BraveheartGordon

Just watched the game back again and the goal was a perfect example of how the 5-3-2 type system we deployed can create overloads in key areas. The wing backs pushed up stretching the game, the 3 central defenders switched the ball from side to side creating the space centrally, Mulgrew split the lines with the pass to Phillips who laid it off to Forest eventually leading to Frasers delivery for the goal. If we make the correct movements quickly enough the opposition either have an outnumbered situation in midfield or they can’t press our central defenders. I criticised it on Friday but we simply didn’t have the right personnel to play it. I actually think it suits our better players quite well and might well combat the goals we’ve conceded in the last 2 campaigns from crosses and set plays.

I thought it was an accomplished away performance, we managed the game very very well, whilst dominating possession and playing dynamic football. McKenna is a star in the making, Phillips offered us something different tonight as a 9 and Jack Hendry was really composed on the ball and made a goal saving challenge in the second half. We've learned a huge amount in the 2 matches and there was the makings of a side tonight which could qualify for the Euros. Once you add Griffiths, Tierney, Gordon, Snodgrass and McTominay, Paterson and McBurnie from the first match into contention it becomes quite exciting to think about.

Don’t know how much youth football you’ve seen but if an 11 year old was playing for an under 9s team he’d probably score about 10 goals.

————McGregor————- Paterson—Mulgrew—-McKenna-Douglas ———-McTominay——McGinn—- Forrest———Armstrong———Fraser ——————Cummings——————

More depressing than McBurnie who missed a sitter on Friday? Or god help us Matt Phillips? 🤦‍♀️

I thought McKenna was really solid tbh, didn’t put a foot wrong all night and should be a mainstay in the team. McTominay looked really composed under pressure and moved it out of tight areas well, I’d really like to see him protecting with Armstrong, McGregor or McGinn making up the other 2. I thought McDonald didn’t involve himself in the game enough and used the ball poorly, the difference between McDonald and Cairney in midfield compared to Armstrong and McGregor was like premier league to championship, they completely changed the game when they came on. McBurnie did ok, worked hard, but didn’t stretch the back line which was disappointing, I’d quite like to see Cummings on Tuesday to see if he offers more. Murphy got nice and close to Phillips for the few minutes he came on and linked well for the Robertson chance.

Excellent 2-0 win v Netherlands tonight! Aitchison with both goals.

Pasta Mick in championing Celtic players shocker. Ovbiously Armstrong and McGregor changed the game for me, but honestly I think you’re reading too much into it, because I bet my bottom dollar Eck and Rogers will have discussed what game time they’d be getting.

I think we looked really disjointed in the first half which is to be expected with so many new players together. But I thought we thoroughly dominated the second half, we played the game in their half and just lacked the last piece of quality to hit the net. Costa Rica are a really good international side and reached the last 8 of Brazil 2014. I thought the 3 central defender system didn’t suit us though, and we struggled for width in the attacking area in the first half. in terms of the debutants I thought Scott McKenna looked solid all day long, McTominay showed composure when under pressure most of the time and I thought McBurnie showed a real presence at times, I would have liked to have seen him receive better service. McDonald was steady without being exceptional and Cairney had a poor 1st half. overall I honestly think we took more out of this than the Denmark 1-0 game in 2016 and probably created more chances in this game than that one. we’ll have a different line up again on Tuesday and we’ll find out if those players can offer something too. And that’s what these 2 games are about,expanding the pool.

Tv - Scotland 1-1 Germany, Miller with the goal. live - Scotland 0-0 Slovenia under Vogts, I remember Berti waiting till 10 mins from the end to make a change because he knew 0-0 would be a stay of execution and a defeat would have sacked him. Also remember Craig Gordon making his debut and nearly fumbling one over the line 😂

Darren Fletcher was speaking the other week, saying the biggest hinderance to his Scotland career was the Scotland fans expecting him to be creative and attacking because he played for Man Utd, when he was in fact a destructive midfielder. let McTominay give us a base to play from, make simple tackles and simple challenges and let others be creative, let him do what he’s good at.

I’m sure Portugal, France and Germany were all shamed beyond belief lifting international trophies with players born in another country. They should have cancelled the celebrations and given the cups back actually. Or... we could be like all the other associations and try to have as large and high quality a player pool as possible, especially when other countries have taken some of our own players away.

Nope http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b045kd58 Cant recall a Scotland game ever being on Itv4 either as STV would just broadcast it via our main channel anyway so it would be on stv as well as Itv 4.

I don’t care what he said, I’d take Harry Kane if there was a loophole and he’d play for us. we need as many good level players as possible.

FYR Macedonia 2-1 game in 2013 with the Maloney free kick winner was definitely on the BBC. So was the draw with Nigeria at Craven Cottage in 2014 actually.

Really good informative post! And enjoyed reading it (Minus the cheap shot at Cummings).

I was thinking play Tierney in his natural position in the first match because I’d like to see McKenna next to an experienced Centre half, then play Robertson at full-back and Tierney at CB in the second game. I’d like to see McKenna but should be next to an experienced player and not KT IMO.

Would be quite happy to see, —————-McGregor———————— Paterson—Mulgrew—McKenna-KT ————McTominay—-McGinn——— Forrest————Armstrong—Fraser —————Cummings/McBurnie——- Have a sneaky feeling he might start Murphy after watching his interview though, he watched him against Hearts and he was terrific to be fair that day.

Barry Douglas can hit an outstanding dead ball. wouldnt be averse to trying him as a left sided midfielder for this reason.

Really happy to finally see a Scotland manager picking players in form rather than because they play in the over rated EPL. Happy to see young players from Aberdeen, Hibs and Rangers rather than the previous crop. Northern Ireland qualify for tournaments picking Scottish premiership players.

Jack Hendry couldn’t get a game for a woeful Wigan side that used to play Rob Kiernan at centre half, and had 2 woeful loan spells at Shrewsbury and MK Dons, yet your own St Brendan saw fit to pay a significant fee for a player that had 6 good months at Dundee. My point is that Scottish players can make bad moves to English clubs at League 1 or League 2 level and look worse than they are because the style of football and structure of the league is so different, having a poor spell down south doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for a certain level. im not saying O’Donnell is international level but writing a player off for a poor spell at Luton is silly and with the trip to Central America coming up in May there’s worse right backs we could give a shot to in the squad.

In fairness Mackay said he turned down the chance to play for his side against Holland

I wasn’t overly enthused with McLeish’s appointment to say the least but got to give him huge credit for securing McTominay, we’ve lost numerous players over the years to other nations where the manager clearly didn’t convince them. The merits of him as a player can be discussed further down the line but big credit to Alex McLeish and anything that increases the player pool and depth can only be positive. Hopefully more young players will follow suit when faced with similar decisions.

You can’t believe Cummings got called into a squad where our midfield consisted of Hibs and Aberdeen players and Matt Phillips started as striker?

This is absolute nonsense, the national team youth set up to 19’s level is a technical structure favouring a possession based game against weaker opponents and a counter-attacking transition game against the stronger sides. the biggest gap with the top nations at that level is a physical one, they are (almost without exception) far more physically developed which is a completely different issue from recruiting tall or big players to start off with. We’re successful at these levels because we can produce elite technical players up to 19s level and we can’t compete after the 19s age group because it’s the bottleneck of the system that’s our issue, in giving young players first team football at an early age and ultimately giving them the right quality of challenge. I don’t know what the solution to this issue is but I genuinely believe that things are getting better every year and I’m seeing good progress.