theabsentee

Only positive was Tierney surviving the full 90 mins & playing well. So slow & predictable that performance. Our alleged big players, McGinn & McTominay where rubbish, Patterson dreadful but he did get a bit better 2nd half so I'll not give up on him just yet but please Hickey be fit! Dykes invisible, he is another who looks lacking in confidence , maybe he should shave his head again as at least that makes him look scary to opponents. If physically weak defenders Hendry & Cooper start together any game in Germany I seriously fear the very worst.

Couldn't agree more , can't believe Clarke can't see this 😡 We Billy trying his best but he is totally alone . Back 4 against decent forwards with a centre back pairing of Hendry & Cooper & we would get battered!

Yeh I agree on Porto, reckon he is a better man on man defender than Hendry but as Northern Irelands attack is lead by a guy that plays for Stevenage borough we shouldn't be tested too much. Hendry due to being good on the ball & can break forward to support Patto hopefully.

I'll go with this, Gunn Hendry Souttar Tierney Patto Gilmour Christie Robbo McGinn McTominay Shankland I know I'll get slated after Souttar's horror show in Amsterdam but he was thrown on in a position that was alien to him when the game was beginning to get stretched . This is a friendly after all so I do hope Clarke gives him another chance, not just for the players sake but because we are really thin on the ground for decent options at the back.

Totally agree with the Christie deeper switch, I'll be angry if Clarke doesn't try him in the position he is excelling in!

Fair enough but he has attributes that's why decent sized clubs seem interested. I rarely watch full matches at club level especially in England these days so I tend to form my judgement from fans forums. I just know what championship clubs fans from Bristol City(Conway) , Plymouth( Hardie) ,Sunderland(Stewart) said about the competition for Scotland squad places, let's just politely say they don't think their men are far off.

I regretted putting in the international class comment on my previous post as it's pretty irrelevant really, you play the best you've got thats the reality for all national teams. I just take issue that a couple of posters on here that think a 20 year old regular starter in the English championship is not going to be good enough for us.

I know what you're saying & I wouldn't be totally against a back 4 but ONLY if Tierney is injured or has to come off in a game but I'm only really agreeing due to the fact we all know the drop off in quality on the left of the 3 when Tierney isn't there is huge. A back 4 protected by 2 sitting players that are disciplined enough to know their roles, they would be Christie & Gilmour on current form, not McTominay as his natural instinct is to get forward & we need his threat in the final third. We can't rely on Tierney to be fit enough to play 90 minutes in any game nevermind the full Euros so I'm sure it's this major predicament that's giving Clarke sleepless nights far more than who starts upfront .

Lots of fans on the Bristol city forum say their manager is way too negative & that is why his performances have dropped. No chances = no goals right! Unless there's a change of manager or tactics they feel Conway will leave in the summer , if that happens we will see what standard of club wants to sign him then maybe we can judge what his potential ceiling is. One thing's for sure he doesn't need to be a international standard striker to play for us, just look at our current choices.

Good point .Unfortunately or fortunately as a Scotland fan early stage dementia may have kicked in as I barely recall that shocker against Ukraine. Reality is Cooper is bang average like all our natural central defenders . Personally wouldn't even have him in the squad as he isn't playing first team football for Leeds . KT has to be managed so had to come off with hindsight I reckon Scot1 probably posted the best solution, when KT went off we could have switched to a back 4.

Conway is closer to making the grade than King as he is playing regular first team football at a high level . I really don't know what your basing your negative opinion on him from🤔

I know he was rubbish when he came on, really looked uncomfortable on the left of a 3 but it's not his natural position. I was surprised Clarke brought him on for KT instead of Cooper who has played that role before

Really hope Christie plays deep which allows McTominay to get forward, apart from that the teams okay though would have much preferred Souttar over Hendry. Big opportunity for Shankland, can he play the loan striker role away from home against top opposition, let's see.

Ali McCann, he is still at Preston & a regular for them. Blair Spittal is a good player also, pleased he seems to have finally fulfilled his early career at Dundee United potential . Always thought it was strange such a talented player was playing in our championship.

Yeh your right there's nothing better than watching a young player develop into a Scotland player.

Can't see what relevance players performances against NL 3 years ago have. Cooper has been on the bench practically the whole season & that's where I expect him to be tomorrow night though I can see Clarke bringing him on for KT at some stage. Don't think KT has played close to a full 90 minutes since returning so we should be managing his minutes during these friendlies

Yeh he was excellent tonight. He looked the best of our back 3 & it makes you wonder when you see performances like this why he isn't out on loan , like all players his age he needs to be playing. King, Conway & Bowie who is a unit & really strong probably the pick for me closely followed by Barron who always makes himself available & uses the ball well.

Yeh they have really grown into the game. Wing backs Doig & Johnston have caused plenty problems but the front 2 of Conway & Bowie have terrorised the Kazaks.

Potentially great news, surely Carver wouldn't say it if he isn't close to a return.

🤣

He had a serious long term injury, he is being eased back very gently. They certainly wouldn't play him twice a week but you would like to think by the summer he is capable of that. Cooper has also barely played all season, We've younger centre backs who deserve to be in Germany, there's no way Cooper & Hanley should both make the final cut, Hanley just makes it, Cooper sadly not.

Yeh I hope so, that's what friendlies are supposed to be for . McGregor being injured is also a positive I reckon, it gives him a much needed rest & means surely Clarke will try playing Christie what's looking like his by far best position.

Seems a nothing incident that a scum journalist tried to make into something bigger. Best left alone unless we hear elsewhere from a reliable story. We should be a lot more worried about Nathan's lack of minutes on the pitch

Rangers lost but Souttar was excellent. I was waiting to see how he performed against better opposition than the SPL before being sure whether he should start in Germany, if fit I'd like to see Souttar & KT start either side of McKenna.

Agree, Cooper has barely played all season yet still makes the most predictable defence heavy squad that could be picked. Nothing to get excited about in this selection & when Clarke trims it to 23 there will be almost no players on the bench capable of changing the game when we are inevitably losing. Sorry but I think it's really telling how average we are when we can't persuade any of the potential qualifying players that could represent us to commit. I'm generally a glass half full person but I really fear for us if we lose any of our key players.