‘Missing’ Players

[Alan]

Chris Martin. (Seriously the big man can hold it up.  Scored v Slovakia.  Won a free kick v England which we scored).

[PASTA Mick]

2 hours ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

I would say Messi and Ronaldo obviously. I am sure Wales are a far different side when Bale is in it. Robbie Keane was a huge influence and threat for ROI, the amount of games he popped up in with a vital goal. Zlatan with Sweden was also very important for them. I am sure there are plenty more.

I meant for us. We'd make Messi look like a Sunday league player by hitting long balls up to him. 

[ceudmilefailte]

1 hour ago, Hertsscot said:

I don't think Paterson is considered a full back anymore. As for Tierney I can understand agreeing to Arsenal's request. He is a very talented player and I was rather he was fully fit and playing for Scotland rather than playing, aggravating an injury and being out for even longer, we need to think long term.

Paterson might not be a full back at club level but no one can argue that in our two best performances since Strachan left he was the right back, you could even go as far as all our best play was down the right hand side of the pitch in those two games. Actually let's be blunt, the Albania and Israel  games are the only ones were we wern't utter garbage

McKenna  should have been called up instead of Gallagher unless some one knows otherwise

[Alan]

@ceudmilefailte McKenna has been injured.

[Dalgety Bay TA]

3 hours ago, PASTA Mick said:

I meant for us. We'd make Messi look like a Sunday league player by hitting long balls up to him. 

It’s been so long since we have had some of that sort that we wouldn’t know how to react with a top class player in our side!

Cant even think who our last stand out player that we missed when they weren’t in the side was?

[PASTA Mick]

26 minutes ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

It’s been so long since we have had some of that sort that we wouldn’t know how to react with a top class player in our side!

Cant even think who our last stand out player that we missed when they weren’t in the side was?

Whilst he wasn't a top draw player, McFadden always gave us something a bit special. 

[noctonjock]

26 minutes ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

It’s been so long since we have had some of that sort that we wouldn’t know how to react with a top class player in our side!

Cant even think who our last stand out player that we missed when they weren’t in the side was?

I can't think of one either but we are actually missing Alan McGregor in goals  although I wouldn't say he was a stand out player 

[wanderer]

I do not think we are missing a stand out player, more that our midfield has no confidence in our make shift defence (which seems to change on a game by game basis, and gets worse on a game by game basis).

we have plenty of “ok” defenders, and it’s a case of getting a combo that works for us (we have been unlucky with injuries over the years, but I am struggling to think of a time we’re we have been so unlucky with defenders dropping like flies as they have been since Clarke took over).

Over the last year, probably the best combo has been Bates and McKenna.... though they were hardly Miller and McLeish, to a degree it took pressure off the midfield and allowed them to play better (of late it feels like the midfield are somewhat reluctant to press to much as they have no confidence in our defence).

If we can get two from Bates, Cooper, Hanley, Soutter and McKenna playing together (I also suspect Caulker rumors might start gathering pace over the coming weeks) maybe get Patterson back at RB (as said elsewhere, it’s no longer his club position, but its where he has played for us predominantly) and there is still the conundrum of where to fit Tierney, that will be first step in right direction.

[Hertsscot]

4 hours ago, Alan said:

Chris Martin. (Seriously the big man can hold it up.  Scored v Slovakia.  Won a free kick v England which we scored).

Has got a few goals for Derby recently as well.

[ceudmilefailte]

3 hours ago, Alan said:

@ceudmilefailte McKenna has been injured.

He played 90 minutes for Aberdeen the week before the international break.

How long are you supposed to wait before being fit enough for international duty after you start playing for your club?

A lot was made of the Teirney situation particularly by one or two Dons fans on here but when required to call up another central defender the obvious choice was left out.

It's starting to look like clubs read a lot into the Jack affair in the previous international break.

[BucksburnDandy]

9 hours ago, ceudmilefailte said:

He played 90 minutes for Aberdeen the week before the international break.

How long are you supposed to wait before being fit enough for international duty after you start playing for your club?

A lot was made of the Teirney situation particularly by one or two Dons fans on here but when required to call up another central defender the obvious choice was left out.

It's starting to look like clubs read a lot into the Jack affair in the previous international break.

The clubs know that the SFA are an absolute pushover when it comes to letting players miss out. Until the SFA start calling up players who are fit, the clubs will continue to ask their players to be excused. While there may be circumstances where players do need left out, what we have now has gone too far the other way, where clubs are dictating squads to the national team.

[0Neils40yarder]

7 minutes ago, BucksburnDandy said:

The clubs know that the SFA are an absolute pushover when it comes to letting players miss out. Until the SFA start calling up players who are fit, the clubs will continue to ask their players to be excused. While there may be circumstances where players do need left out, what we have now has gone too far the other way, where clubs are dictating squads to the national team.

Agreed, Tierney and McKenna should both have been called up. 

[er yir macaroon]

1 hour ago, BucksburnDandy said:

The clubs know that the SFA are an absolute pushover when it comes to letting players miss out. Until the SFA start calling up players who are fit, the clubs will continue to ask their players to be excused. While there may be circumstances where players do need left out, what we have now has gone too far the other way, where clubs are dictating squads to the national team.

Totally. We should be enforcing the rule that says they can’t play for their club in the next game if they pull out of a squad. 

[Third Lanark]

On 10/11/2019 at 12:35 PM, mccaughey85 said:

How can he get a permanent pairing when there's been so much injuries to our centre backs. It's hardly Clarke's fault.

Not saying it's his fault but he doesn't seem to have any preferences among the back-ups.

[bazmidd]

On 10/11/2019 at 9:42 PM, wanderer said:

I do not think we are missing a stand out player, more that our midfield has no confidence in our make shift defence (which seems to change on a game by game basis, and gets worse on a game by game basis).

we have plenty of “ok” defenders, and it’s a case of getting a combo that works for us (we have been unlucky with injuries over the years, but I am struggling to think of a time we’re we have been so unlucky with defenders dropping like flies as they have been since Clarke took over).

Over the last year, probably the best combo has been Bates and McKenna.... though they were hardly Miller and McLeish, to a degree it took pressure off the midfield and allowed them to play better (of late it feels like the midfield are somewhat reluctant to press to much as they have no confidence in our defence).

If we can get two from Bates, Cooper, Hanley, Soutter and McKenna playing together (I also suspect Caulker rumors might start gathering pace over the coming weeks) maybe get Patterson back at RB (as said elsewhere, it’s no longer his club position, but its where he has played for us predominantly) and there is still the conundrum of where to fit Tierney, that will be first step in right direction.

That's a good point about the effect our defence is having on our Midfield. Almost every one of our Midfielders and Robertson all enjoy pressing the play from the start for their clubs, Fraser, McGregor, McGinn, Forrest, Christie, Armstrong all like to press and play on the front foot. With the defence we have behind them though they just can't play their natural game. Our centre backs aren't suited to playing a high line and are woeful when not protected by Midfield. It is a major issue which is stifling our best players attacking instincts. Unfortunately two pacy solid centre backs aren't going to appear overnight so the defence we do have needs protected, which means sitting a bit further back, and playing ball winners in midfield and having pace on the counter. I'd much rather see Scotland play up and at em football pressing from the off but we just don't have the defence to do it. 

[er yir macaroon]

1 hour ago, bazmidd said:

That's a good point about the effect our defence is having on our Midfield. Almost every one of our Midfielders and Robertson all enjoy pressing the play from the start for their clubs, Fraser, McGregor, McGinn, Forrest, Christie, Armstrong all like to press and play on the front foot. With the defence we have behind them though they just can't play their natural game. Our centre backs aren't suited to playing a high line and are woeful when not protected by Midfield. It is a major issue which is stifling our best players attacking instincts. Unfortunately two pacy solid centre backs aren't going to appear overnight so the defence we do have needs protected, which means sitting a bit further back, and playing ball winners in midfield and having pace on the counter. I'd much rather see Scotland play up and at em football pressing from the off but we just don't have the defence to do it. 

McKenna and Souttar both have pace. Getting them on the pitch is another matter. 

[Tartan Chris]

Can't see Matt Ritchie.....

Has it actually been explained why Cairney wasn't called this time?

Last season he could never get going for many reasons but he's fit and playing very well this season, the most obvious contender to play infront of two CMs.