The next 3 years

[romanticscot]

So we have guaranteed a play-off for the Euro 2020, our first play off since 2003.  

Would you trade the last 20 years of success with the National team or traded success in that era for the next 20 years of failure and hurt?  I would take my hurt first and then enjoy the success all the more.  I understand we haven't done anything yet, but there its lots to be hopeful about.  I am certain Euro 2020 is do-able then what about beyond that?

Well lets look at the next two world cups - Qatar has 32 teams with 13 spots allocated to UEFA or if they expand it early like USA which will have 48 teams with 16 coming from Europe.  Thinking about that, that's a tall order for us currently about 24/25th highest team on the FIFA rankings to improve 8 or 20 spots.  So what have we go to do?  Ideally we need to become a pot 2 team or have a favorable draw.  

I say we work the system to harvest points like Wales did, using every date with careful planning - no-one thrashing to the Italy's and France's.  

Look at the age of our team, with the exception of Steven Fletcher and McGregor in goal everyone else is a decent age to be around for the next few years.  McBurnie should become good and we usually don't have a problem finding a good Scottish keeper or two. 

 

 

[er yir macaroon]

If you’re talking 3 years then there’s Gilmour, Cochrane, Hornby, Middleton and Johnston to come into contention. Some of these players may not reach the level as it’s hard to predict, but others will emerge unexpectedly. We should have some pretty decent centre halves by then, they just lack experience, currently. 

[Texas Pete]

It’s hard to say how things are going to go in the long term but I’m certainly optimistic about qualifying for Euro 2020 and having a huge party in Glasgow and possibly London (and who knows where else if we get out of the group). 

I don’t think things can get worse than they were under Burley and Levein and I hope they never get that bad again. 

We can go into the qualifiers next year safe in the knowledge that we have the playoffs already in the bag and can hopefully relax and play with a freedom that we’ve never really had before. 

It will always be difficult for us to qualify for a World Cup now, even with 16 European teams guaranteed a spot. There aren’t enough international dates for 8 European groups I don’t think so there will probably still be playoffs which we are unlikely ever to be seeded for. 

Hopefully we can have a wee purple patch like Wales and NI though starting with qualification for 2020. 

[bigfingers]

Liking a few of the under 21s also...guys like Lewis Ferguson, Gilmour and Fraser Hornby look the real deal.

[Scotsdeutsch]

I would say there’s every reason to be optimistic. Remember we can add griff back in with some free kick magic when he’s back fit. Also I’m definetly not ruling out Oliver Burke from maturing into an amazing player. He’s still so young, he has all the ingredients plus a solid smart head on his shoulders.

[SWMM82]

On 11/21/2018 at 1:07 AM, romanticscot said:

So we have guaranteed a play-off for the Euro 2020, our first play off since 2003.  

Would you trade the last 20 years of success with the National team or traded success in that era for the next 20 years of failure and hurt?  I would take my hurt first and then enjoy the success all the more.  I understand we haven't done anything yet, but there its lots to be hopeful about.  I am certain Euro 2020 is do-able then what about beyond that?

Well lets look at the next two world cups - Qatar has 32 teams with 13 spots allocated to UEFA or if they expand it early like USA which will have 48 teams with 16 coming from Europe.  Thinking about that, that's a tall order for us currently about 24/25th highest team on the FIFA rankings to improve 8 or 20 spots.  So what have we go to do?  Ideally we need to become a pot 2 team or have a favorable draw.  

I say we work the system to harvest points like Wales did, using every date with careful planning - no-one thrashing to the Italy's and France's.  

Look at the age of our team, with the exception of Steven Fletcher and McGregor in goal everyone else is a decent age to be around for the next few years.  McBurnie should become good and we usually don't have a problem finding a good Scottish keeper or two. 

 

 

The one area that really concerns me over the next few years, and it just so happens to be one of our strongest positions at the moment, is the goalkeepers.

Once McGregor and Gordon retire, it is looking very thin. No one stands out to me. Robbie McCrorie had so much potential but looks to have a bad mistake in him nearly every game.

[Malcolm]

McGregor can probably do another 4 years.

[er yir macaroon]

9 hours ago, SWMM82 said:

The one area that really concerns me over the next few years, and it just so happens to be one of our strongest positions at the moment, is the goalkeepers.

Once McGregor and Gordon retire, it is looking very thin. No one stands out to me. Robbie McCrorie had so much potential but looks to have a bad mistake in him nearly every game.

Every game? There was howler against England recently but I don’t remember any Toulon.

[Squirrelhumper]

9 hours ago, SWMM82 said:

The one area that really concerns me over the next few years, and it just so happens to be one of our strongest positions at the moment, is the goalkeepers.

Once McGregor and Gordon retire, it is looking very thin. No one stands out to me. Robbie McCrorie had so much potential but looks to have a bad mistake in him nearly every game.

Liam Kelly.

[Ormond]

On 11/22/2018 at 4:58 PM, SWMM82 said:

The one area that really concerns me over the next few years, and it just so happens to be one of our strongest positions at the moment, is the goalkeepers.

Once McGregor and Gordon retire, it is looking very thin. No one stands out to me. Robbie McCrorie had so much potential but looks to have a bad mistake in him nearly every game.

Zander Clark has just gone 6 league games in a row with zero goals against. 

[bonny78]

Naw it's business as usual