BookhouseBoys

Leonard is a midfielder and Bowie a forward. From the sounds of things they both might be looking at moves to Championship sides for next season. If that goes well then I'd imagine they'd be in the mix but I don't think we're at the stage of picking league one players for the euros just yet.

I didn't see the game, but read that Luis Binks played very well against Man Utd today. He's on loan at Coventry from Bologna and has vocalised his eligibility and interest in representing Scotland in the past. Anyone see the game and how he played?

Max Johnston came on for Sturm Graz the now.

Ooft. Every silver lining has a cloud, eh? Realistically, even if Hickey weren’t to make it (I think that he will), our squad is a still a good bit better than the last time we went to the euros.

This is a pretty impressive post for a goldfish..! In the NI, yep, his crossing was all over the place. He's had plenty of good crosses over the years - only 8 assists might be more to him not always having the same level of targets to aim for, though.

Couple of wee bits from the Liverpool game tonight. Robertson was looking sharp when he came on and produced one of his signature assists for the third. Hopefully that injury is behind him. Also, noticed Ben Doak on the bench, although not part of the actual match day squad, so maybe he’s getting closer to being back in training.

The word that you used is far more offensive. Seriously, fuck off.

Agree with this. For all of the tongue in cheek, "we're just lulling everyone into a false sense of security and then we'll pelt them at the euros" patter, there's possibly an element of truth to it, however unintended it's been..! The past few games should hopefully keep all of the players down to earth and with a wee point to prove. I also feel a similar way about our opposition at the euros. Both Switzerland and Hungary are beatable, but good enough that we won't take them for granted. Ideal for our mentality IMO. I think that for better or worse, the team took both the Czechs at the euros and Ukraine in the WC playoff a wee bit for granted for different reasons (Czechs at home and had beaten them recently, Ukraine's first game since the war had started so thought they'd be rusty) and it came back to haunt us. When it comes to Germany, in the opening game in Germany, well that's ultimate underdog territory so we'll be in our element. The other two games, I think we'll respect them enough that there'll be no complacency (I hope..) especially after what's just happened in the friendlies.

I don’t think he’s quite there yet, but for me the long term solution is Josh Doig coming into that Tierney slot when KT is unavailable. He seems the most similar in style of the other players that would get put there. As I say, though, I don’t think he’s quite there yet.

Never mind that. There was a midfield three of Lennon Miller, David Watson and Bailey Rice. Three technically gifted players who all have experience of senior football and Stark’s like: “punt it o’er the top of thum, lads”. Bypassed them completely and put the entire game on a plate for Italy. We’ve finally got players that can play a bit but we’re using managers at u19 and u21 that stick to the tactics from the times when we didn’t.

It wasn’t malicious. It was just the follow through of a 50/50. If he’d pulled out, he’d probably have been the one injured. Still a red, though.

Haven’t seen much of him. That’s good that they’re managing his minutes. Do you think he’d be the type to continue on the newly founded Scottish pipeline to Serie A? Seriously hope that a few more take that leap - I’ve been thinking that possibly Barron at Aberdeen would be one that’d benefit if the option came up. Maybe Miller at Motherwell eventually, too.

Totally agree with you on Shankland. I think Christie might have a chance of being tried further back since there’s a ton of evidence now from his domestic games that he can be really effective there. I remember him being good defensively for us even when playing higher up - Denmark at home sticks out in particular. Would be great to have that extra option back there along with Gilmour and McGregor either way, since most of our other midfielders are either AMs or box to box.

Don’t mean any of this personally, but I see this point being made about Clarke fairly often and I just don’t see it as being true. He’s never seemed afraid of adding or dropping players as and when necessary. Gilmour, Patterson, Hickey and the players that they replaced all being examples of this. He’s used McTominay in just about every position except goalkeeper(!) at this point and he has also done a fair amount of experimenting between 5 and 4 at the back, sometimes mid-game. It was said about him during the last Euros and then he went and stuck Gilmour in against England… There is always going to be a certain amount of consistency required to create cohesion that comes naturally with international football and since as a nation we have a smaller pool of players to choose from, it’s probably accentuated even more, but I do think that Clarke has pushed on that as and when is sensible, be that with the system or players. All that to say that I wouldn’t be surprised to see a two of Christie and Gilmour in one of the friendlies because they seem to be the most in form for those two positions that we have at the moment. I’m still a big fan of McGregor, though and think he’d be brilliant to come off the bench for one of those two.

I think Gilmour’s form means that he should be taking McGregor’s place in the first XI anyway and I’d be interested to see a two of Gilmour and Christie tried in the friendlies to see if it has more bite than the previously tried Gilmour - McGregor. Ferguson is competing with McGinn and McTominay, though, IMO. Presuming everyone is fit and we play a back 5, I’d be interested to try Gilmour & Christie with the three of McGinn, McTominay and Ferguson ahead. The Levein tactic might finally be a realistic possibility……!