Caledonian Craig

Of course. Do recall back further CHE used too but CZE is the more common use.

Fair enough but in a football context it is known as SUI where as CHE is recognised as Czechia (formely Czech Republic and before that Czechoslovakia).

Do not like to be picky but shouldn't middle game be:- V SUI

No I meant for the Euros. Lets presume he were called up for the next round of Euros and excels who do you drop?

Attacking midfielders is our strongest area. In a like-for-like who would you drop to accommodate Ryan Gauld?

Agreed. He picked totally inexperienced Billy Gilmour for the crunch match V England at the last Euros. Plenty of fans on here did not rate Ryan Porteous but he bucked that trend and gave him the chance and has been proven right so far. He brought in Angus Gunn and lots more and dispensed with the likes of Stephen O'Donnell, Declan Gallacher, John Fleck and plenty more. Players that have been dispensed with and replaced by an upgrade that much is clear. Nobody hear can prove McBurnie is an upgrade going on all the evidence before us so far.

Doing the business is key here though. Some players have proven they can do it at international level (Dykes) and some players have not (McBurnie). Now lets play devil's advocate here and say McBurnie gets selected above Dykes and we bomb out in the First Round then Clarke would get utterly slaughtered by the fans fot r it and slaughtered a bit more too for selecting McBurnie over Dykes. Fans would be apopleptic that a player with 9 goals for us was axed for a player with zero goals for us. Perhaps ideal scenario for Clarke would be if UEFA reverse their earlier decision and allow 26-man squads which would allow him to select McBurnie and Dykes. However, even with that scenario I still doubt McBurnie would make it right now but if he chips in with another 3 or 4 goals in the remainder of the season he may force Clarke's hand.

Indeed. And yet unionists make similar throwaway comments and get away with it. Thatcher stated Scotland could have its independence when they vote in enough pro-independence MPs. What happened there then?

I agree. Any manager (not just Steve Clarke) would need to be immensely brave to make such a decision and it would be a huge leap in faith for a player who has just not done the business for us in the past.

Spot on. Also what a monumental faux pas by AS with his comment of once in a generation opportunity comment. Unionists now bring that up as a just reason to not allow us another referendum for a generation.

Honestly, it is because he did not do it for us in just under 20 matches. But hey I am man enough to say he is beginning to knock on the door again. Perhaps call him up in next squad to see what he can do but would take a lot to displace a man with 9 goals for Scotland (Dykes) with a man with 0 goals for Scotland (McBurnie).

Someone needs to show this to McCoist:- Then it may permutate why his beloved anthem is booed.

NOBODY not Salmond not Sturgeon not anyone before those our most illustrious leaders have been able to garnish enough support to lead Scotland to independence so it seems very unfair to use that as a stick to beat Yousaf with. End of the day I'd much sooner point a finger at the people of Scotland. We are the voters, we are the ones with the power to elect and opt for independence and we bottle it every time. Lets looker closer to home to apportion blame. If we want independence you do whatever you can to give it the best chance of happening. Well that isn't sitting at home scratching your erse on election day moaning about Tories and Labour. It isn't about 'I hate Yousaf' so I am not voting SNP which is a classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face. At least a vote for SNP is still sending out the message which independence supporters should want to do. Now of course if it really sticks in people's craws so much to vote SNP then take your vote to Alba and start driving their support up to make them something more of a force above Reform or Lib Dems but I do not see that happening sadly.

Will it though? Fraser I might just be able to see getting called up but not Gauld or Morgan who have been nowhere near any squads for a couple of years or more. To make up the 26 it will be Ryan Jack (if fit), Grant Hanley (if fit) and players of that ilk in the running. Personally, I'd really like one or two of our best youngsters in there promoted from U-21s and tailoring them for promotion to the first team which is bound to come for them.

As has been stated time and time again there is no route to independence at present. No referendum without Westminsters say so. No referendum under Section 30 and even when NS and others wanted to make the next GE a defacto referendum they got pelters for it and was seen as unworkable. Barrimg a revolt thete is no legal route to independence so I do not know what you expect the SNP to do. If you prefer a more hardline approach then how so?

The only ones on that list (as you say) likely to be in the Euros squad (if fit) are McGregor, McKenna and Hickey. If Hanley gets game time he should make it too. The rest were never really in the running.

Sorry but what you say does not add up - if we are talking about independence here. Polls on independence are still at the same sort of levels when even Salmond and Sturgeon were at the helm. I'd fully agree with you if support for independence had dipped below 40% but they have not. Yes polls for the upcoming GE have been worrying but is it wholly unexpected if you look at the wider picture? People are desperate to be rid of the Tories at Westminster and to be sure most will vote Labour. On top of that the SNP have, like the Tories, have been in power for over a decade and parties get stale no matter who you are and think that is a factor here and of course the supreme hatchet job the unionist media are playing is having a part to play too. The SNP are swimming against a tidal wave - difficult to succeed when so much is against you.

I just find that poll is too far off what other polls recently have predicted so cannot be taken as verbatim. Going from polling at high to low 30 seats in other polls suddenly down to 19. And the only thing of note to have happened in that time was passing of Hate Bill which I couldn't see making that much a difference (or shouldn't) as the rest of the UK has similar bills without any hoo-hah.

We shall see. Other polls have SNP at low 30s in seats with one supposedly (though do not know if it is yet to be released) having SNP on 41 seats so it all depends on what you want and desire to believe.

I would take YouGov poll with a massive pinch of saly. As someone stated earlier Scottish Labour have ywt to get candidates together for a number of Scottish seats so its daft to assume they will walk into seats with unknown candidates. I would say they are applying the poll result mostly carried out outwith Scotland and looking to apply them into Scottish results.

Yes that makes sense.

Utter tosh. A thumping for the SNP is a thumping for independence hopes and gives even less credibility to those of us who ache, crave and desire Scottish independence every day of our lives. If you actually believe what you are posting resign your membership as that sends a bigger message to the SNP otherwise you are no more than a snake in the grass. Do as your hero did and resign and become a fully fledged member of Alba. I am happy with voting SNP as it prevents me being a supporter of this sham of a union. If you are happy voting for a unionist party and are not voting for a pro-independence party (at the very least) then you have no place on this thread. I know the SNP has problems but you stick with it. The other option - knuckle under to your unionist masters.

I am voting SNP. No way am I putting a cross in the box of any party whose vote is perceived as a vote for this corrupt union. If others on here wish to 'support the union' bash on and vote Labour, Tory or Lib Dem but whatever your reason for doing it it will be chalked up as a vote for the union.

Well I presume that would mean he would be fit for the two friendlies which he could use to get match sharp. The alternatives are a confidence shot to pieces Patterson or Tony Ralston.

No it may say slim fit but its not really.