Alex McLeish

[ErsatzThistle]

1 hour ago, Tartan Chris said:

Burley and Levein had easier qualifying groups imo.

All Burley had to do was finish second ahead of Norway, Macedonia and Iceland to get a play off. I would say losing 4-0 in Norway and 1-0 in Macedonia (the first match of the campaign which shows this nation never learns) is pretty similar to Israel if not quite Kazhakstan.

Although I know that wee George must bare responsibility for picking certain players, match XIs and strategies. He did have some of worst luck to befall any Scotland manager since Ally McLeod.

The press were all against him from day one because they never got their darling Souness.

In the game against Macedonia away, the goal they scored came from a free kick which should never have been given and we were denied a clear penalty.

The Iwelumo miss which if he had to do that any other time, he'd have smashed in.

Against the Dutch away, the referee allowed them a goal after our players were clearly being impeded, Caldwell then got one back for us but it was disallowed for the same thing.

Certain players taking the huff or having public blow ups.

Miller suddenly going "off the boil" at international level for about eighteen months. He kept turning up alright but just kept having bad games, he was awful in that time. He began scoring again under Levein strangely.

We took the game to the Dutch at Hampden but just couldn't get the ball in the net. Naismith eventually got one in but it was incorrectly ruled offside.

As I said, Burley must take the greater part of the responsibility for what happened but there was some really cruel bad luck he had to put up with too.

[badly]

On 3/24/2019 at 9:06 PM, Auchinyell Sox Change said:

Aye i struggled with the dublin away synopsis 

thought 1-1 was a decent result , even the home game was tight , think they hit the bar at parkhead ?

they were a very good side then that beat and drew with germany

I still fee cheated about that Ireland away game.

It took them 10 minutes to kick Fletcher out the game and another 10 to kick off the park.

We had a perfectly good goal disallowed while their offside goal stood.

A win there would have counted them out.

[ParisInAKilt]

Last 20 mins we chucked it and played for the draw 

[noctonjock]

Also McCarthy should have been sent off for elbow on Russell Martin

[DaveyDenoon]

Given the way that game was going and th rotten refereeing decisions we suffered, playing for and securing the draw wasn’t such a bad result at the time. Obviously with hindsight we’d have gone all out for the win.

The real damage was done by losing in Georgia, Poland beating Germany for the first time ever and then Ireland somehow beating the Germans in Dublin. Any of those results going the way most would’ve expected would’ve seen us in the playoff.

[Barney Rubble]

The real damage was not winning our own games.

To achieve you have to win.

High time this fact was posted on the wall of every Scotland dressing room.

 

[tartanmartin]

Is he still hanging on? #Ecksit

[Tartan Chris]

6 hours ago, ParisInAKilt said:

Last 20 mins we chucked it and played for the draw 

A draw there was perfectly fine. Correct me if I'm wrong but sure afterwards Scotland were above ROI in the standings.

The group completely turned on its head when losing to Georgia dismally and then I think the same week ROI got that 1-0 over Germany so suddenly 3rd went into ROI's hands.

That was such a frustrating group for me. High quality and Scotland more than held their own. Germany world champions and only narrowly lost home and away, took 4 points off ROI, were 30 seconds from taking 4 points off Poland and took 6 points off like you should v Gilbraltar.

The black mark was Georgia away. ROI won 2-1 there with a McGeady 90th minute winner, Poland won 4-0 there.

2018 qualifying was more of a black mark in Strachan's tenure. Poorer quality group which England predictably dominated and 2nd was easily gettable.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Tartan Chris

[ParisInAKilt]

7 hours ago, Tartan Chris said:

A draw there was perfectly fine. Correct me if I'm wrong but sure afterwards Scotland were above ROI in the standings.

The group completely turned on its head when losing to Georgia dismally and then I think the same week ROI got that 1-0 over Germany so suddenly 3rd went into ROI's hands.

That was such a frustrating group for me. High quality and Scotland more than held their own. Germany world champions and only narrowly lost home and away, took 4 points off ROI, were 30 seconds from taking 4 points off Poland and took 6 points off like you should v Gilbraltar.

The black mark was Georgia away. ROI won 2-1 there with a McGeady 90th minute winner, Poland won 4-0 there.

2018 qualifying was more of a black mark in Strachan's tenure. Poorer quality group which England predictably dominated and 2nd was easily gettable.

It wasn’t fine when Ireland were there for the taking and we sat back accepted the draw and didn’t get the points later in the campaign. Classic Scotland and why we deserved everything we got later on.

[Orraloon]

4 hours ago, ParisInAKilt said:

It wasn’t fine when Ireland were there for the taking and we sat back accepted the draw and didn’t get the points later in the campaign. Classic Scotland and why we deserved everything we got later on.

I think that is one for the wanky phrase thread. 

WTF is it supposed to mean. 

[ParisInAKilt]

12 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

I think that is one for the wanky phrase thread. 

WTF is it supposed to mean. 

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/ireland-were-there-for-the-taking-the-scottish-press-react-1.3788543%3fmode=amp

[ScotlandWintheWorldCup]

5 hours ago, ParisInAKilt said:

It wasn’t fine when Ireland were there for the taking and we sat back accepted the draw and didn’t get the points later in the campaign. Classic Scotland and why we deserved everything we got later on.

12 hours ago, Tartan Chris said:

A draw there was perfectly fine. Correct me if I'm wrong but sure afterwards Scotland were above ROI in the standings.

The group completely turned on its head when losing to Georgia dismally and then I think the same week ROI got that 1-0 over Germany so suddenly 3rd went into ROI's hands.

That was such a frustrating group for me. High quality and Scotland more than held their own. Germany world champions and only narrowly lost home and away, took 4 points off ROI, were 30 seconds from taking 4 points off Poland and took 6 points off like you should v Gilbraltar.

The black mark was Georgia away. ROI won 2-1 there with a McGeady 90th minute winner, Poland won 4-0 there.

2018 qualifying was more of a black mark in Strachan's tenure. Poorer quality group which England predictably dominated and 2nd was easily gettable.

Wasn't the Irl away game.  We played really poorly that day, so 1-1 was ok.  Horrible team to play against ROI, ugly, physical and very defensive. Can't stand watching their boring style.

It was that unbelievable stuff in September that cost us.  We lose to a fired up Germany and poacher muller then lose in Georgia.....AGAIN!!!!!

Then that crap ROI team somehow get a 1-0 win, think it was something like 20 shots to 1 for Germany.  We are so unlucky as a football nation

[ParisInAKilt]

10 minutes ago, ScotlandWintheWorldCup said:

Wasn't the Irl away game.  We played really poorly that day, so 1-1 was ok.  Horrible team to play against ROI, ugly, physical and very defensive. Can't stand watching their boring style.

It was that unbelievable stuff in September that cost us.  We lose to a fired up Germany and poacher muller then lose in Georgia.....AGAIN!!!!!

Then that crap ROI team somehow get a 1-0 win, think it was something like 20 shots to 1 for Germany.  We are so unlucky as a football nation

Aye it’s luck that’s holding us back ..

[Gala Tartan Army (Borders)]

Strachan picked wrong team in Dublin. He left Robertson on the bench which is unthinkable now with Forsyth placing in his place. And also didnt start Anya who was on fire at the time.Strachan was more concerned with Ireland and their physicality than playing our best players.

[McTeeko]

26 minutes ago, Gala Tartan Army (Borders) said:

Strachan picked wrong team in Dublin. He left Robertson on the bench which is unthinkable now with Forsyth placing in his place. And also didnt start Anya who was on fire at the time.Strachan was more concerned with Ireland and their physicality than playing our best players.

Agreed. Pretty sure we started with Ritchie out wide that day. Slower than a week in the jail. The minute Anya came on we were immediately playing 20 yards further up the pitch. 

[Gala Tartan Army (Borders)]

13 minutes ago, McTeeko said:

Agreed. Pretty sure we started with Ritchie out wide that day. Slower than a week in the jail. The minute Anya came on we were immediately playing 20 yards further up the pitch. 

Yeah, Anya came on at half time and made huge difference. And Ritchie started only his second game I think and struggled as did Forsyth.

Think it was an example of Strachan trying to be too clever when we just needed to play our best side. 

[Caley Shaun]

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4079927/scotland-alex-mcleish-fate-talks-sfa/

[andyD]

11 hours ago, Caley Shaun said:

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4079927/scotland-alex-mcleish-fate-talks-sfa/

Only a year left on his contract, right? so reasonably cheap to get rid of.

Problem is the SFA actually getting someone worth having in as a replacement.

[romanticscot]

I think the SFA are getting pressure from the LMA and now they dont know if they have legal recourse, but it should be based on what we have all seen on the park and not framed as a mental health issue, in which case then it will get very sticky from a legal perspective.  They need to do something by the middle of next week, June is fast approaching.