[The Scotland manager...]

20 minutes ago, romanticscot said:

We can argue the merits of the individual contributors all day and what level they are at, on paper Ryan Fraser is our best player, but what we need to be be is a good team. To help aid that, we need to have a decent manager who is used to being effective with a low sum of parts.  We need a good motivator and someone with tactical awareness and let me add .........with recent experience.

These in my opinion are the core requirements for our coach. Nationality or "plumbing" is irrelevant.

Agreed.

I would much rather the Scotland fans focus on how to break the SFA, though.

[The Scotland manager...]

Just now, SWMM82 said:

It’s not as black and white as the club you play for and what league you play in. 

To doubt McGregor’s technical ability is a bit unreasonable to be honest. For me, in this moment in time, McGregor is a better all round midfielder than McTominay. But at the same time, I would have McTominay in ahead of McGinn, who is a bit of a liability at international level.

On the same note, Forrest has shown in the past few seasons that he could play at the highest level, despite the fact he plays against so-called “diddies” every week. Just ask David Alaba........

It isn't and it is. In the case of Tierney, it clearly isn't, because he could definitely play at a higher level. As for the rest of our players, there's a reason no big team have put in bids.

Mmmmm… I'd say no to that one. McTominay is a better passer, a better tackler and his technique is superior. McGregor might beat him in terms of shooting, but I think that's about it. I'd say that McTominay has a better engine, too, as well as being much stronger.

I know. That's why I said "i'll give you Forrest", because he has shown signs that he's a good player. He wouldn't be out of my Scotland team. He could definitely hold his own in the EPL, the same as Fraser has.

Ask David Alaba? The Bundesliga isn't that bad. 

[POLL | Who do you WANT to be appointed the next Scotland manager?]

1 hour ago, bonny78 said:

 

Is it too much to ask for a Scottish person?

 

Yes, because it's worked so far...

I'm willing to embrace any manager who will improve us, whether he's Scottish, Dutch, French, Vulcan...

[McLeish The Dinosaur is Sacked!]

7 minutes ago, wee-toon-red said:

I've seen plenty of posts referring to him as a cunt, and arsehole or whatever

That's the sign of the times and it just shows the burgeoning intellect of society.

Personally, I've been called every name under the sun in this place, but I see it as a hand handed compliment. That's what they should teach kids who are the victim of bullying, cyber or otherwise. If it saved even one kid from suicide then the advice would've been worth it.

[The Scotland manager...]

2 minutes ago, Tartan_McCole said:

You know Forrest is literally playing against the exact same players, right?

Just seen you put McGregor in the same bracket as McDonald and Shinnie. Not much point in trying to debate with someone who thinks like that.

I gave him Forrest, I didn't put Forrest in my list, nor would I.

[The Scotland manager...]

19 minutes ago, stevenmcn said:

Here's an idea, why not have a decent manager, improve results and try to get rid of the SFA board at the same time. These people probably can't be sacked and they're not going to throw their gravy train away, so I don't think just "being crap" is going to work. 

Fletcher might have been verging on world class with Man U but very rarely showed it in a Scotland shirt IMO.

I'd take that. I'd take anything as long as the SFA are taken down.

It's that ridiculous, though? Here's a bunch of people who aren't doing their jobs properly, who are imcompetent, so much so that they appoint an obviously frail man to be Scotland boss, and yet they cannot be fired. It's absolutely ridiculous and could only happen in Scotland!

If people don't like a government they overthrow them. The SFA should be physically taken out of office.

I'd say that he could only do what he did. The players around him weren't of the same standard. Put Rakitic in our team and he wouldn't be able to do very much.

18 minutes ago, tartanmartin said:

Can you put names to who you would keep? And name some folk you'd like to replace the ones you're sacking? And also a way that we get this board in place rather than the existing process.

For example I don't think the Chief Executive has had a long enough time in role yet and would keep him just now. But if he was to walk then I'd like Leanne Dempster in.

I wouldn't keep any of them. I would literally get rid of them all and begin again. I would clear them out root and branch. Who would I bring in? Well, that's putting the cart before the horse. There are levels to the SFA, and any company, so I'd bring in a head-hunter to employ the best people for the job. The current lot were probably employed because of who they know, not what they know.

I'd like Dempster and Budge brought in. The business part of the SFA is a discussion for another time, though. I'd bring in Dalglish, Souness, Hansen, SAF, Fabio Capello, anyone and everyone who knows football and has a progress blueprint of how we can get out of this hole that they're stuck in.

The whole structure of Scottish football is broken. Have you been to a division one match lately (I refuse to say Championship)? Yeah, don't! Unless you want your neck in a brace for the next few days. The skill, the technique, the intelligence in the SPL is bad, but in lower leagues it's just laughable.

I have many ideas of how to improve Scottish football, just a shame the SFA is a dictatorship ruled by football Nazis who are immune from being fired.

 

[The Scotland manager...]

1 minute ago, tartanmartin said:

I want change at board level as well Chripper.

Out of interest can you tell me who you'd remove on the board and your suggestions for replacement? Also can you tell me how this board should be elected?

Who would I remove? An easier question would be "who would I keep?"

A football association should have at least a handful of football people on the board, so I'm saying that there should be a smattering of football experts on the SFA board. We have ex pros who know what they're doing and have an idea or two, or better yet, go abroad and employ progressive football people that would shake up the entire framework of Scottish football.

And for starters, I would tell Petrie that he has no place at the helm of the SFA. He's not a football person, he's never been a football person, he's an accountant. He might know figures but he doesn't know a shred about football.

[Best Scotland manager ever]

3 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:

I must admit that would probably have been my choice as well though he undoubtedly had better players than we have now. The only thing that I would be critical about was he didn't seem to bring enough youngsters through towards the end of his time although no doubt he would say there were not quality youngsters to bring through.

Yeah, I'd say that, too. The zenith of our youngsters at the time was March Burchill and...errrr…..

Lots of people say about Brown, a tad unfairly. He gave Ferguson his debut at 20. 

[The Scotland manager...]

1 minute ago, bazmidd said:

Very unfair on Calum McGregor who has produced Man of the Match performances and big goals in Europe for Celtic.

Against who? Personally I don't rate him. Southampton bought Armstrong for around £8m, he's around the same quality as McGregor, and Armstrong is warming the bench.

Don't believe the hype, we only have one top central midfielder. The rest are English Championship/Bottom of the EPL standard.

[Best Scotland manager ever]

3 minutes ago, Auchinyell Sox Change said:

He was certainly a rock when gazza left him on his arse at wembley ; ditto Scholes at hampden

durie for me was a better forward at international level ; at least he could hold on to the ball

I think it's unfair to judge him in a couple of matches.

That's like me citing the match against Brazil in 98 when he was superb.

To be honest, I'd take either striker from that era over the current crop.

[The Scotland manager...]

3 minutes ago, bigfingers said:

Disagree. Shinnie and Macdonald are a level below.

It's all about small increments. 

All the central midfielders, apart from McTominay, are pretty much around about the same standard. 

[Best Scotland manager ever]

Just now, Auchinyell Sox Change said:

Hendry and McCoist were average for Scotland

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree with that one.

Hendry was a rock for Scotland and as for McCoist, I don't think we'll ever have enough 19 goal striker.

[The Scotland manager...]

2 minutes ago, bigfingers said:

Israel beat Austria 4-2 not so long ago. Maybe they aren't so bad.

Christie and Mcgregor both performed against bundesliga opposition. I'm not saying they are world beaters but they have decent quality. I would rather have these players than not have them.

Austria aren't all that good, either.

Christie, McGregor, Fletch, McDonald, Shinnie, etc. You could throw a blanket over them in terms of quality. There's much of a muchness.

[POLL | Who do you WANT to be appointed the next Scotland manager?]

8 minutes ago, Squirrelhumper said:

Gemmell in to 2/5 with Paddy Power.

Took him at 4s this morning. He's about 5/4 best available now

Off topic, but do people still understand the fraction system in betting?

Decimal makes much more sense to me.

[The Scotland manager...]

1 minute ago, bigfingers said:

Christie looked good in the nations league.

Against Albania and Israel, though.

[The Scotland manager...]

1 minute ago, tartanmartin said:

A decent centre back of two and a finisher up front and we'd be looking upwards with the other players mentioned above.

McKenna/Souttar/Griffiths may be the short term answers. A good manager could get that group going places.

Can't disagree with that.

 

1 minute ago, stevenmcn said:

Yeah, fuck being good or even decent, we want to be pish. In fact get McLeish on the phone, tell him we've changed out mind. And get him to give Lebrun the assistant post. 

I get your point, but that has to be one of the most fucking mental posts I've ever read on this board, and that's saying something. The bit about Fletcher and Mcfadden included.

I want us to be crap. I'm 100% serious with this one. I want the SFA out, and if that means we get worse, then I suppose I'd take it. Wouldn't you?

Fletcher was verging towards world class, I think we all saw this, even United fans who hated him to begin with. 

[Best Scotland manager ever]

9 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:

who was the greatest ever manager of the national side given the resources at their disposal?

Craig Brown. He got us two one world cup and one European championships (almost two if we didn't lose in the play-off to England)

He had Leighton, Colin Hendry, Lambert, Collins and McAllister, McCoist in his time. The rest of his players were average.

[The Scotland manager...]

6 minutes ago, bigfingers said:

We have Tierney, Robertson, Fraser, Mctominay, Mcgregor, Christie, Forrest, Mcginn.

Not all of them play well for Scotland but they certainly play well for their clubs. A good manager can change this.

To say we don't have the players doesn't cut it with me.

I'll give you Forrest, but the other three are awful.

Christie and McGregor have only looked good against free transfers in the SPL. And for McGinn, he's the McEnergizer Bunny, nothing more.

[The Scotland manager...]

1 minute ago, Tartan blood said:

I wholeheartedly agree there needs to be a massive overhaul of the entire system. I think most of us agree with that. 

Whether it was chance or design, I think we are overdue a bit of luck when it comes to players. Wales seem to replace 1 World Class player for another every generation. We deserve someone to idolise. Someone to drag a good group of players up a level. Now we (potentially) have a few. Let's get the right manager in to utilise them properly, whilst reparations are made in the background to fix the long term damage.

 

Wales have been extremely lucky to get players like Bale and then Ramsey. But we've have had McFadden and Fletcher in that time. If someone wants to rip me for saying that McFadde was comparable to Bale, please feel free. McFadden pulled out trees for us and produced magic and he scored against teams like Holland, Spain, France. Hardly minnows. And yes, I'd say that Fletcher was better than Ramsey.

I may be alone in this one, but I want things to get worse. I want us to plummet in the rankings and things to be so bad that there has to be change.

[POLL | Who do you WANT to be appointed the next Scotland manager?]

1 minute ago, Orraloon said:

Is that because you are on the list?

I should be on the list.

[The Scotland manager...]

2 minutes ago, Tartan blood said:

That's 4 high class football players, all potentially playing at the very top level within the next year or 2. There are many countries flourishing that would kill to have players thriving at Man Utd and Liverpool.

We actually do have a good pool of players. What we've missed is 1 or 2 top class players, which it looks like we may actually have now. What we need now is a manager that commands respect and can get everyone to show up.

I'm certainly not defending McLeish, but he only had half the first team squad to work with most games. That is probably a reflection of him more than anything.

Let's be honest, though, we've produced those four out of a combination of luck and personal stubbornness and professions: Robertson was rejected by Celtic, if it was up to Celtic and he was weak willed then he'd still be packing the shelves at Marks and Spencer's. McTominay is a product of Man United's academy, Tierney and Fraser were produced because out of sheer luck rather than design.

I don't care about the here and now, all I care about is a long term solution.

[McLeish The Dinosaur is Sacked!]

12 minutes ago, ElChris04 said:

I’m actually 19, and I have no idea why my age needs to be brought up given if said what most are saying? If I’m not allowed to criticise a manager on his performances for out national team then football has gone mad. The Dinosaur term is used due his lack of any tactics and making questionable decisions in game. Do not think for one minute I was insulting him on his health or outside of football. My uncle has met Mcleish many years ago and said he was class act. But my criticism is on his 12 games he managed and in the process put us at rock bottom. Nothing more and nothing less. 

I don't see anything at all wrong with your post.

As long as you have the same opinion about the SFA. 

[POLL | Who do you WANT to be appointed the next Scotland manager?]

I've abstained.

[The Scotland manager...]

2 minutes ago, Squirrelhumper said:

It's not the main issue but McLeish was a gibbling mess and should have been nowhere near the job

Agreed.

It's about time we all agreed that the SFA just don't care about the fans, about the national team and they don't care if things are gloomy or sunny.

I wanted McLeish to go, but I want the SFA to go 100% more.

[The Scotland manager...]

1 minute ago, runningtings said:

I coach in grassroots football, all this talk of basic skills is pish. We have as much talent coming through as ever, I would probably say more.

The problems are when it gets serious and boys are vying for contracts and getting rejected by clubs because they are too wee or slow at sprinting.

We have the players coming through, we just need a manager who can gel them into a team.

Valid point. 

Robertson was rejected by Celtic because he was too small.

Our kids don't have the skill-set which is why their careers always stall when they reach 18/19. Kids abroad have the fundamentals drilled into them from an early age, which is why as adults they can fall back of those skills. Just look at our professionals, under any kind of duress they lump the ball as far as they can. If they were trained properly as kids their football/muscle memory would kick in and they'd deal with the situation whilst keeping the ball in the process.