borojock

Due to my age I only started getting seriously into football around '96 and concede I cant make a telling argument about today vs 90's team However a couple of genuine questions which I don't know the answers to Did the 90's team ever beat top teams I remember a friendly win in Germany in salmon pink shirt but don't recall many others apart from that glorious night in London '99 Do you think we have moved on much and progressed with the team management, team coaching and SFA structure since then? And against the competition was it a case that we qualified for 4 tournaments in the 90s due to being more consistent against the second and third seed teams and we perhaps struggle against these teams now as some have progressed at a rate which has outstrip us

Take McCoist away that's an impressive lack of goals from the rest of the team. If you were given the choice between that team and our first team now who would you go for? I think its a close one

I think the worry is not that they aren't good enough for celtic then they aren't good enough for Scotland. As at this very point in time all three of them have at least 8 years of international football ahead of them and do have the ability to develop into international players in the future. The worry is they wont be developing by sitting on the bench and not playing first team football which I think is a disaster for the national team, I appreciate Celtic have absolutely no responsibility for having to developing players for the national team. Someone at the SFA should be having these conversations with the player and their family when signing for teams (not just celtic) where the chances of playing first team football on a regular basis and developing their skills is limited

Please don't take the comments wrong way was more of the general rant rather than to the comments you made I agree with the two points that you make that the future has too belong to the best up and coming players but sadly I feel there's not many others than the ones you pointed out and you cant rely on them too much. Also on your other point that's its desperate times in certain positions as pointed out on the right back role. I mentioned the GK position in 4 years I worry who were going to be left with If I worked in the SFA I would be investing a lot more time, effort and resources into succession planning for players. It cant be a surprise to anyone that Hutton and Whittaker are getting older and performances will dip. We should have had a right back lined up 3 or 4 years ago who was a younger player and they should have been in and about the squad for years so they know coaches/managers/squad/training facility/experienced international matches, played x amount of friendlies, against the poorer nations like Gibraltar for example in competitive games. Then when that player comes into the squad full time we look for the next player who is 4 or 5 years younger than him. I would hire coaches who train, coach and develop the next age group as after under 21's too many players fall into a black hole and aren't developed into the next squad

Its all good and well saying you would impose international retirement on these players but in the reality of the situation who do you replace them with that could come in and do a better job or even just as good. As our national youth performances over the last few years have proven whats coming through in my humble opinion isn't as good and doesn't have much potential. I agree its not ideal having an aging team in anyway shape or form but its what you replace it with and the worrying thing is after you go past the top 2 or 3 players for each position what we have is less than mediocre and nowhere near International class. Give youth a chance - yes as long as it has some class or potential to become class which most of our youth doesn't have theres no point putting ids in there who aren't good enough and would get beat regularly So from the last two posts were getting rid of - Shaun Maloney, Scott Brown, Steven Fletcher, Alan Hutton and Steven Whittaker, Anya, Morrison, Bannan, Martin, Mulgrew, Berra Griffiths and Rhodes which consist of 3 of our 4 best centre backs (Martin, Berra, Mulgrew) - who are you replacing with Wilson, Cooper Arguably our two best right backs (hutton, whittaker) - who are you replacing with Caddis, Paterson Arguably three of our top striker (Griffiths, Rhodes, Fletcher) - who will replacing Watt, Cummings Agree that the future has to heavily include Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, Oliver Burke, Andy Robertson but other than Robertson theres not much experience of first team football. Stark reality beggers cant be choosers

hes still got time on his side could be in our national team for another 14 years but its a bit of a set back that hes not playing or even regularly involved in the first team. This perhaps says a even more so about our national youth set up at club and national level where the great hope of Scottish football cant get first team football at one of the second to third level club sides - little bit depressing

I wonder if he trains with the first team on a regular basis as playing for and only training with the B team in the long term cant be good for him and his development I imagine a loan move to a team in Spain / Portugal / Italy would be better for him, doesn't need to be a top team just a team playing in the top division where he will get game time

great news especially after the under 21's and 19;s failure to qualify in the last week or so, should be some great experience for the young lads lets hope in the next few years some decent players start to emerge

Agree on Iceland if the SFA had any sense they would be studying Iceland very closely and seeing whats been done to achieve their success as they have done better than us in two qualifying campaigns now so its no fluke also they have no superstars like us Also agree on the natural finishers is ideal for this game, Fletcher does have strengths to his game but a natural finisher he is not, that's why id go with two upfront who can put chances away and then flood the box with crosses and through balls. Weve failed and struggled too often with these poorer teams lets give it a go as we need three points and a convincing start to this campaign

I understand what your saying about the average age and theres two ways of thinking for the next campaign do we do what Iceland have done quite fantastically and get a small group of young players and give them a load of game time together and hope they develop a club like relationship and thrive or do we go with the best players that we have at the moment, granted some are getting on, and hope we can get second place, which with a bit of luck and the right tactics I think we can get.

Completely understand your point and agree on the risk of switching to a new untried system and yes didn't work against Gibraltar lthough I though that formation was wrong, but my worry is we really struggle against lower rank teams who pack the back line and when the onus is on us to attack and create were far too often left wanting and the 4 2 3 1 doesn't work when we need to attack

Your comment prompted me to have a quick look on wiki out of interest two most experience strikers 5ft 4 and 5ft 5 and of the 15 / 16 most experienced players only 3 at 6ft so could be a chance from attacking corners and free kicks and I wouldn't expect much danger from theres

After reading an article in the Record about their chosen starting 11 against Malta I though i'd would start a new thread on it My thinking is there not prolific in front of goal 5 goals in the last 13 games. In the last euro campaign group only scored three goals a pen against Bulgaria and two at home against Azerbaijan. So our defence shouldn't be troubled too much so could play around with it a bit and make as attacking as needed However they don't concede masses with 18 goals in their last 13 games so they let in about 1.5 goals a game so they aren't a Gibraltar in that aspect that combined with our past history of struggling to break down poorer team that pack the back. Last qualifying campaign Italy only beat them one nil both times and Croatia was one nil and two nil so no heavy defeats against them. So my thinking we need to attack them as much as possible So my formation would be 4 - 1 - 3 - 2 Goalie - McGregor, but could be any of the three in all real honesty. I just think he's always done well for us and never let us down RB - Hutton, not a huge fan of his and don't see him as long term but I don't see first game of qualifiers a time to experiment and I want someone who is going to be able to get up and down the pitch and offer an attacking threat. I don't expect us to be challenged much in defence which is what I see his weakness as so that shouldn't be exposed in this game LB - Robertson, gives us great energy up and down the pitch and a great attacking threat which is really important in this game to break them down and an awesome deliver of a cross which is what I would want as much as possible CB - Mulgrew, reason why his free kicks from an attacking position. Of the 4 CB choices in my opinion Mulgrew, Martin, Hanley and Berra im picking on who can give us the best attacking threat from freekicks and corners as I would expect any of those 4 should be able to contain Maltas attacking threats CG - Berra, reason why he's a threat in the box for attacking corners and free kicks DM - Fletcher, experience can sit in front of the back 4 comfortably when Malta attacks can slow there attacks to let others back. Also has the passing range to dictate the game and create attacks upfront. Brown runs forward with the ball to start attacks from my DM Im wanting someone who can spray a pass upfront. RAM - Snodgrass, great deliver of the ball can create things good attacking threat also useful with the freekicks and corners LAM - Ritchie, attacking threat was close with going for Anya but his pace isn't as important in this match as we hopefully we wont be doing much counter attacking and I want someone who can strike the ball well from outside of the box and causes a goal threat from a bit further and I think Ritchie is best at from our current group of attacking midfielders CAM - Morrison, hardest choice was tied between Morrison, Naismith, Bannan, Maloney, McLean, McGinn, Phillips, Gauld (bit out of box but think would suit his game this match) reason why with Morrison plays with Fletch can get back and play in the centre of midfield to help Fletch when Malta attack also has a good strike of the ball and this is a game we want as many shots on their goal as possible as surely there goalie isn't great and for me that is what we have struggled with poorer teams in the past eg Georgia last campaign and the 2008 one ST - Rhodes, if he gets the delivery can be deadly in front of goal he is very reliant on getting the delivery in the box and Malta with Lithuania are the two teams which I think would suit Rhodes strengths and game as these 4 games we should have the most crosses and passes into the box. I think he's more of a goal threat then Fletch / Martin / Watt ST - Griffiths, would be happy with McCormack both hard workers and venture and work outside of the box which Rhodes doesn't and both clinical and strong finishers and given the chance could get a goal Obviously i'd only play this formation against Malta wouldn't dream of it against England or Sovakia & this is based on today I appreciate injuries and loss of form may occur between now and Sept but let me know your thoughts I for one after the last two games is looking forward to the new campaign ahead and hoping we can get the second position slot in our group

I was reading we had the second shortest team in qualification after Spain. Now Spain have unbelievable quality to fall back on which we don't Im not suggesting we fill the team up with heavies and revert to pump it up front and hope for knock downs but I think it is important especially if your not blessed with world class players as were not to have a core of the team who are great athletes (speed, pace, power, strength) get that combined with a great formation, tactics, coaching and management then pepper with a couple of decent players we may get somewhere Look at Leicester that's pretty much what they have done for over a season now and its working out ok for them

Whatever it is it worries me that we have no backup plan for Hutton and Whittaker Its kind of the same with GK position in 3 to 4 years our three goalies (who are an excellent bunch) will be way over the hill and there doesn't seem to be much coming through that promise to be international class. Bain don't think will get to the level of the current 3 although I hope im wrong. The only possibility is the Liv goalie at Pompey at the moment, Fulton I think hes called

Scottish born player with Scottish father plays for Scotland? I notice he has never played for England at any youth level, is there any quotes or photos showing him to be an England fan? I for one am excited about the potential he offers especially for 18yo,,hes chosen us like it or not he's part of the squad hopefully for a long time to come best thing to do is support him now surely

Agree that Hutton and Whittaker aren't the answer but they appear to be the best of a bad bunch, Whittaker has barely made the Norwich bench when they have been going through a bad run in the last 3 months so for me until he played regular football and came into form id shy away from him Possible options Shift Russell Martin to right back (played a bit for Norwich there this season and done in the past) and play in CB a combination of Hanley / Berra / Mulgrew / Cooper (not sold on him myself) Or choose a right back between Caddis (height and pace problem possibly), Paterson (still a bit raw and untested but i'd welcome him the opportunity to be tried in a few friendlies good age and athletic), Bardsley (not paying first team football but if could get regular games and a run of form and sort it out with Strachan like him as an option sadly getting on a bit), Palmer (barely plays for Shef Wed so a no go for me), Love (really don't know why his names being mentioned 2 poor performances for Utd when they had literally no other option then him doesn't mean he should be in when on lone at Wigan 2 leagues down he didn't really cut it) then you got younger guys ike McGhee, O'Hara, Gordon etc Or hope we can unearth some English player with Scottish roots...cue debate on eligibility

I think McGinn had a good game in parts was controlling the game some good vital tackles only 21 and with fletch, brown and Morrison all on or near the wrong side of 30 I think its important to be blooding these players in Tierney did well especially for 18 years old shame we have some many decent lb's Watt - someone needs to get into his head or he'll waste his talents im not saying going to be world class but if he screwed his head on and trained right who knows how much better he could be. Do the SFA employee sport physiologists (not sure if spelt right) to work with these guys that don't seem to be at the mental stage as having the right mental strength is massively important. The days when you could turn up with some natural ability and get by a lot gone you need the physical and mental skills as well know as well as the right behaviour and team ethic Burke could be a dark horse for e in the years to come something says to me could turn out to be good for us - again sadly in an area where we have quite a few players Phillips I think could also be good turning out decent performances in the championship on a regular basis for a while now

I thought very useful exercise the last two games and a lot of positives to take from it even though only friendlies and they count for nothing and the result is of very little importance I still think its good to highlight and acknowledge the positives Two wins I don't think many teams achieved that over the last week Two clean sheets even fewer countries will have achieved this, this week... especially good as out defence is the weakest area of the team so a moral boost to them Some fresh blood integrated to international football Tierney (haven't seen much of him) but looks good and from speaking to Celtic friends they say a lot of potential there certainly not the finished article but you wouldn't and shouldn't be expecting that. McGinn looked very assured, Oliver Burke looked like the athletic footballer we need but don't have speed, pace, strength, height (not wanting to sound like under 21 manager but I think its important to have a certain amount of this in the team) Our competition for the next campaign didn't seem to do well Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania over the last couple of games A couple of worries also highlighted watching the game last night it felt like everytime the Danes attacked they got through especially in the second half an watching it at the back of my mind I was thinking if this was a competitive match we wouldn't have won one nil. Second half didn't fill me with my confidence with the defence The other thing that concerns me is we didn't look great attacking the link between the striker and the attacking 3 in a 4231 isn't quite right not enough support to the striker Also you really have to be playing competitive football week n week out as seen with whittaker and to a lesser degree Maloney

From watching the game last night its plain to see that we will struggle this next campaign due to the centre backs. I think it would be money wisely invested in recruiting a dedicated defence coach to work with the defence as a whole. The other important thing im my opinion would be too make sure we have the cover in front of the back 4 to help them out. If that's a weakness which it is we need to do all we can to reinforce infront to expose their weaknesses to a minimum. I like the list above but all it does is hightlight that there is very little quality coming through especially international class quality