Taylor1996

People can talk about systems, tactics, formations. People can talk about sacking Steve Clarke and hope that we replace him with a high quality manager who can motivate players and bring out the every drop of their talent. None of it matters. Steve Clarke isn't a bad manager. He's been assistant manager to Mourinho, Dalglish, Gullit. He got WBA their best ever EPL league finish. He knows football. We could have Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola in charge and we'd still labour to beat a Czech league select team. It doesn't matter about tactics and managers. For all intents and purposes, our strongest team is akin to an SPL/English Championship side. For arguments sake, let's just say that the SPL is the same standard as the English Championship. Championship/SPL: 7 players. (I'll only count Cooper as an EPL player when he actually plays a minute in the EPL) started on Monday. Looking at things like that, is it really a surprise that our players look like a bunch of frightened kittens when they face foreign-based players, no matter how talented the foreign players are? Just over a year ago it took us 74 minutes to get our second goal against San Marino. By club standards, we're bottom half of the table English Championship/SPL. What do we expect from our players? Passion. We always get passion. What you saw on Friday and Monday is what average players showing passion looks like. Now, if you're asking for creativity, football intelligence, organized defending, good passing, defence splitting passing and fabulous finishing. Don't hold your breath. We have no right to expect to beat anyone. And I literally mean anyone. The SFA and all of the Scottish clubs have neglected youth development, for decades. Thankfully, we now have some sort of structure in play, by way of the performance schools, but I'll still be a couple more years before we see the fruits of that work. In the meantime, for the foreseeable future, expect us to struggle against everyone, because guess what. We're minnows.

McGinn done well in the SPL, but I don't remember him running riot. People act like we have dozens of players in the EPL. 7 of the players that started on Monday are playing in the English Championship or SPL. And no, the SPL is bad. It's full of honest professionals, but the standard isn't good.

Oh really? Filled? So, Burnley and Aston Villa, etc, have players of the ability of Aguero and De Bruyne?

Finalized: Transfers: Ethan Hamilton (21) - Peterborough United Loans: Lewis Fiorini (18) - NAC Breda Pending: Transfers: Aaron Hickey (18) - Bologna Oliver Burke (23) - Sheffield United Jordan Holsgrove (20) - Celta Vigo Loans: Josh McPake (19) - Falkirk or QOTS

That's a fair point.

Let's not kid anyone on. We know our players, we've seen them for years, at club level and at international level. Take out McGinn and McTominay... the rest are not very good. Take out the top 6 in the EPL and it's an extension of the Championship. Look at Fleck, McArthur and McCarthy. Bang average. If you compare the midfielders we have to the midfielders we had in 96 and 98. I'm afraid, the current midfielders look terrible in comparison to: Collins, McAllister, Lambert, McCall, Burley. The aforementioned midfielders had the bottle to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world and in Europe, at the biggest stage. This current lot can't even pull themselves together to convincingly beat an international D team.

It's a complete fallacy. We don't have good midfielders. Which of them are in the EPL? McGinn with Villa (relegation fodder), Armstrong with Southampton (mid-bottom) and Fleck with Sheffield United (fine, they're a good team), McTominay for Man United (see Fleck). How many of those players are going to win a trophy next season? Well, that's a different story. We have no defence and no one good in attack. There won't be any, apart from you. But you aren't in the TAMB clique, so of course I'm not talking about you.

I asked Pete this, he didn't answer, probably because the answer is obvious: We got four points and the manager played with a three. Yes, we could've played better, but would you rather have two bad performances and four points, or two great performances and zero points? It's about the big picture and the long haul. I don't care whether we played badly, I wouldn't have even cared if we got zero points. For me, it's about a building process. If people don't understand that, or don't want to wait, no one is asking them to support Scotland.

I'm happy about the formation and the points. There are variables that I'm not happy with. McTominay is not a center back. Not in a million years. His main skillset is carrying the ball forward. His dribbling skills and face is deceptive. He's our best midfielder. I wouldn't play a double-pivot of midfielders. Contrary to popular belief, our midfielders are average. I'd play three in the middle of midfield. I wouldn't play with one striker. And it's funny, I suggest playing Robertson as an anchorman, that idea gets torn to shreds. Someone suggests that Robertson be dropped from the squad. I doubt there'll be any detractors. Weird. As I said, though, I'm delighted, generally.

Football fans have zero patience. The more the players play in this formation, and the more they train in it, the better they will become at it. Why does four at the back get 20 years and three at the back gets two matches? I'm delighted, personally. We got four points and the manager played with a three. Yes, we could've played better, but would you rather have two bad performances and four points, or two great performances and zero points?

Yes. No one else will say boo to the OP, though. Some people can get away with talking utter nonsense. That's my point. 😛

He inferred that most people would be happy if we win matches, irrespective of the formation. He's wrong. Most people are acting like there's a pandemic...

No. Imagine the reaction I would've received if I made the bizarre suggestion to leave Andy Robertson at home.

lol Can you imagine the reaction if I said something similar? Lolllllll Let's see if the OP receives the same reaction.

Well, that hypothesis has been debunked. We beat the Czech Republic and yet I don't see many happy faces. Why? Because we won playing a three.

Yep. It's not Robertson's fault that the majority of his teammates can't control the ball and make an accurate 5 yard pass. This thread is suggesting Andy Robertson, one of the best left backs in the world, snub a call up.... Stunning stuff. Will anyone challenge the OP? Let's watch...

To be honest, I'm at the stage now where I would do something radical. Players like Forrest, McGregor, etc, have had enough chances. They might look good in the SPL, but they're playing against free transfers and teams with no disposable money. Clearly, the Czech team tonight wasn't the best, but it would probably best 10 out of 12 SPL sides. Things will probably get worse before they get better. And tonight, it sounds like most people are on cliffs...

Brilliant point. People see McLean in the EPL (last season), McGregor and Christie dominate in the SPL, and they get carried away by thinking that they're good. They aren't good. They're average.

Oh. This playoff has come three years too soon. I think we have a handful of decent players, but not near enough to qualify. I was watching ESPN, Craig Burley was commentating. He said that we would contribute nothing if we qualified I agree. Theresa reason why teams qualify through the back door. We aren't even good enough to do that. As I said, give it a few years, hopefully the performance kids progress, and then we'll see. People had better get used to things. This will be normality for a while... And remember... It can always get worse.

Fair enough. It's a great weekend (football wise and in general) so I'm not spoiling for a fight. We will just wait and see what the future holds. Trust me, though, I am not the most positive of fans, so for me to feel optimistic is quite something.

One of the best posts I've ever read! Agree 100% It's like there's a mob here who don't even support Scotland. There was a post a few weeks ago about a providing Scottish kid being handed a five year deal at Leed United, an EPL club. What was the reaction from one "Scotland fan"? "He'll be a tesco driver in a few years". Lovely comment about a 17 year old kid. Nice. And the poster is called, hilariously enough, "Proud Scot". With pride like that, who needs enemies.

Well, you said that it was ridiculous that I think the u17s would beat Czech D and you called me arrogant, even before I suggested that you didn't watch it. It's cool, though. We'll just agree to disagree. 🙂 I hope that I'm right, too. There's a kid at Man City, Lewis Fiorini, who I hope we cap soon. Otherwise I sense another Rice/Grealish thing. I definitely think the u17/19s are light years above the current players... Even now. Yeah, I agree with all that. It's going to be a long road. It'll take patience. We'll look awful and we'll have to endure defeats, but I truly believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It's all about the players. Scotland's strongest XI struggled against a patchwork Czech team. This isn't about systems, it's not about tactics or formations, it's not even about the managers. The players are shockingly bad.

You genuinely think that? Ok. We'll see. Enough with the insults. If you don't want to engage, don't engage. No need for the stream of insults. Fact is, I have never known our youth teams to be of a high quality as they are now. If you want to spin that and make it into a negative. Fine.

Watch tonight's match again and say that. Our STRONGEST team played a team that wouldn't make the group sections of the Europa league. Take that any way you like.