bazmidd

Talk about contradiction regarding Fraser... At least he does make himself available when fit, McGregor bailed out just days before the qualifiers started and you want to just welcome him back with open arms over Marshall who has done nothing wrong and always turned up, much like Forrest when called upon. Pot kettle black I think here. Also... Forrest isn't at the same level as Fraser.... Fraser is one of the best Attackers in the EPL Forrest is in the SPFL

Was actually just about to start a similar thread. Just before the Nations League started there was a lot of talk about how many promising centre backs we had coming through. The likes of Souttar, McKenna, Hendry, Bates, Lindsay even Porteous and McCrorie. Now for one reason or another be it injuries or form most of these guys progression seems to have stalled of late. I am seriously not sure who our best centre halves are, I honestly don't have a clue. It is worrying that not even one of these guys has progressed to where we thought they would be right now none of them have managed to become the man at centre half yet. What one do we reckon will eventually become the number 1 choice centre half

If a defender or any player can't make a 5 yard pass from defence into Midfield they shouldn't be playing football. I'm not sure what you are wanting here? You want us to play through Midfield but want our centre halves to spread the passes? Just ask the centre halves to give the ball to the Midfield you don't have to be Beckenbauer to do that! And we certainly don't have a Beckenbauer to call on so let the defence do what they are good at. We literally don't have anyone in defence capable of playing the way you see Man City play on the telly. Apart from maybe Tierney... But you don't want him in there either even though he was excellent there against Holland in a friendly. If he has Gallagher or McKenna beside him they can deal with most things in the air and let Tierney sweep up behind them. Tierney reads the play brilliantly, a great tackler, can bring the ball out from the back and has pace... A defence with pace allows our team to push higher up the pitch which allows our best players to press the play like they prefer to do at their clubs

We just need Defenders that can defend first and foremost and Mulgrew has been the worst culprit of not doing the basics right over the last year or so. Gallagher has near enough played himself into the team for the play offs just by looking better and more composed than a very shaky McKenna, although he did improve last night. I would personally go with Tierney and one of McKenna and Gallagher at the Centre half. Marshall Palmer Gallagher Tierney Robertson McTominay McGregor Christie McGinn Forrest Naismith

Mulgrew is also piss poor at organising a defence or commanding his area and opponent at set plays as he has proved on numerous occasions recently. I agree though McKenna just isn't the man to organise us yet either he seems to lack character and a voice on the pitch full stop. I was hopeful Liam Cooper, captain of Leeds could come in and help out with this but unfortunately not available

Sounded more hopeful he'd get a move tbh. He better hope no one was watching that performance against Cyprus either

Is he better than Souttar?

Declan Gallagher.. Aside from the moment he had his arms wrapped round the Cyprus centre forward inside the box which usually is a penalty in internationals, I felt more comfortable watching him at centre half than I have anyone else in the last year or so. He seems to deal well with any balls in the box, even dealt quite well with the ball in for their goal, was a very awkward position but managed to get his head on it, just unlucky it landed right in a Cypriot foot and even u luckier he scored a worldy. He definitely looked more assured than McKenna did who looked shaky at times. To me McKenna doesn't seem to believe in himself yet. He has even been quoted as such before almost as if he's pinching himself he's somehow made it this far. He has the natural qualities to be a good centre half but needs the belief

Never seen Halkett play is he any good then?

I personally think Tierney will improve our defence massively if played in Central defence. I also think it would completely help to change our style as he is not only a quality defender but great on the ball and has pace. Pace let's us play a higher pressing game which suits our players from midfield onwards who all like to press the play at their clubs. Unfortunately they can't do this as much as thyy would like because of the bang average Central defence they have to constantly worry about protecting. Tierney was quality against Holland in Central defence and ayed a few games there for Celtic in the cup, remember him scoring a screamer as well against Killie I think bringing the ball out from the back. Someone like Gallagher beside him who just does the basics right and wins headers would compliment him well

This will all be solved when McCrorie makes the right back slot his own and Tierney moves into central defence before before McKenna makes a hash of something

Ross McCrorie is the obvious one long term, but the Defensive Midfielder is only really needed against better sides. No way should we be sacrificing McGregor or McTominay if both are fit against any sides seeded or ranked below us. These two compliment each other well and long term could be a very good Midfield partnership. Against better sides fine add a bit of steel with someone like McCrorie depending how he develops or a central defender in the way we used to utilise Gary Caldwell but not against sides the calibre of Cyprus

Deary me, Tierney was born on the Isle of Man and cant be arsed turning up and folk on here still pray for his return just because Palmer was born in England! Did Palmer not actually get more youth caps than Tierney anyway?

This is very true. Why are guys like Maloney, Kennedy even Ian Cathro at youth level not involved, these guys are all excellent young coaches at the top level and we have guys that have been punted from Falkirk and East Kilbride! The youth teams are as, if not more important than the first team, if the standard of coaching goes up, the standard of player goes up. If we start qualifying for youth tournaments on a regular basis that would naturally transcend into the seniors once those boys get older. I am seriously disappointed in Gemmil last night, as he continually talks about developing players for the national side as being the most important thing. Well his tactics and team selection, at home, yet again have not allowed our players to express themselves and attack. The only development his tactics allowed were to brace the boys for years of a similar crap set up in the seniors for years to come. The 17s and 19s don't play that way, Gemmil changed it to get a result that's not how it should be at youth level. Keep the style of the 17s and 19s all the way to 21s and beyond and bring in the best up and coming coaches we have to implement it or we'll never progress as a nation

No... That was exactly my point is that they should be integrated to compliment what we have. You need good senior pros in the squad to set standards, the likes of Naismith have been called deadwood many times on here but he is actually essential at helping these younger players come through into the squad. Some on here want everyone chucked out the squad over 26 and some of these inexperienced lads thrown straight in. Which is exactly what McLeish done to Strachan final squad and completely ruined a side that was heading in the right direction

Aye let's just throw all these lads into the first team.... Can't believe people genuinely think doing this will magically change our fortunes. I am not panning these young lads but they are not ready and this game proved it

Jesus wept you only see what you want to see don't you. We weren't talking about the team that played Kazakhstan were we, or at least I certainly wasn't. I was talking about Strachans team and the senior pros in that team and the point that I was making was that team and system should not have been completely ripped apart and replaced by the team we currently have it should have been a gradual change and the senior pros we had in Strachans squad were integral to the development of the players we have in our squad now but they were discarded by McLeish. As usual I think you have completely missed the point of everything I have said to suit your own blinkered views.

Age is inconsequential? Is experience inconsequential? Experience is vitally important. A team is only as good as its senior pros. The way they, train, the way they behave, the commitment, the mentality. They set the standards. Ok you say they failed, ultimately they didn't qualify, but they also did not let anyone down or fall below the level at which they were ranked. They did not go below what was expected. They always finished where they were expected to finish as 3rd or 4th seeds. Sometimes a sense of realism is needed here. We have no divine right to finish above a team ranked higher than us because we qualified for tournaments 20 years ago. We are where we are, we have the players that we have and at times whilst they have let themselves down there have been other times where they have exceeded expectations. That team Strachan had for the level of player we had and where we were ranked as a team were very very close to achieving something. And that was down to the spirit and togetherness Strachan forged and the system and style of play he put in place. The baton had to be carried forward with the introduction of newer talented players who could enter the national team and compliment the senior pros we had. Not completely rip it up and start again because that is why we are where we are now

What exactly constituted an easy group? Since when was any group we have found ourselves in recently been easy when we are consistently 3rd or 4th seeds! How can that group possibly be easy to qualify from when you are seeded below two teams than you before a ball is kicked. Why do we still have the belief that we are somehow superior to certain other sides when we are not. Strachan beyond doubt had us playing well in his final year in charge, he found a system and we were close. Most of the teams we played, we ran them close, we gave them a right good game even though we were ranked below them. You can't deny that. He did ultimately fail, which is why, myself included, believed he should let someone else take the rains, but McLeish undeniably ripened the whole thing to shreds! We had just went a year unbeaten, we just missed out in a group against 3 good sides. We were looking at how we could make the small improvements to make the final step and McLeish came in and threw it all in the bin. No wonder players didn't want to play for him. Senior Pros who had just went a year unbeaten, gave everything in those games, came so close again just discarded and disrespected without thought. And then we ask this new group of players to come in, who have zero experience at international level and expect them to not only match what those senior pros did but better it all on their own. The mistake was made when we passed the baton on to the wrong man.

Ideal for who? Hornby? How would it be ideal for Fraser Hornbys development to be thrust into the senior side as our number 9 after only a handful of senior appearances! How is that pressure at such a young age in let's face it such a toxic environment that the national team finds itself in at this moment and time ideal for Fraser Hornby. Right fine he's talented, bring him in to the squad, integrate him, but there has to be senior pros in there for him to learn from. Players like Steven Naismith have been there and done it, are top professionals, played for big clubs in the EPL. They have handled pressure. They are players the likes of Hornby can learn from, they are the players that can take the pressure away from the younger players which allows them the freedom to develop and freedom to play their own game. Our young players don't need thrust in there as some sort of great hope of the nation after only a few senior games. Getting rid of Strachan which led to in one way or another the loss of Brown, McArthur, McGregor, Morrison, Snodgrass, D. Fletcher, S. Fletcher has been a disaster for us. We needed someone to come in and keep that squad together whilst also integrating our younger players, McLeish failed at this spectacularly. Then was the exact time to integrate our younger players with guidance from those senior pros, now we would be doing nothing but throwing the lambs to the wolves

He isn't a backwards step, he is very much needed in the squad. The massive backwards step came when McLeish came in and ripped apart a team and system which was so blatantly on the right track. The experience in that squad should have been complimented by the new talented players in this squad not thrown in the bin. The massive shift in personnel and change in system from McLeish at the start of his reign is what caused a steady ship to rock and ultimately sink. Only now is Clarke picking up those pieces and unfortunately there is only a few guys such as Naismith left to help him out

When everyone is fit this will be our best team and system.... Marshall Tierney Cooper McKenna Robertson McTominay McGregor Forrest McGinn Fraser Griffiths ....By quite a distance Its funny because this is near enough the team and system that finished so strongly in Strachans final year in charge but has actually improved and had an upgrade in certain areas. Tierney and Robertson are both outstanding full backs. McGinn, McTominay and Fraser have all come through since then and developed into top quality EPL players to replace Brown, Morrison and Snodgrass. Cooper and McKenna are as good a partnership as the Berra Mulgrew partnership and potentially a lot better than them especially McKenna. The wingers are good and if Griffiths can get back for March then we have a right strong team again

Hmm well going by that regarding McGregor I would probably give him a rest right now and put Fleck in beside Jack. McGinn must play further forward for me, but I would also play Christie now you have twisted my arm on that up beside McBurnie as he probably deserves his place

Liam Cooper is missing and Kieran Tierney is missing for right back. If Tierney isn't available to play right back we just shouldn't play with a right back and play a 3 because the other two are absolute murder.

I know the guys clearly on the wind up here, my comment was more to do with the continued unfair criticism of Olly Burke playing as a striker. I mean if we are really talking about proper target men getting a chance I'm still of the opinion Craig Brewster could do a fine job up top, he's probably near enough 50 now but looks aboot 30 n f*uckin gorgeous! Daddy Brew and The Craw are a partnership that would have taken the international stage by storm