Caledonian Craig

For many years now World Cup qualification has always been the same ie winner qualifies and runner-up into play-offs. I'd guess it has been that way as long as Braveheart Gordon can remember so we all know that was the guidelines for qualification. For the Euros the goal is top two for automatic qualification (though previously that was top team and second went to play-off) and for the World Cup the goal is top two as well so you then look at the difficulty of the groups and the current one we have is tougher than the one coming up. We are in the shake-up for a top two spot this time around so I see no reason to alter that for the next campaign.

Apologies if I never explained myself better but I was talking about us still in the race for automatic qualification by finishing in the top two. Many here think that is still a real possibility and that from a group tougher than the one we have just drawn.

Well put it this way even the SFA are smart enough to know when they are onto a good thing with Gordon. And like I said he has said he is really revelling in the challenge and do believe he has said that he sees this as the job he'll retire on. You are missing the point as nobody here as said our opponents are pub teams - just that people here aren't sat on the pot about playing the teams we have. Since you are not old enough to remember us qualifying then I see why your glum but how would you rate this team we have now compared to others we have had and not qualified in terms of talent, team spirit, team confidence, organisation and management?

My point is about automatic qualification - not play-offs. Many here are of the mindset that qualification can be had automatically by finishing in the top two and this current group is tougher than the one we will have in the next campaign.

Well with that mindset I take it you have ruled us out of quallifying for the Euros then? Germany I'd place above England quality-wise most definitely and Poland are I'd say on a par with Slovakia so we have it tougher this time around and we are still in the hunt.

The way to look at it is: - Group A - No thanks. Deadly. Group B - Perhaps a shade less tough than our Group. Group C - No thanks. Another tough one. Group D - Still prefer our group as don't want Ireland again as 4th seeds, Moldova as 5th seeds and Georgia (look how we are fretting about them this time around). Group E - Okay would have preferred this group. Group G - No thanks. Group H - Trickier than it looks so would still take our group. Group I - No thanks. No real minnows here. So you see I am not sure why the complaints.

Okay we missed out narrowly on direct qualification. Better?

This group is certainly easier than the one we had under McLeish when we had Italy, France and Ukraine in it and we narrowly missed out on a play-off spot then. Now I would confidently say we have a stronger squad, more confidence and belief than then so if we nearly made it then I see no reason to mess our pants now.

Jeez you are a ray of sunshine aren't you? It is a good job you aren't on the coaching staff as you'd have them mentally beaten before they step out onto the pitch. The Scotland side will look not too different as to what it is now actually and I think it is a cast iron certainty Strachan will be in charge - why wouldn't he be? He certainly won't be sacked and by all accounts he is really enjoying this challenge as it allows him the best of both worlds plus I do believe it has been said he holds no desire now to get back into league management.

Err I suggest you look at people's suggestions of the draw they didn't want and ours is nothing like anyone's suggestions. It could have been better but it could have been a lot worse as well. England (give me them over Holland, Spain, Germany and possibly Belgium for a start) Slovakia (certainly could have been worse with France, Italy, Bosnia and Austria who are a fast up and coming side in Pot 2) Slovenia (sooner them over Ireland, Norway, Montenegro and Turkey) Lithuania (possibly the toughest team in Pot 5 aside from Finland)) Malta (sure not as worrying as Georgia, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan or Liechtenstein) I sometimes think people here were expecting a group of total minnows. In short our draw could have been easier but we've had it a lot tougher recently as well.

Westminster policies are poisonous. That coupled with Cameron's leadership mistakes and perhaps leading to another war (against IS) will persuade more people that remaining in the union led by people alien to us and those waiverers who voted no will be converted. How I see it is that yes voters are steadfast in their beliefs so waiverers aren't there to any great degree but those that voted no there are more (much more) waiverers to be swayed. However, lets not be too over eager. If the SNP has any sense they'll be working on issues they never quite got right last time such as currency, NHS etc and working to create a stronger and more watertight model for independence with no holes for unionists to pick holes in. My message sit tight - independence is a question of when not if.

Sorry but if your mentality is that this is a really tough ask to qualify then you have a low opinion on Scotland as a side. Currently, we are still well in the shake-up in what I'd say is a tougher group than the one we have just drawn. In recent times we have lost one away match (away to Germany) in the last and this campaign so far and drawn against Poland and beat Croatia (home and away) against the big guns of the group so we have cause to be optimistic - not pessimistic. I hate to break it to you but the group we got was on nobody's prediction for the worst group we could get. In fact only one person (me) put one of our sides in teams from pots to avoid and that was Pot 5 Lithuania. Lets stop the defeatist talk and thoughts to one side and take the Strachan view point of quiet optimism.

Are Slovakia any better than Croatia though? I day that because we did beat Croatia home and away in the last campaign. That is how we must look at that fixture - with positive (not negative) thoughts.

Rory I'd sooner have drawn Wales, Romania or Croatia from the top seeds - all teams we could have had a realistic chance of beating and finishing above.

Sorry I see no sheer fun in the England fixture at all. Aggro, hassle, disappointment and the English media gloating. What exactly is fun about that?

I seriously doubt your credentials as a Scotland fan at times. I mean for months you have spammed the board with how you want England as they are crap and now that we have drawn them you are adamant they will win the group. Therefore why weren't you hoping we'd draw a top seed we could beat to enhance our qualification hopes such as Wales or Romania?

His knickers and his words.

They are in a similar group this time (Slovenia and Lithuania in it) and six games played and six games won. Fair to see why English people and others would think they'll walk it.

Play-off - only the top eight best runners-up though as the ninth best misses out.

You said on the other thread we were going to finish above them??

If we finish below England you'll never hear the end of it.

I haven't seen anyone saying it would be easy. Heck no groups are easy for us now hence we haven't qualified since 1998 but give me England over Germany, Spain and Holland (from Pot 1) and Slovakia over Italy, France and Czech Republic (from Pot 2). From Pot 4 we could have got Norway, Ireland, Montenegro or Turkey but I am glad we got Slovenia. Also from Pot 6 we avoided Georgia, Kazakhstan and Luxembourg so lets not go complaining or moaning about the draw we got.

Exactly so lets not go making mountains out of molehills (not you Toepoke but others). The way I see it is that England will be ruthless against the other teams in the group so that can surely only help us. Their strength is in qualifying but like Ian Rush pointed out their problems come in finals. I see England beating most teams in our group soundly so as long as we take care of our side of the fixtures then a play-off spot is a real possibility. Agreed I'd sooner have done without all the crap that goes with England/Scotland fixture but I'd sooner take them than Holland, Germany and Spain so beggars can't be choosers.

I am not saying we'll spank Slovakia but are they any better than Croatia? In our last campaign we beat Croatia home and away and that is the positive mindset we have to take into these kind of matches. Besides it could have been worse in that we could have had France or Italy from the second seeds.

I don't want to know what he was doing. I DO NOT.