norsefox

Yes, but this type of football conversation typically follows a standard and predictable tit-for-tat where eventually either Messi or Ronaldo is the best player to have ever walked the earth and the other is a used-car salesman incapable of identifying a ball, never mind kicking one. The fact of the matter, and no reasonable person could deny, is that we play as less than the sum of our parts. As much as Wales have some better players (yes they do, but only 3 or 4), they made it to the last 4 of the Euros - far further than they should have on paper, with Bale or not. Northern Ireland also significantly out perform their limited resources. We on the other hand play well within ourselves. Unless of course you're going to convince me that a team consisting of Gary Teale, Stephen Pearson et al was better player-for-player than what we currently have? Not a chance.

Hope it's coming out of Regan's salary. Insisting on wearing poppies was such a ridiculous battle to fight. We deserved to be hit with a points deduction as well.

The more important point here is that we're considering the position of Director of Football to the potential manager of Rotherham? That's a San Marino-type appointment.

I'd say a Slovenia win. But a draw would also be good. Slovenia are not a great side.

I wish I had your confidence. I think we might be a diddy team...

They're ranked 176th in the world and have scored 7 goals in 20 games ffs. They ARE a diddy team. Whether they're 'well disciplined' or passionate or any other shite. If you fail to beat Malta then you don't deserve to achieve anything. Just for a note, since 2008 - these are the ONLY teams to have failed to beat Malta in a competitive match: Albania (draw) Georgia (draw) Armenia (won 1-0) Bulgaria (draw) Azerbaijan (draw) It cannot be emphasised enough how terrible a result not winning would be.

One of the biggest problems with the 'Strachan needs to go' lynch mob is that we really don't have many options. England seem to also be in a similar place - I can't imagine them giving the job to Allardyce if there was a genuine alternative. I do feel like we need to look further than these shores. 'Foreign' managers have qualified unlikely nations to plenty of competitions in the last 20 years. No single Scot has achieved it.

Losing 1-0 already

This is completely correct.

Italy also struggled to beat us 1-0 - despite having 20+ shots and ALL of the possession. 1-0 didn't reflect that game at all. In fact, Italy only scored more than two once in qualification - against Azerbaijan. Sure, Malta aren't a San Marino or a Gibraltar - but using Italy's shocking inability to score goals as proof that they're decent is stretching it... I reckon 2-0, with a performance better than we expect.

Not necessarily my choice, but what I reckon Strachan will go with. Marshall Hutton Martin Hanley Robertson Fletcher Morrison Forrest Snodgrass Ritchie Fletcher I don't know a whole lot about Malta but I suspect we'll have a lot of the ball. Given the requirement for quality possession and the importance of set pieces, I can see Bannan starting ahead of Morrison and Paterson ahead of Hutton (do we have a player better in the air than Paterson?) I genuinely don't think Burke will start but expect to see him on at some point. Burke, Anya and Naismith/Watt to get on at some point.

3 sent off from both teams please.

I don't think we should underestimate Malta either. But we should expect to beat them, without trouble.

He would be an effing left back.

Anya and Burke would give us balanced pace, against a team that is likely to sit in. We struggle to breakdown teams like Malta, pace changes that approach.

Saw that. Three young Scots in their match day squad most weeks now. Very positive to see.

Because he's an average footballer in an average team. I've nothing against the lad but I've seen him at Craven Cottage. The Championship is not a good league. Competitive, absolutely. Technical? Nope.

You musn't have met Gary Caldwell or Charlie Mulgrew.

How did that team knock 3 past Germany? When teams like that waltz through qualifying I've got to think that our problem is less ability and more directly related to poor attitude and zero confidence.

Nonsense. If you were AFC Wimbledon, would you improve by playing Chelsea every week? What have we learned from this week? Anything we didn't already learn from beaten by Germany twice and England twice? We're playing England twice in qualifiers (we already know they're distinctly better than us AND we know how they play). so why aren't we playing teams like Slovakia, Slovenia, and Lithuania?

Who said anything about crap teams?! or are you telling me that our failure to beat Germany is what denied us qualification? coming 2nd in a group sits on your ability to beat all the rest - something we've ALWAYS struggled with.

We also don't beat middling nations... how does getting your confidence shot, alongside the obvious fall in rankings, in addition to not being able experiment, help anyone?!

Oh god.

School boy goalkeeping

As bad as it, better than Italy. Possibly better than the Denmark game...