Chripper

And as masochistic as it sounds, I DON'T want our results to improve. I want things to get so bad and so embarrassing that change would HAVE to come in. Would us being 100 in the rankings make people stand up and demand change? Maybe not, but nearer 200 and it would.

We have Fraser, Robertson, Tierney and McTominay. The rest aren't decent. The rest are the definition of mediocrity. It would actually help if people read this part: "Fine, Okay, a good manager will organize us, they will make us more into a working unit and we may even play better and achieve better results, but the increments would be small. Our ultimate improvements would be determined by our pool of very limited footballers. "

Long term? Explain.

Of course it's what it's all about, but I'm thinking long term. What will that ultimately achieve long term? I'm talking about 10, 20 years. We have no talented kids, we have none coming through, most of our current professionals aren't fit the lace the boots of the great Scotland players. What's needed is a massive overhaul and change. I read an article where David Bates said that the training in Germany is so different to training in Scotland as they train with the ball more (who knew that training with a BALL would make footballers better?) and all they do in Scotland is cardio work. He also said that Bundesliga 2 is better than the SPL... not surprising. Really? Iceland? You really want to put them in the mix? Research how many facilities they have in their country. They have much more than we do and yet they're a population of just over 300k.

It's the coaching from a grassroots level that's the problem. Youngsters from other nations are more advanced than ours because they've mastered the basics before they were 10 years old. Our pros even struggle with the basics.

Is NOT the issue! We could have Pochettino, Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp, etc. Does anyone honestly think that things would improve? Fine, Okay, a good manager will organize us, they will make us more into a working unit and we may even play better and achieve better results, but the increments would be small. Our ultimate improvements would be determined by our pool of very limited footballers. Chopping and changing managers isn't the answer. The answer is forcing the SFA to make major and radical change to Scottish football. If they're willing to do this then they should step aside for people who will. How can we do this? Boycotting matches. Not buying tickets. Not buying official merchandise. If people did attend matches it would be great to hear a MASSIVE chorus of "sack the board", etc. Banners, etc. Picketing Hampden demanding change. Anything that we can do get those people out of their cushy jobs where they're doing nothing. This might sound like all white noise that the SFA would ignore, but if the media picked up on it and there was that much discontent then I firmly believe that change would happen. Soon Rod Petrie will be the new SFA president. This isn't a football man, what credentials does he have to adjudicate over Scottish footballing matters? The guy is a qualified chartered accountant. Which makes sense, as all the SFA do is collect our money. People celebrating the ousting of Alex McLeish should take a beat to look at the big picture. The foreground is changing, but the background isn't, and It won't if we stand up for change. I'm certainly not celebrating.

And there's that. Yes, the vast majority of teams with good center backs do. Do you think I want use to play with three center backs because I think it's a good formation? I do, but it's not the only reason. I'd explain, but all you gots to do is read my historical posts, as I've already explained it. In short, we have bad central defenders, therefore, cramping and condensing the middle of defence is key to damage limitation.

Hopefully Clarke either stays with Kilmarnock or he joins Fulham. No manager will be able to drastically change Scotland. Yes, a good manager will improve us slightly, but I'm sick and tired of hearing about the short term. The only thing we should be focusing on is the SFA. If we manage to oust those fat cats at the SFA we'll then be able to see change, or at least, there'll be potential for change. Whilst the same faces are picking up the wages we'll never see true change or hope. Changing manager will allow them a few more years without scrutiny.

It's hard to believe that people could be so ignorant to something that had such a massive impact on the world,, but it wouldn't take a big leap for me to believe it.

Yeah. Sure. Okay. The SFA are meeting tomorrow. Probably to brainstorm how to spend our money, that has nothing at all to do with football.

So are ours... uh-oh! Might sound funny, but I really do hope it's close to 10:0. If this does happen the fans will be out for blood in a way that's never been seen before from Scotland fans.

All valid points. Do you know what's funny? (not in a "ha-ha" way, more like a" boiling of the blood" way) I've read a lot of great ideas in this place, a lot of really progressive stuff, but the people who could make a difference simply do not have a clue, and if they did they don't have the motivation to make change. We all love and care about the national team, but the simple truth is that the SFA don't. They just use as their meal ticket, as long as the money comes rolling in they're perfectly content to sit on their hands and keep delivering nothing. There won't be a big crowd for the Cyprus match, we all know this, and it's not because of malaise, it's gone far deeper than that. It's crossing into anger territory. As Scotland fans we've taken everything on the chin, we've kept getting up with a smile, but it's time to punch back. Whether that means boycotting matches and merchandise or chanting during matches and making banners to show our discontent. If we do it en mass then the message will filter through to the media and you know what they're like when they have prey in their sights. Anything is better than nothing, and nothing is what we're all guilty of. We need football men at the top of the SFA, we need people who love the Scotland national team as much as us.

Thinking about it... imagine it went into double figures. It's possible...

It could actually be more than 5. It could be 7 or 8.

Watching the Ajax vs Juventus match it just strikes me just how much Scottish clubs and the SFA just don't care about bringing through youngsters. They've never cared. When we did produce world class players it was more by sheer luck than design. The average age of this Ajax team is 22/23 and they've beaten a seasoned Bayern Munich team and a big spending Juventus team. They weren't lucky, they didn't park the bus and play negative football that relied on dropping deep and countering on the odd occasion. Ajax actually out played, out passed, out moved and out thought Munich and Juventus. The sheer negligence with regards homegrown talent is an epidemic in Scotland. The scary thing is that no one in Scottish football, past or present, has had the foresight or the intelligence to devise a clear blueprint for creating superstars. No Scottish club has ever implemented anything near to what Ajax has, and what they've always has done. When Celtic and Rangers fail in Europe they bring out the old "we're only rubbish because we're a product of our environment", which is an excuse which Ajax has firmly debunked. The Dutch league isn't a top league, some of the defending in that league can be comical at times, but that isn't the point, the point is that in that league teams are bringing through their own players because generally they have enough brains to realize that bringing through stars and selling them for top dollar is a fantastic way to run a football club from a pretty poor league. For some reason the Old Firm have thought themselves above this method. They watched Ajax produce players like Kluivert, Seedorf, Davids, Overmars, etc, and even Barcelona with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, etc. But nahh! The Old Firm are too big to do that! When Rangers were at the top of the tree what did they do? Flood the team with foreigners. Yay! What did Celtic do to counter it? Flood the team with foreigners! Yay! What did the SFA do? Take holidays, go to fancy restaurants , etc, and pretty much let the Odd Couples do as they please. Watching this Ajax team (7 of the 11 players who played last night came through their academy) makes you despise the SFA and the entire structure of Scottish football. Here's a team of kids playing the most delightful football you've ever seen in your life, and look at our youngsters, they have no match intelligence, they trap a ball in the time that it takes a youngster from a top nation to already pass and move, they have no skill, no flair, no creativity, god, our older players even struggle with the basics! And before anyone says "there's no money in Scottish football". What, there's money in Dutch football? Even Iceland put us to shame with the facilities that they have. It doesn't take a fortune to round up youngsters of 5+, promise their parents that they'll be coached in a professional manner by decent coaches who know what they're doing, hire facilities, etc. Celtic and Rangers could've easily have did this, and with their resources they could've dotted professional academies all over Scotland. And as for the SFA, they easily have the money to equal what Iceland have build for their kids, but they won't, because they don't have to. They're fine with the national team treading water. Total football

I'd say so. The fact that the FA board actually believed his excuse is just baffling, though.

I think he'd rather be labelled dense than a racist. I don't believe a word of his excuse. Everyone knows who Hitler was and everyone knows the Nazi salute. His lawyers probably told him to plead ignorance as to avoid any mud sticking and/or a ban and a fine. The FA panel who found him not guilty are the ones who are dense. I don't think Hennessy is a fascist, I just think he wasn't thinking when he did what he did. To claim that he doesn't know what a Nazi salute is, is just laughable.

I just read that. There's no doubt that Clarke should be offered the job. Will McLeish be fired? No. The SFA will let his contract expire and then they'll Appoint Stuart McCall or Scot Gemmill as manager.

I know it's not supposed to be a criticism, but I disagree. Once he adds goals to his game then he's pretty much got the lot. He can pass, tackle, run with the ball, he is literally never flustered, he's calm and composed. None of our other midfielders can do any of those thing to a high standard. Pretty much why I'd move Robertson and Fraser to midfield, as I don't trust Christie, Fleck, Armstrong, McGregor, etc. In fairness, if you put Messi or Rakitic in the Scotland team they'd look pretty hopeless. Messi would never get the ball as our midfielders are unable to pass forward and Rakitic would simply be on another page than the rest of the players.

That's two matches against Barcelona, and twice United fans have given McTominay MOTM.

That's exactly what I was thinking watching that match! I was also thinking that I'm glad we have McTominay and not Pogba. Pogba was a disgrace tonight. It was obviously that he was treating it like a try-out and he was trying to show-boat and demonstrate to Barcelona that he should be their top target.... he didn't do this by running and being a team-player, nope, he did this by trying to do everything by himself.

What is he talking about?! In the first 10 minutes Pogba did 5 step-overs before squaring it to the opposition, he also tried to lob the keeper from 40 yards. He shot when he should've passed and he only cares about his own glory. He's a liability. If I was OGS I'd sell him. If United could get close to £80m I'd take it. It's a hell of a rebuilding job in front of OGS: Right back, center back (at least one), a dynamic midfielder, winger and a striker. At least five players.

The point is, get the youth structure right and you will have success. Just look at what Ajax are doing this season. They've beaten Bayern Munich and they're about to knock Juventus out of the European cup, and they're doing this with seven homegrown players. If the SFA brought in any form of homegrown rule or a limit on foreign players that can play we wouldn't be in the situation that we're in. We have no great players coming through, and people can point to the domestic clubs all they like, but it's the SFA that are ultimately to blame. If nothing else, Ajax are currently showing that you can compete with the best clubs in the world whilst playing in a poor league. Some of the defending in the top Dutch league is comical, but who cares? Because ALL of their clubs dedicate time and effort into their youngsters. Holland have been poor for the past few years, but if you've watched this Ajax team you'll know that the tide is turning. Meanwhile, we'll be in the gutter forever. There is no wave for us, because our clubs and our football association just don't care about self-improvement.

Negligence with regards to allowing clubs to play as many overseas players that they want with no regard to homegrown talent; lack of a homegrown ruling; lack of any clear view of infrastructure with regards to youth development; their lack of investment with regards to grassroots; their lack of direction where it comes grassroots where it comes to indoor facilities, etc. The fact that the top league in Scotland has got 12 teams is absolutely laughable. When a league is so small every single match is a must win, which means that the chances of managers taking a chance on inexperience and youth will be minimal, they need to stick with the tried and tested veteran as one lose will probably put them in the relegation zone. Look at all the crowd trouble this season, all the sectarian chances, fans invading the pitch, objects being thrown, etc. What are the SFA doing? Fining clubs? Deducting points from offending clubs? Nah. It'll be too much bother. Appointing Alex McLeish, a man whose management career is over, but that doesn't matter, as he has mates in high places.

In an ideal world it definitely would be.