Caledonian Craig

That is not my point. My point is that he is much less anti-independence than the other two candidates. Do you disagree with that?

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18193570.labours-keir-starmer-says-snp-win-2021-mandate-indyref2/ https://news.stv.tv/politics/keir-starmer-indyref2-a-matter-for-people-in-scotland?top https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-mandate-indyref2-win-2021-21378673 Far more open to the idea than the other two candidates by a long way who are very anti-Scottish Independence.

The best result for IndyRef2. His stance on it has been more of a wait and see but continued wins for the SNP in 2021 and IndyRef2 would need to be considered. The other two were far more against it saying 'once in a generation' and no not on my watch sort of spiel.

No it is you that doesn't. You are completely ignoring the clubs already affected with players testing positive for the virus and others having to self-isolate. You are wanting teams to still play games even if it means one side fielding virtual reserves against a practical first team. That is when football ceases becoming a sporting contest with integrity and more of a lottery reducing the sport to a farce.

You just aren't getting it. Driving a bus, working at Tescos etc etc are not sporting contests like football matches. Football like any sport is played on the terms it will be a fair sporting contest. With corona virus already affected many teams and maybe some not at all it means we no longer would have a fair sporting contest and it loses all integrity because of that.

No Euros mean no football in June so there is no reason the football cannot run into Jun now to be completed. And it is not just 22 guys playing behind closed doors it is all the subs there and coaches and managers and physios plus match officials plus journalists and some stewards. And teams are already infected so like I say it has ceased being a sporting contest when the virus is within teams more than others.

No they say it will be in May (the peak). Besides the Euros will be postponed - no doubt. And so the domestic season can run on into late June if needs be for it to be completed. And the Champions League and Europa League games I cannot see being played so freeing up midweek and weekends for rounds of matches.

Sporting contests cease being sporting when you expect teams to carry on that have been affected and infected. Injuries are an accepted hazard of the game whereas coronavirus is not. There are countless cases now of various teams hit by the virus and some more than other placing them at a distinct disadvantage with other teams. Matches should not be won on the basis of who is more handicapped by corona virus than others and football should not be played with an 'I'm alright Jack'- attitude. The sensible decision has been made.

As I said though you cannot judge players on 'what ifs' only on judging players at the same level. Griffiths and McBurnie have both played international football and Griffiths has been much more potent than McBurnie - the stats tells us that. Griffiths 19 Caps 4 Goals with McBurmie 9 Caps 0 Goals.

The only way you can judge Griffiths and McBurnie is when they are playing at the same level and judge how they do and that is by judging how they have performed for Scotland. Griffiths wins that face-off hands down.

It was inevitable really.

Very interesting.

You are just not getting it. Okay lets imagine we are not chasing a goal. We are before the Israel match. Which players excite you more from Forrest, Shinnie or McLean. Which of those players are more likely to influence the result of a match as in do something to alter the result with a performance. Shinnie and McLean have never done it for Scotland. At least Forrest has with five goals and I'd hazard a guess he has been part of a few assists too. And before you start misinterpreting I am not painting him as a Scottish Pele. He frustrates the hell out of me and many but he is a player who may just make a difference as he did V Israel before. The same cannot be said of Shinnie and McLean.

I would take any of those you mentioned and Forrest over Shinnie and McLean as I am sure 99% of Scotland fans would.

And you were leaping in halfway through a conversation and getting the wrong end of the stick. The point stemmed from who I'd sooner have on the bench should we need a goal in the last 15 minutes V Israel and that I'd sooner have Forrest (and Gilmour) there to call on than Shinnie or McLean. The latter are both 28 and have not cracked it in international football yet and are not going to make a difference to whether we qualify or not. Those are the type of players we need to cut from the squad not encourage their selection over the lines of Gilmour and Forrest.

And I will re-iterate it again as I have before. I am not making Forrest out to be some kind of Pele but if we are in need of a goal and had Forrest, Shinnie or McLean on the bench I know who I'd sooner see come on to try to make a difference.

Three goals that got us most definitely into this play-off.

Who is twisting words? You seem to be very smugly satisfied that the Scotland squad has the likes of Graham Shinnie and Kenny McLean in it. You seem to want them in the squad ahead of Billy Gilmour and James Forrest even though both play at a lower level. If Scotland wants to do something of note in international football I guarantee it won't happen with players of the ilk of Shinnie and McLean in the squad. Replace the dead wood with players promising so much more. Seems reasonable to me and is what the vast majority of Scotland fans want.

If we are talking defensive midfielders Kenny McLean falls way down the list of in line for a place - or should. At the very least way below Billy Gilmour. But if you are happy with mediocrity that is your outlook.

The talk was theoretically being 1-1 V Israel with 15 mins to go and who I'd sooner call on from the bench.

Do not get me wrong - I don't see him as a Pele-type but he can score goals for us from midfield unlike Shinnie and McLean. And potentially he is far better than them. Granted he frustrates like hell.

I do hope it works out for him. Hopefully, he comes across a coach that can push him in the right direction and improve his all-round game as he does have some handy strengths.

So that sounds very much to me that you'd have Shinnie or McLean in the side above Forrest. Unless you want to add that they are a wasted jersey too. Incidentally, we would not be in this play-off if it were not for Forrest's goals.

And lacks work ethic the times I have seen him. If he loses the ball he does not think to work to get the ball back.

So you admit they are worse players but yet you'd still have them in the team? 😲 That is Craig Levein logic right there.