Caledonian Craig

I picked up on this last night about how slow the whole team are in closing down and attacking. Ponderous. The negativity was stark too. There was a point when we were counter-attacking and won a free-kick about 10 yards inside their half. Their players were still back peddling. We got the ball down quickly to take it - and fucking passed it 20 yards back into our own half. That sums up our play in the last two matches.

I'd agree with this. The only reason we played 3 at the back was to fit Tierney and Robertson into the same side against Israel. No Tierney last night so absolutely no need for it. Lets look at facts here. We have played Israel twice at home in the last two years with roughly the same sides out on the pitch in both matches. Which match did we impress more in? The one we won 3-2 as we at least looked decent in attack and not playing three at the back unlike the other night. We have now played two games on the bounce with three at the back and looked shambolic and lacking any cutting edge or fluency in attack. Prior to that we won three matches on the bounce and scored plenty of goals so why change a system that the players were getting comfortable with? We need stability and when we get a winning formula we should stick with it.

I am normally an optimist with Scotland and always look on the bright side but lets not beat around the bush about last night - it was beyond awful. Yes we won but how we managed that I will never know. Stats do not lie. They had more shots on goal than us (much more), looked far more fluent and incisive than us on the break, had tonnes more corners and free-kicks in and around the penalty box and hit the post twice. That says it all. That was a team with virtually no international experience cobbled together in the last 48 hours prior to the match. Anyone who tries to excusevthat Scotland performance are part of our problem willing to settle for utter mediocrity. In terms of fitness, technique, work ethic, defensive capabilities and all-round skills we looked like a Sunday league team against a Czech C team. That is totally unacceptable and very worrying. The only positives from last night was the result, Dykes bagging his first goal and David Marshall's showing that saved us from a thrashing.

Well all I can say about that is we won. That aside. A night of depression. Only plus - a goal for Dykes.

This is Keystone Cops stuff it really is.

Make that 5-1 to Norway.

This ain't over by a long ahot.

The optimistic fool in me is putting these poor shows down to lack of match fitness for key players. I strongly suspect otherwise.

Meanwhile, Norway thrashing Northern Ireland 4-1.

The work ethic is shocking IMO. We concede so many goals by defenders who can't be arsed to close down advancing strikers allowing them to get shots away. In attack we are so fucking slow supporting in attack and closing down their defence it is unreal.

Before that we won three on tge bounce. Blown out again.

Its against Czech B or perhaps C side.

Two matches on the bounce with your dream formation. Fucking two disasters.

So fucking what. We used to qualify playing 4-4-2

Well certainly not 3-5-2? Various managers have tried it to no avail.

It is just like the other night. Ffs when we attack we are pedestrian. A 80-year-old on a zimmerframe would break with more pace. And we do not have enough numbers in attack.

This is another embarrassing night for Scottish football.

Caught terribly square three at the back strikes again.

Awful.

Cannot see it being three at the back. Robertson stated the other day he cannot play as wing-back.

Should be straight-forward. They clearly have Holes in their defence:- Czech Republic: Mandous, Holes, Hubnik, Jemelka, Zeleny, Janos, Budinsky, Havlik, Malinsky, Tecl, Pesek

What must be taken into account is well is player fitness. Some of the squad have not started the season yet and not had a normal pre-season. That plays havoc with things. To ask McGinn to play two matches in three days when not match sharp is asking too much. Same goes for Tierney I would say.

Yes the whole incident does him no favours whatsoever. He may have gone some way to redeeming himself if he had done a grovelling presser and apologized unreservedly but he got in his car and left less than half an hour after leaving the court. Poor show for a World No 1.

Incredible scenes at the US Open. Red hot favourite for the men's title Novak Djokovic has been disqualified. In his match against Carreno Busta he led 5-4 and looked set to break serve leading 40-0. Carreno Busta dug himself out of the hole to hold serve to Djokovic's frustration. On the first point of next game Djokovic fell on his left shoulder and got treatment but was fine. He then lost his serve and in frustration turned and hit a ball in frustration which hit a lineswoman. The tournament referee was called onto court and spoke at length with Djokovic and as rules state he defaulted the match and left the court and tournament. That now means the US Open will be won by a new winner of a slam.

I disagree. Who wants the return of meaningless putrid friendlies against Canada, Australia, Outer Mongolia and Jamaica? Certainly not me. Of course things are chaotic player-wise but there is a pandemic going on and the football season has needed hasty rearrangement. That is not the tournament's fault but more down to COVID-19 which has wreaked havoc on every sport on the planet.