is happy to be proven wrong, and will admit when he is. 👍
I feel some of this is directed towards people like me as I have pointed to our win against Spain and our run of consecutive wins in qualifying. That was me countering mccaughey who says we have limited quality which I disagree with to a point. We have players that play in the best leagues in the world for top clubs who have been part of our squad for some time now who have helped us to some great results in competitive matches and also seen us promoted to the top tier of the Nations League. On our day with all our key players fit and in form we have shown we can match the best teams. Sadly, in the last 6 to 8 months things have contrived against us having top quality players such as Robertson, Tierney, Hickey and one or two others missing which affects us badly.
I am smart enough, old enough and seasoned enough to know to keep expectations in check. Currently, we still have key players out which will affect us badly but I refuse to denigrate our squad and our chances as anything can happen in football. When we have all our key players fit we can be a match for anyone and we'd have a good chance of exiting this group but we are not at that point just now but that won't stop me from go to Germany with hope and spirits high.
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In my opinion it is no longer a song contest that used to be a potential breeding ground for new bands. Unknown bands such as Bucks Fizz, Bardo and others were given their chance but nowadays it is already established bands or singers that take part. There are other elements already touched on by earlier posters that make it uncomfortable viewing (not that I watch it now anyway).
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1 hour ago, DesiScotsman said:
McTominay starts for Man Utd 🫣
Just praying that he hopeully comes through this unscathed!
Ten Haag is an idiot. He has no common sense or concern for his players. McTominay has clearly been carrying a knock over the last few weeks but he has continued to play him. Would not rule out him aggravating the injury further just because Ten Haag is desperate to save his job.
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Craig Gordon starts again for Hearts today.
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43 minutes ago, mccaughey85 said:
Upsets happen in football. On paper we should not be beating Spain but weaker sides get wins when they play well together and the better team(Spain) has an off game.
If you cant acknowledge that our side lacks quality in certain positions then I don't know what to say. Anybody with any sense can see that.
It was not only Spain match though. We have beaten the likes of Denmark and Ukraine, drew with England at the last Euros and were the better team. Plus we have had best sequence of results in qualifying matches in decades recently. Teams that lack quality cannot acheive things like that. Of course we lack quality in depth but if we have everyone fit we have enough quality to get results both against very good sides (Spain) and get results to take us to major tournaments and promotion to the Top tier of the Nations League.
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Just now, vanderark14 said:
I think you've missed my point entirely. My first paragraph stated that some are saying England aren't the heavyweights they've always pretended to be. This does not mean they aren't one of the best teams in the world right now
Ah right I am merely looking at the facts before me now in assessing where England stand now as a team. What has been said or claimed in the past is irrelevant to the here and now. But I would say I cannot (off the top of my head) remember the last time they failed to qualify for a major tournament and can.only remember once in this century where they failed to get out of the group stages. Those stats suggest they are heavyweights. After all Italy would be seen as heavyweights and they have missed a few major tournaments in recent times.
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21 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:
There seems to be two arguments here.
I think some ar arguing that historically England are not the heavyweights they believe themselves to be because they've won one tournament in their own back yard and they have failed to win anything in almost 60 years. I agree with this point of view
Others seem to think this generation are heavyweights, However this current crop is decent BUT they've won nothing yet. They failed to win in their own back yard against an average Italy side and then failed to get past the QFs in the last world cup.
Do they have the potential in this team? Absolutely. Will they realise it? Who knows but I fuckin hope not. It will be vomit inducing celebrations.
Whether they win (and only one team can win) or not they still rate as one of the best teams in the world at present. What has gone before in past decades means jack shit in the grand scheme of things. Are Uruguay currently a better team than England because they have won the World Cup more times - of course not. it is the here and now teams standards have to be judged on. If not then we could argue we are better than Turkey and Croatia on the grounds we have qualified for the World Cup more times.
Read the opinions of unbiased people in the know like ex-internationals and ex-managers and England are tipped heavily to be a leading contender. That says a lot.
And if France or Spain do nt win they will still be assessed as one of the best teams in the world which would be true.
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Anyone who cannot agree that England are one of the best teams in the world right now are in denial. All rankings say it. Look where their players ply their trade - says it all. Look at their strength in depth - some of our fans want to scav some of their players who might not even make their Euros squad. And look at their qualification record in the last decade or so and how far they have got in tournaments. It is not rocket science.
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8 hours ago, mccaughey85 said:
Not sure what you mean by that statement. We definitely lack quality in certain positions.
We manage to get results through good management and having good players in other positions. Other countries with limited squads manage it as well.
Its pretty much common knowledge that our squad is limited.
You do not become the first team to beat Spain in over a decade in Euro qualifying with a team that lacks quality. No way.
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1 hour ago, exile said:
As ever the problem is the distorting (or glossing over) by the media.
The SNP - or Alba - could take a stand and break the rules in Westminster, but it is not reported as sticking up for Scotland, it's either ridiculed as toys out the pram politicking, or not reported at all.
And besides I recall Blaclford and other SNP MPs took stick on this thread when they once staged a walkout at Westminster a few years ago.
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5 hours ago, mccaughey85 said:
Regardless of wether we compete or not we still have a limited squad.
Limited squads like ours can get good results if everyone pulls together and plays well as a team which is what we have done.
Only if its a limited squad in numbers and not limited in terms of quality. Without the latter we'd not have been able to get the results we have.
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1 hour ago, mccaughey85 said:
Surely us having poor options upfront and in net is the very definition of having a limited squad.
Our centre back options are limited as well.
We have real quality in midfield and the full back positions and Clarke manages to get the very best out of guys like dykes and hendry etc.
Clarke doesn't get the credit he deserves. Not only that but he's actually been loyal and not just used the job as a stepping stone.
No the squad has proven they can compete and beat top sides as we showed against Spain, Denmark and Ukraine amongst others and that was with around same set of players we have right now.
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15 minutes ago, exile said:
What a messed up country we are
Politicians pushing forward too much on trans rights --> A reason to not vote for a pro independence party
Politicians too traditional in views on LGBT --> Another reason to not vote for a pro independence party
Parties with the same mix of views but who don't see Scotland as a country --> No problems voting for them, apparently
Precisely. Excuses, excuses, excuses is all it is. But lets be honest dyed-in-the-wool unionists will never change which I just do not get. I'd love to be a fly-on-the-wall in their houses when the news is on reporting the continuous Westminster shit show and watch their reaction and conversations on it behind closed doors.
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7 hours ago, thesaint said:
Would be one hell of a gamble to throw Hickey into the euros on the back of at the best 180 minutes of friendly football in 9 months.Don't see Clarke taking that particular gamble somehow.
He needn't be expected to play the full 90 minutes of each match. Even if we get 45 mins out of him V Germany before being subbed for Ralston or whoever it would be an improvement on what we have. Thereafter he may be able to complete an hour V Switzerland and approaching the full match V Hungary. Give me that over the alternatives any day of the week.
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It will be up to Steve Clarke.
No way on Earth will the SFA sack their most successful manager in a generation on the back of qualifying for the Euros. That is a laughable and ludicrous suggestion. People wanting him out should think back to the years of toil and humiliation under the likes of Vogts, Burley, Levein etc.
On the point made by mccaughey (which I agree with much of it) I must disagree about us having a limited squad. I think if we have everyone fit and in form we have a very good squad with options in most areas apart from in goal and up front. When we have a full squad to pick from we have shown we can mix it with the best but there is a fall-off when multiple key players in key areas (ie wing-backs) we struggle. With Patterson definitely put and Hickey looking increasingly likely to miss out it severely weakens us and so my expectations for the summer have dipped. Sooner we are there though and kicking off the tournament than sitting at home watching on TV has we have become accustomed to before Clarke took over.
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11 hours ago, Hertsscot said:
When the Chair of the Labour Party says a right wing Tory MP is 'a good, natural fit', when Starmer says Labour is the Party of English patriotism, when Lammy describes Thatcher as 'visionary'...It would certainly put me off if I still voted Labour!
I suppose the problem so many in England have is the lack of political choices if you:-
A. Want rid of the Tory government.
B. Do not see Labour as anything more that Tory in red clothing.
The rise of the Reform Party too is not the answer for many ex-Labour voters. Outwith that you have the Lib Dems who are unpalatable to many. Seems to me a yawning chasm that a new party could exploit.
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Doak
in TA specific
If fit then I'd prefer Doak in over the likes of James Forrest for obvious reasons. He carries that X-Factor which Forrest does not. Also he is one for the future and the experience will do him the world of good whereas Forrest's career is winding down. He won't be featuring for us in the future.
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The big problem is the generation of today have their heads in the clouds. They turn their nose up at jobs they see as below them in transport, in travel, in catering industries etc. They feel they are destined for so much more as a YouTube blogger, an actor, singer etc. Jobs that they do not feel is becoming of them Poles moving to the country take on, stick to it and gain promotions in that field of work. Shame our young generation do not have the same ethics.
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Steve Clark ......
in TA specific
Posted · Edited by Caledonian Craig
Precisely this.
The MLS is a league where once decent or very good footballers go for one last hurrah before retirement in my opinion. For evidence of that look to the Euro contenders squads. How many of them ply their trade in the MLS? Are there any?
Think back to Johnny Russell too. His career was on the wane and had no prospect of furthering his international career. He moved to the MLS and rejuvenated his career and ended up gaining more Scotland caps. Was this an upshoot in form or merely enhanced stats as he was playing in a weaker league against weaker players. I say the latter.
People often say what about Hendry in the Saudi league then? Big difference is he has proven himself at international level for a few years now which Gauld and Morgan have not. Also as Dezmondo says who do they replace in the squad? McGinn, McGregor, Gilmour, McTominay and Christie are nailed on as is Armstrong if fit and McLean too is not going to be dropped. To throw in two unproven players not having played at,the highest level at club or international level is, in my eyes, anact of desperation this late on.