borojock

What got me thinking about him was a daily record article about Stephen Dobbie, as a QOS fan who witnessed first hand the turn around he made at a much older age than Fereuz is now i still live in blind optimism that there is a chance - he does have some talent there is no arguing that from some of the youth performances its just it hasnt developed and what talent there was has horribly stagnated due to not being arsed Agree with your point about being a striker for us but would see him more on a number 10

Islam Feruez off to a Belgium premier division team. Really interested to see how many games he plays or more apt how many days he stays Perfect example of a bad attitude and ego rotting a natural talent away Would love to see him turn it round and prove to be the player he can be very very very doubtful this will happen

I hope Gordon and the team have done there research they aren't a team that loses many goals but also a team that doesnt score many either. We need to from the off make sure we take it to them and move the ball quickly getting the players running at them get width from the full backs up the park and looking for the through balls. If we do what we did against Georgia and play with no zest then its going to be harder than it needs to be. Im confident we'll get a win (if we dont we may as well stop playing international football as lets face it these guys should be beaten) 3-0 to us

I'd go Marshall Paterson Martin Hanley Robertson Bannan Fletcher Forrest Snodgrass Burke Fletcher Making sure paterson and robertson get up and offer width as much as possible Bannan and Flecther best passers of the ball both playing regularly and can turn the ball over to the players ahead as much as possible i think its essential we move the ball around quickly and forward as much as possible especially from the start in gerorgia we were far too slow on the ball and not looking to make things happen Forrest (i know hasnt been great in blue before but on form now and a different player) all three of those attacking mid started the season on form Fletcher because Griff or McCormack isnt there to be honest

Are you on the wind up.... because we lost two friendlies away from home against two top teams who had something to play for and we had nothing and quite a few of our first team were missing we are now at the same level as Lithuania and Malta? I cant remember Malta or Lithuania finishing 4th recently or beating and drawing against ROI Were we at the same level as Lithuania or Malta when we beat Czech's and Denmark a few months ago 1-0

based on what?

Joining in with predictions I think: Malta Away: Easy win, if its not theres something seriously wrong. I thin a great idea that the team were there for a week training and played at Maltas stadium against Italy Lithuania Home: Another easy win, they don't have a great team or a recent track record Slovakia Away: Hoping for a gutsy draw but I think we'll lose this one, I don't think by a big margin England Away: Hate to say it but I think we'll lose and by 3 goals Slovenia Home: Really have to win this one I don't think they are a great time and I think we'll get a win England Home: Need to play 5-3-2 and have good ball retention, I think we'll get the dra Lithuania Away: Win only by one and not great game we always stuggle against these teams actually most teams these days Malta Home: Win and easy Slovakia Home: Draw Slovenia Away: Draw Prediction finish third and another tournament missed

I personally would keep him for the next campaign I'm not reading into the last two games too much playing better teams, away from home, at the end of the season, when they have things to play for and we don't. The sad truth is we don't have good enough players to compete with pot 1 teams. Overall results wise over his time with Scotland done ok don't know who would realistically come in and do anything better Out of interest who would be your preferred candidate to take over?

Completely agree with the training and playing in Malta the biggest success of the week probably, which is saying something I still think there is time for Malta I think hes still only 20 and playing at a great club, he does need to start playing first team football for them or someone else this coming season I fear for him if its another season in reserve football. The great hope of Jacky Harper seems to be diminishing maybe playing for Real Madrid C isn't the success we hoped for Yes tide is strongly turning against Strachan I think the SFA needs to be back him with a couple of full time coaches to help him out especially defensive, our ability on set plays is shocking

Its been a tough last week but here's me thoughts We don't play Italy and France in the qualifiers, we played two teams much better then us, away from home, at the end of a long season, where our players had very little to play for compared to what the Italians and French did. As bad as we were in the last two games, and we were bad, I honestly don't think in a competitive scenario we would be that bad. The teams were competing against in the next qualifiers is Slovenia and Slovakia (Malta and Lithuania we should and need to beat & England we will more than likely lose against love to get a draw or two but will be hard). Against the Czechs and Danish (similar standard to Slovenia and Slovakia) only a few months ago we got two wins with no goals conceded. Yes we were outplayed for large parts of the game but we still beat them so I take more from those two games than these last two games. I personally think it was a really bad choice of games I understand the argument that you need to play against the best to improve but I don't think we improved or learnt much we know were not at their standard the only thing that has resulted from these games is two bad results and performances and a significant drop in momentum and positiveness Strachan for me should still be given this qualifiers but needs to be more dynamic in formation, subs and players he uses. Against Italy and France as well as England I would be playing 5-3-2 same formation Wales use our defence isn't good enough to cope with the quality teams so we need to help it by playing a defensive formation like that. Players he uses why Greer is still in the squad never mind starting I don't get, I admire his loyalty to players but it ssnt helping him he needs to bin the players who are getting to end of the careers and bring in younger players quicker and give them more game time in friendlies and competitive games against pot 6/5 teams. We have no succession planning with players We need a full time and quality defensive coach who should be working with our defender on a regular basis as that is going to kill us We need one world class quality player - but I cant see where that's coming from

We need to beat Malta and Lithuania home and away an I think we will. They aren't of the same quality as Italy or France I think England will beat everyone again including us home and away would love a draw with them as that's the best I think we can hope for but with our defence it would be a big ask The important issue is what we do against Slovenia and Slovakia

End of season friendly with nothing to play against a very good team at home with a lot to play for... struggling to believe myself but if I don't will cry I think

The good thing is Slovenia or Slovakia aren't as good as Italy or France Cant understand Greer selection we have to move on from him now. The pace missing from the team is worrying

Harper and Gauld still at a good age but the next couple of seasons are essential for their progression and im really concerned for both especially Gauld I don't know how much he will be progressing with a third season in the Portuguese second division - got him loaned out to a Spanish, Italian, Portuguese top division team where he will play regular first team football.

It really is time for the SFL to do something revolutionary to try and stop the rot in what becoming a stagnant league I really think it would benefit the national team (perhaps not some of the clubs but I care more about the national team) to have 16 clubs in there with Rangers, Hibs, Falkirk and St Mirren all capable enough of preforming in the league as well as a couple of other clubs

Snodgrass seemed to have a good game yesterday on the highlights of the game I think he will bring an exciting edge to the team for the next campaign Personally I think the English championship is a better and more testing league for our players to be playing in rather than the SPL and I hate saying that. I think there is better grounds, training grounds, managers, coaches, players and teams in the championship than the SPL. Only my personal opinion though.

I looked at the same when the last double head squad came out and it was Darren Flecther at the time. Its quite depressing that we have no players playing regular football in the top half of the premier league Im hoping Norwich stay up (Naismith, Martin and Dorrans) and promoted to PL Boro (Rhodes and I live there), Hull (McGregor, Robertson, Snodgrass), Brighton (Murphy). Had to choose one or Brighton or Burnley

Man of the match as well

Ive always been surprised strachen hasn't tested McCormack more in friendlies and lower opposition, when your scoring that many goals over a consistent basis in a decent league it is some achievement. Im guessing he doesn't fit into Strachens tactics of one up front he is a bgger guy and can hold it up but he defo gives us something different when we need to change tactics.

Excited about him being a big part of the next campaign I think we missed him last campaign massively. Its also good to see he's returned the same player often and understandable players out for that long don't come back the same player.

Opened this thread hoping and expecting to get some interesting and insightful comments on Andy Robertsons performance last night on Sky TV and you get bombarded with these arguments. Its interesting how quickly a good debatable topic can lose its course. Out of interest did anyone watch the game last night and how did he & McGregor and Snoddy do - I notice Maloney doesn't play much first team football for them. I know people think he's past it but would be nice if he was playing first team football incase Strachen does continue with him which I thin he will in certain games. I hope Hull get promoted due to their Scottish contingent

The point I was originally trying to make was I think the SFA would be well served by have a succession planning strategy in place where the best players between 21ish and 25 are developed through personalised coaching sessions by a dedicated coaching network, possible B games, experiencing the the first team squad in a competitive environment, getting them face time with world class players in there position etc. Prehaps a concentrated effort of the mentioned over a couple of year period would have developed the skill level that they currently have. As the example I gave was the right back position in three years we will be more than likely without Whittaker, Hutton and Bardsley and we should have had a plan of action in place 3 or 5 years ago by bringing the next generation through. I don't think this only goes for right back position I can see us being in a similar position with GK in 4 years I accept the names that I gave weren't international class but in the stark reality of the situation are probably the best we have. I like the thinking of turning a left back into right back position but how many games have Robertson, Tierney, Shinnie, Douglas, Wallace, Forsyth played at right back in their career? What the chances of their club side playing them at right back? It would be highly dangerous playing them in a totally unfamiliar position in a competitive game Perhaps as you asked me to do you could give us the names of the players you think who could be converted to right back from right midfield Easy to be dismissive of others ideas a little less difficult being constructive with your own ideas

The best right backs that are under 25 and over 21 we need a dedicated coaching network that is working on a consistent basis with these players who knows the players strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, personality and the best way to get the most out of them and improve their weaknesses. As said in the original post we have to work with the next age group that is coming through much more so we have contingency plans when players who have been in the squad reach retirement age. After they have passed the under 21 age level as its either they go into the squad or nothing happens. There should be B games, get them involved in the squads (as strachen has done with Gauld and a few others), dedicated coaching sessions etc Now you asked for names and a quick look through i'd suggest the players we should have been spending more time, resources and efforts on for RB a couple of years ago now would have been - Callum Paterson, Jack Grimmer, Liam Palmer, Donald Love, Ziggy Gordon, Jordan McGhee Not great but sadly that seems to be the best that we have and what we will be left with when Hutton, Whittaker and Bardsley are gone If you have any better suggestions would love to hear

your Portuguese must be pretty handy, but yes it isn't looking the best at the moment for him. He really does need a loan move for next season cant see sporting letting him go on a free and no willing to pay what sporting will want for him. A move to a Spanish or Italian top division team would be good. Notice on MOTD they were praising Darren Fletcher yesterday I think hes got a massive role to play in the upcoming campaign

Good draw and looking forward to it, the experience for them will be invaluable both for players and a youngish manager