bazmidd
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Posts posted by bazmidd
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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
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3 hours ago, Banna84 said:
Nah totally disagree tbh. We have got good footballers in midfield what’s the point if we can’t find them with a pass. I hate watching us be negative!
if we play long ball, who’s gonna hold it up, none of our strikers have any stature.
plus Tierney in a back 4 is a no go, who’s winning headers?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
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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
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19 minutes ago, andyD said:
The Cyprus goal (that stood) came from a complete lack of defensive organisation. We had enough men back and they were decently positioned prior to the free kick being taken. As soon as it was taken tho we ran around like headless chickens and didn't mark anyone.
In previous games Clarke's been very stringent with his man marking system at set pieces. Here it seems that was out the window and we just put men back and hoped for the best with no organisation.
I look thru that defensive line and there's no proper organiser, to make up for the lack of direction from the manager. Normally I think Mulgrew would be directing things, but with him out and a back line with barely 20 caps between them, there's no one to actually organise.
Naismith was back, but didn't do it. McGregor was back and didn't do it. Marshall has the best view of anyone and didn't do it either. Having no one in 10 yards of the guy as the ball drops to him in the penalty area is simply embarrassing.
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
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On 11/17/2019 at 8:13 PM, vanderark14 said:
Last week He was talking about january suitors and his transfer request, that tells me he has plenty of belief.
Sounded more hopeful he'd get a move tbh. He better hope no one was watching that performance against Cyprus either
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2 minutes ago, Rscot said:
As a defensive midfielder, I don’t know he’s never played there, but I think he maybe able to. He’s mobile enough, probably decent enough on the ball to do the basics ok, which is all I’d expect. But he is very aggressive, good in the tackle, strong, threat at set pieces. As a centre half he is decent, in a back 4 we probably have better, but in a back 3 he’s good in the middle, he is a leader / organiser.
Is he better than Souttar?
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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
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3 minutes ago, Rscot said:
You don’t know until you try. But I’ll tell you one thing, you won’t have opposition midfielders strolling through 3 and 4 challenges from our midfielders as happened yesterday.
Never seen Halkett play is he any good then?
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4 minutes ago, gonzohiggy said:
Agree with that.
Only issue is we probably need the defensive guy way more often that what we would ideally want. Would be less of an issue if our defence was better
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
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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
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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
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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?
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6 hours ago, ProudScot said:
It’s absolute madness guys like Billy Stark & Peter Houston are in key youth coaching positions.
Craig Levein will be next.
It’d be like England appointing Neil Warnock to coach their under 17s now he’s available.
He’s probably on the SFA radar actually...
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
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7 hours ago, ProudScot said:
Nobody thinks they will change fortunes.
The point being made is that the best of them may as well be integrated in place of dead wood and guys 10 years older than them who will never contribute anything to the national set up.
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
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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
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6 minutes ago, The_Dark_Knight said:
Age doesn't automatically bring experience. Besides, there are degrees of experience. Cooper, for one, hasn't played in England's top league. What is he? 29? McTominay is only 22 and i'd say that he's more experienced than Cooper, etc.
They did not let anyone down?! So, losing 3:0 to Kazakhstan didn't let us down? Only beating San Marino and Cyprus in a 6 team group isnt letting anyone down?
I'd say that, not only have they let us down, they've also embarrassed us. I mean, beating Cyprus by means of a last minute goal... It's not exactly something that makes us proud.
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.
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2 minutes ago, The_Dark_Knight said:
Players like Naismith's generation have had their chances. They've failed. So for the playoffs i'd promote the likes of Johnston, Hornby, Gilmour, Porteous, Campbell, maybe even one or two from the u19s.
If these players shrink at playing at such a stage then they shouldn't be footballers, don't use age as a barometer. Age is inconsequential.
If nothing else, the playoffs will show who has the mettle. If we get to final we'll play Norway. In my opinion, Norway will qualify for Euro 2020. So either way we'll lose.
I'd rather experiment, and lose, with kids than go with the players who have failed in the Euro qualification, and lose.
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
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7 minutes ago, ProudScot said:
Blatantly on the right track?
We’d consistently not qualified from easy groups.
We are on an even worse track now though yes admittedly.And as for Clarke picking up the pieces!? Things are worse than ever, maybe the worst they’ve ever been.
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.
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1 minute ago, The_Dark_Knight said:
I was going to say that we should get the brush out and clear out the deadwood... But if we did that I'm not sure who we would be left with.
As for Naismith, with his charity work he's one of the good guys, so i dont have a bone to pick with him. When's the last time he played for Hearts? I honest haven't given him a second thought as far as Scotland goes. It's time we thought of Hornby or someone from the youth teams.
We have to build for the future. A young kid playing these matches, and the playoff matches would be ideal.
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
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4 minutes ago, The_Dark_Knight said:
Agreed.
Naismith is a total backward step.
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
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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
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55 minutes ago, ElChris04 said:
I’d drop mcgregor, put Mcginn in his position and put Christie in CAM role. That what we have our 2 best attacking players and workhorses in the team. As a Celtic supporter I can assure you like you said McGregor definitely hasn’t been the same player this season and needs a good rest to get back to his best. He’s not someone we should rely on right now. Christie for me is a mainstay in from right now. Our best attacking player currently on form.
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
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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.
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39 minutes ago, Farcity said:
Seriously, can nobody else see this?
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
Your Ideal Team For The Playoffs?
in TA specific
Posted
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