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An experiment in optimism


mrniaboc

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18 hours ago, ceudmilefailte said:

Think the difference between our views are that you want a 32 man squad and I want a 16 man one😉

heh was is strachan who started the talk about a pool?

I'm generally in favour of a 23-4. 2 for every position and the 3 keepers and maybe another striker for more options. McLeish picking 1 or no right backs leaves me raging. Are we that tight we're not willing to get 1 more plane ticket to stop us having no right back on the pitch if the wrong player gets a knock. senseless to me.

For the Kazakhs and San Marino:

McGregor(A), Bain, Clark
O'Donnell, Paterson
Robertson, Tierney
McKenna, Mulgrew, Souttar, Bates
Armstrong, McGregor(C), McTominay, [Ferguson/McCrorie]
Forrest, Phillips
Fraser, Johnston(M)
Christie, Mackay-Steven
McBurnie, Naismith, [Burke/Rhodes]

Would obviously be a different squad for Belgium or Russia, but I don't see a reason not to take a couple of youngsters and give them some time, esp against San Marino. Lewis Ferguson and Ross McCrorie are both doing well and we're short of options wide left, so I'd take Michael Johnston. Johnny Russell's the other option there, but he's 28 and it doesn't seem worth flying him from Kansas to Kazakhstan. Burke or Rhodes depending on form.

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5 minutes ago, andyD said:

heh was is strachan who started the talk about a pool?

I'm generally in favour of a 23-4. 2 for every position and the 3 keepers and maybe another striker for more options. McLeish picking 1 or no right backs leaves me raging. Are we that tight we're not willing to get 1 more plane ticket to stop us having no right back on the pitch if the wrong player gets a knock. senseless to me.

For the Kazakhs and San Marino:

McGregor(A), Bain, Clark
O'Donnell, Paterson
Robertson, Tierney
McKenna, Mulgrew, Souttar, Bates
Armstrong, McGregor(C), McTominay, [Ferguson/McCrorie]
Forrest, Phillips
Fraser, Johnston(M)
Christie, Mackay-Steven
McBurnie, Naismith, [Burke/Rhodes]

Would obviously be a different squad for Belgium or Russia, but I don't see a reason not to take a couple of youngsters and give them some time, esp against San Marino. Lewis Ferguson and Ross McCrorie are both doing well and we're short of options wide left, so I'd take Michael Johnston. Johnny Russell's the other option there, but he's 28 and it doesn't seem worth flying him from Kansas to Kazakhstan. Burke or Rhodes depending on form.

I like the thoughts behind that squad as well. Would be good to see Johnston integrated into the squad just unfortunate he's not seen as much game time since the start of the year. McCrorie has been outstanding recently and has nailed the holding midfield role as his own for Rangers. Since we are short of holding Midfielders I would have him or McTominay with us but McCrories game time puts him ahead

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On 2/15/2019 at 1:06 PM, bazmidd said:

I like the thoughts behind that squad as well. Would be good to see Johnston integrated into the squad just unfortunate he's not seen as much game time since the start of the year. McCrorie has been outstanding recently and has nailed the holding midfield role as his own for Rangers. Since we are short of holding Midfielders I would have him or McTominay with us but McCrories game time puts him ahead 

Halfway tempted to leave McTominay out, to give him a reason to push hard at Man Utd in training. He's not out of the picture under Solskjaer, he got the last 20 minutes or so in the last league game. But maybe need a little nudge to remind him he's to an automatic pick because of his club. McCrorie and Ferguson could then both be included.

Jake Hastie is another who could sneak his way in. He's in ridiculous form and I certainly wouldn't be against seeing him get 20 minutes at the end, coming on for Forrest.

With it being a double header where neither game should prove particularly competitive, then it certainly should open the door for a few new faces.

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2 hours ago, andyD said:

Halfway tempted to leave McTominay out, to give him a reason to push hard at Man Utd in training. He's not out of the picture under Solskjaer, he got the last 20 minutes or so in the last league game. But maybe need a little nudge to remind him he's to an automatic pick because of his club. McCrorie and Ferguson could then both be included.

Jake Hastie is another who could sneak his way in. He's in ridiculous form and I certainly wouldn't be against seeing him get 20 minutes at the end, coming on for Forrest.

With it being a double header where neither game should prove particularly competitive, then it certainly should open the door for a few new faces.

I think McTominay will be trying as hard as he possibly can to get in the United team regardless of international football. He might want a loan away if he’s worried about his Scotland career. 

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10 hours ago, er yir macaroon said:

I think McTominay will be trying as hard as he possibly can to get in the United team regardless of international football. He might want a loan away if he’s worried about his Scotland career. 

Was it Jackie McNamara  who once said he hoped to play well for Scotland as he saw it as a chance to break into the Celtic  team.

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14 hours ago, er yir macaroon said:

I think McTominay will be trying as hard as he possibly can to get in the United team regardless of international football. He might want a loan away if he’s worried about his Scotland career. 

Fair, and to his credit he's been in the last few matchday squads, meaning soskjaer rates him and confirms that he wasn't just bought in by Mourinho to wind up/embarrass the likes of matic and pogba.

It's a tough call on who to put in the squad, we've actually got a fair few promising young center mids coming thru right now.

Armstrong and McGregor are nailed on.
Paterson will probably get shunted to right back.
McTominay and McGinn seem very likely.
Ferguson and McCrorie merit a look.
Shinnie, McDonald and Cairney will likely be 'close' in McLeish's mind.
Fleck, Coutts, Bannan, Fulton, Jack and Snodgrass are probably all being kept an eye on as well.

So we actually have a tonne of depth at center mid suddenly. Not saying i'd want to see a 3 of Coutts, Jack, Snod any time soon, but still.

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