bazmidd

Agree, very happy to see him back tonight. He just has so much quality on the ball, and for someone so young and just starting his career he impressively seems to make the right decisions in the final 3rd more often than not. He also has that little bit of a gallus streak in him which Scottish wingers of the past were famous for. Hope he can stay injury free now and get a good run in Celtics team. If he is fit and on form he would be a wildcard pick for me in the playoffs

They are all good players on their day tbh but unfortunately Forrests good days for Scotland are few and far between and Fraser and Christie give us a fine balance on both sides as inside forwards to allow Robertson and Palmer to go forward and provide our width. This seems to be how Clarke wants to play and Fraser definitely suits Robertsons game more on that side, he is also probably our most creative player, providing a good few assists for us in qualifying so Fraser and Christie for me either side of McGinn

That's a dear pair of socks mate... Lol

Okay but what is their defence like? Is Ajaer the best they have got? He is a good player but not a great player. Our Attackers are capable of causing them problems too. We should just go for the jugular against them... If it is them, and if we make it to the final... Lol one step at a time

You are all over the shop here mate. My question was in relation to what quality of Midfielders you are comparing them against? In my eyes the only level higher than EPL is Champions League, and I mean the top clubs in the Champions League who reach knockout stages regularly. Liverpool are the Champions League winners, Spurs runners up, Fleck and McGinn were outstanding against these clubs. These guys are quite clearly playing above average this season for their clubs. They are 3 of the best performing Midfielders in the league and competing and performing against the highest quality of Midfielders there is.

How high a quality of Midfielder are we talking here exactly? If you are talking the very highest as in the best the Champions League has to offer then no they re not of that quality just yet. They are the level below that though, they have the quality to compete with the best Midfielders in the game, as they are proving this season, and have proved certainly in McTominay’s case before.

Man Utd and Sheffield Utd are in the top half of the Premier League so you aren't even nearly correct there. Anyway it is completely irrelevant where their respective clubs are positioned. McGinn, Fleck and McTominay have all put in fantastic individual performances, of the highest quality, against some of the best teams there is in the Premier League. There is no denying that

Very high quality would be putting in quality performances at the highest level... So we have 3 Midfielders currently doing this in the EPL

I recall watching McTominay very much switched on defensively against PSG and Barcelona. The boy can do it all tbh and us the epitome of a born leader. Maybe Jack and McTominay could be the option over McGregor, I think McTominay if fit should be the first name in our Midfield though

Why Jack though? He doesn't play the holding role for Rangers. McTominay is a far better player

How good is McGregor do you think? I'm not a Celtic fan so can't comment on his performances week in week out. What I have seen though I think he is a good player, but can also do more. A year and a half ago he was absolutely brilliant from what I seen, but he seems to have stagnated a little of late. Against Kazakhstan I was sat watching and thinking what is McCregor actually bringing to the team, he was playing everything safe, little passes no real movement from him, no drive, he is capable of so much more. But then he almost grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck second half. He drove the team forward and looked to get the ball and create things. It reminded me of Barry Ferguson, and I think he is capable of taking responsibility and grabbing games by the scruff of the neck more often. Can he do it at the highest level though, celtic fans may know better than myself.

I am not completely buying how well the McGregor Jack combo worked in Midfield, they done OK, nothing more. Again the papers in Scotland seem to have bummed them up as the first choice pairing now after half decent performances against Cyprus and Kazakhstan. Even at that, on numerous occasions I watched them both almost play in the same spaces especially defensively. There were a good few times when Jack and McGregor were almost holding hands in Midfield, a good team would have exploited these gaps they left. I don't want to completely diss them as they did do ok, I just don't think they were that good that they are guaranteed starters for the next games, especially when we have better players that could come in

I'd agree our EPL Midfielders especially are proving themselves fantastic operator's at the highest level. It is just about finding the right balance in their for us and those 3 Fleck, McTominay and McGinn would give us the best balance and most quality in my opinion

At 28 though he is hitting his peak at exactly the right moment for us! We need players playing at the top of their game right now. We have younger guys who are are top talents but Fleck has that experience now as well as the talent. He is also a captain and leader at his club. A real fantastic player, now playing at the highest level I honestly don't know why more isn't being made of his performances this season. Right now I don't think Ryan Jack or Calum McGregor could put in a performance like the ones I have watched John Fleck put in against Liverpool and Man Utd. It was top drawer.

Why are the performances of John Fleck this season not being held in higher esteem by media and fans right now! The Scottish papers never stop stroking it for Ryan Jack or Calum McGregor, and by all accounts they have performed well in recent times, but John Fleck has been nothing short of outstanding in the Premier League this season. He typifies everything you could wish for in a Midfield player he is tenacious, can tackle, can press, can dictate the play can link the play, can go box to box or sit, his passing is spot on! He is playing brilliantly in one of, if not the best league in the world, but our papers still harp on about boys playing well against Livingston and St Mirren. Honestly cringey to read the Scottish media push certain players ahead of others, and even cringier to watch and listen to some fans jump on the bandwagon as if these guys are actually something because they play for the Old Firm. Until any of them move on and do what the likes of John Fleck is doing, week in week out they have proved nothing. John Fleck should be in the team, beside Scott McTominay and John McGinn. That is a class well balanced midfield that could take on the best in the EPL so without doubt should be our starting midfield until such times as others prove themselves at the same level.

It certainly does appear unbalanced! Cairney a decent player but well down the list at the minute. Our Midfield generally goes like this.. Attacking Number 10 position McGinn or Armstrong, Holding position McTominay or Jack, Deep Lying creative position McGregor, Fleck, McLean suppose Cairney could be added to the list of number 10s we already have but don't see him getting in ahead of the two in front of him although he is a slightly more creative type

So let me get this right.... If this group of players get us to a major finals, some people on here want us to then replace half of them with players who FAILED to get us to a major finals! It absolutely beggars belief! What have some of you rockets been taking!

Am I not right in saying Forrest hasn't registered a goal or an assist since the Nations League?

You are 100 percent showing bias towards ex celtic players especially. Putting Tierney in your team but omitting Fraser on the grounds he pulled out a squad.. Sorry that just completely contradicts things. It does seem like green tinted specs when it comes to Tierney. Tierney has to have the worst records in recent times for pulling out of squads although he has had a bad time of it with injuries. Btw I also do believe and understand Tierneys reasoning for pulling out, and if it means he'll make the play off by pulling out the last squad I'm happy with that but same goes for Fraser..

That sounds promising, I've always thought Souttar could be the best of the centre backs coming through but he seems to have stalled, in no small part due to injuries unfortunately. You mentioned Hickey there, how good is this boy?

Check it then and give us some facts before just posting things that you 'think are correct. I know for a fact Fraser has been more productive in a shorter spell with the national team. I also know for a fact he is performing and excelling at a far higher level. I also know for a fact he has also only made himself unavailable for one match on a plastic pitch in Kazakhstan the reasons for which he explained, he played against San Marino a few days later. He has only pulled out of one squad altogether for a competitive game, the most recent double header, through injury. Fraser isn't a sick note. This has only grown arms and legs because he refused to play on a plastic pitch in Kazakhstan. Whether you agree with that or not is irrelevant, it is one game. And doesn't take away from what he has contributed in other games he has played for us, which going by the stats is a lot for a poor team. Also if anyone is digging up anymore stats I would be very interested to know how many squads Fraser has been involved in but not even stripped, going back to Strachans time. He has had a raw deal at times when it comes to minutes on the pitch for us when he has been in squads. He is a quality player and especially during Strachan time he was far too slow to involve him in our team

That is surprising as Halkett seems to have been held up in very high regard by a lot on here that he is actually Hearts best defender. Do you think Souttar can cut it at a higher level then?

What exactly does Fraser have to clarify... He is injured end of. And really! You think Forrst has done more in a Scotland Jersey than Fraser ever has??.. Well here are the stats for both their career's in competitive action for Scotland.... Fraser - 8 games, 1 goal, 7 assists Forrest - 26 games, 5 goals, 2 assists Fraser made his debut in 2017 Forrset made his debut in 2011 Forrest didn't score his first goals until 2018 against Albania in the nations league Fraser has also been available for every competitive match he has been selected for bar Kazakhstan away and the recent double header

I personally just have the feeling that every one of our centre halves are currently the same standard apart from Cooper who appears to be slightly above McKenna and Gallagher as he is by all accounts the best performing centre back in the English Championship. As a player though Tierney is then another level above Cooper, and could probably slot in to centre half quite easily as he has proved before. I just get the feeling that although Gallagher and McKenna played ok against Cyprus and the Kazakhs we are now moving up another level again in the play offs and I'm not sure Gallagher and McKenna can step up another level.

What about Souttar? When is he back, and how good actually is he, or can he become? Any Jambos on here rate him...