Scotland XI to play Cyprus

[vanderark14]

1 minute ago, Jim Beem said:

One of those static jobs ? 

Yes, like the ones United fans live in😜😜😜😜

[Orraloon]

2 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

Were we ever a team capable of walking all.over teams away from home? Maybe the likes of San Marino but in my lifetime we've never really thrashed or cruised passed teams away from home

 

Any away win is a good result. We've never even managed to thrash San Marino away from home. 

[scotlad]

9 minutes ago, RDFH64 said:

Won the bookings as well 5-1, hardly a bad tackle in the game. Booking at the end was terrible, ref booked him then told the defender to move back which was what caused the booking 🤯🤯🤯

Ridiculous booking. McGregor's was even worse.

[Orraloon]

2 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

Yes, like the ones United fans live in😜😜😜😜

I don't think they have been upgraded to that level yet.

[Caledonian Craig]

Our defence was very inexperienced - less than 20 caps between the back four at international level.

We, by our own fans opinion, are about the weakest we have ever been.

We were missing several key players who would definitely have started today.

But we won 2-1. Really not sure what fans were expecting today considering how low the confidence is in the squad and how many call-offs there were.

[Texas Pete]

3 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

Were we ever a team capable of walking all.over teams away from home? Maybe the likes of San Marino but in my lifetime we've never really thrashed or cruised passed teams away from home

 

Not sure what age you are but this is definitely the case for me as well. I’ve been watching Scotland since the late 80s and have always been nervous about this type of away game.

Not so much going to the big teams or teams equal to us but for teams we are expected to beat. Faroes, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Georgia, Malta, Cyprus etc. We normally struggle to beat these teams away.

Not sure what it was like in the 70s or early 80s though. 

[slasher]

A good win, although lots to work on. Going forward at times we look good but we desperately need a focal point...... McBurnie is absolute fuckin dung! 

[aaid]

4 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Our defence was very inexperienced - less than 20 caps between the back four at international level.

We, by our own fans opinion, are about the weakest we have ever been.

We were missing several key players who would definitely have started today.

But we won 2-1. Really not sure what fans were expecting today considering how low the confidence is in the squad and how many call-offs there were.

It's possible to have realistic expectations but to also realise that those expectations are far from what they should be.

[BraveheartGordon]

I really liked the midfield balance today, the opening goal was a terrific piece of football building out of the back 4 into Jack to play through the lines to McGregor then McGinn and a terrific finish by Christie.

McGregor and Jack seemed to give us a nice base defensively too.

But the back 4 is a concern. If we found a reliable partner for McKenna, brought Tierney into Rb, (thought Palmer did ok) obviously Robertson back in and found a number 9 I feel like we’d really have something.

Outside the injuries probably 1 centre-back and a striker away from having a real good side at international level.

Edited November 16, 2019 by BraveheartGordon

[ErsatzThistle]

Neil McCann claiming on Radio Scotland that O'Donnell should be starting 

[Big Ramy 1314]

Well done. Alba Gu Brath...

[Caledonian Craig]

1 minute ago, aaid said:

It's possible to have realistic expectations but to also realise that those expectations are far from what they should be.

Don't get me wrong - we should be doing better BUT currently we are like a punch drunk boxer. We have taken a lot of hammerings lately - soul destroying and confidence sapping defeats against not only Belgium, Russia but minnows Kazakhstan too. We need to clear our heads and build again and wins like these will help to put some confidence back into the side and we may then be able to build momentum and reach those higher expectations.

[Barney Rubble]

6 minutes ago, ErsatzThistle said:

Neil McCann claiming on Radio Scotland that O'Donnell should be starting 

Of course O'Donnell should be starting - he's the best natural RB available, that's why.

Palmer is utter horse dung and he's English anyway.

And Keiran Tierney can't even get himself fit enough to challenge for LB, so how can he ever be considered as an option for RB?

O'Donnell is our best available RB right now, so he should be starting whenever fit.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Barney Rubble

[aaid]

3 minutes ago, Barney Rubble said:

Of course O'Donnell should be starting - he's the best natural RB available, that's why.

Palmer is utter horse dung and he's English anyway.

And Keiran Tierney can't even get himself fit enough to challenge for LB, so how can he ever be considered as an option for RB?

O'Donnell is our best available RB right now, so he should be starting whenever fit.

All of that is true but none of it means Stephen O'Donnell is good enough to play international football.

[Barney Rubble]

1 minute ago, aaid said:

All of that is true but none of it means Stephen O'Donnell is good enough to play international football.

That's another question, and a valid one aaid.

But it's hardly Stephen O'Donnell's fault that he is the best right back available and he is being called up, is it?

He turns up with enthusiasm for his country and still gets horrid abuse on here, whereas at the other side of the park............

[GraemeTA]

Good win. No the prettiest but still a win away from home. Been a pishy run earlier but gettin a few wins against "lesser" teams will build confidence and hopefully push us on

[Pool Q]

Good win. We need to start rebuilding somewhere and a result like that, away, with so many of our better players missing, is as good a place to start as any. Desperately need a decent front man, but that’s been the case for years, and a couple of half decent centre backs too. Give a lot for Griffiths to be fit and available again, other than that the cupboard is still pretty bare.

[GraemeTA]

13 minutes ago, Barney Rubble said:

Of course O'Donnell should be starting - he's the best natural RB available, that's why.

Palmer is utter horse dung and he's English anyway.

And Keiran Tierney can't even get himself fit enough to challenge for LB, so how can he ever be considered as an option for RB?

O'Donnell is our best available RB right now, so he should be starting whenever fit.

Agree

O'Donnell is the best right back we have available and i'd rather see him starting ahead of palmer

[aaid]

2 minutes ago, Barney Rubble said:

That's another question, and a valid one aaid.

But it's hardly Stephen O'Donnell's fault that he is the best right back available and he is being called up, is it?

He turns up with enthusiasm for his country and still gets horrid abuse on here, whereas at the other side of the park............

I agree with you 100%, I think he fundamentally doesn't have what it takes to play at this level but I'm not going to castigate him for it nor will I criticise the manager for picking him until and unless there are better options.    That said anyone - presumably Neil McCann - who thinks he'll improve our team needs his head read.

[gonzohiggy]

A decent and welcome win. 

Thought we looked dangerous in the first half and midfield had a nice balance about it with Naismith being a nuisance up front. 

Second half we sat back a lot with very little to no composure shown which was disappointing but perhaps highlights the lack of confidence in the team. 

Defensively I was quite happy with Gallagher who just did the basics well and after the soft defending from mulgrew in previous games was a welcome improvement. 

McKenna did OK defensively but a bag of nerves on the ball. 

Mcburnie should only be used when we are chasing a game with 10 to go! 

[weekevie04]

Delighted we hung on for the win. A difficult game and a better side would have put us to the sword and I don't think you could argue in saying the Cypriots deserved a point from that overall.

Still, a makeshift team with a few injuries, a left back who has played one game in about 6 weeks and a debutante at the back as well - who looked and played the part.

Cyprus are nowhere near the minnows some may have them. They've only lost by 3 or more goals once in the past 12 games and that was last month to Russia. So, I think its fair to say credit it where its due, it wasn't pretty and we looked very ordinary, but we won and that's the main thing. Right now its about us getting results and momentum, and we certainly did that.

Lots still be worried and concerned about. I really don't know how we will do in two quickfire 'finals' against Bulgaria/Romania/Israel and then possibly Norway/Serbia ; but we'll see.

McBurnie - I don't see what he offers. The odd fancy flick to the opposition or no man's land. Aye, he might think he looks the part, but a waste of a jersey. And it's nothing to do with goals either,  there are plenty of good strikers similar to him who have to work hard but don't score many goals ; Steven Fletcher was/is a much better option for that type of front man and I'd have him every day of the week in our team ahead of McBurnie. Still, he plays in the EPL and £20 million so he must be good. From the 9 or so games I've seen of McBurnie, I'd take Shankland ahead of him, hopefully Shanks gets on against Kazakhstan.

Positives - a win and some momentum.

Beggers can't be choosers and so on, but a clean sheet on Tuesday please, we concede too many goals but nae complaints with that wonder strike of theirs. There's something of a decent midfield in there, and if we can work harder, a bit of luck, find a goalscorer and defend better (aye, aye, a bit of a wish list) we could be a decent side.

Let's take it though and go marching on to Tuesday. SFA just give the tickets away, let's try and get 30000 at Hampden, and let's win this. Let's aim for three wins on the bounce going in to March - what will be a sold out Hampden if not near enough.

Performances

Taylor - very good for someone lacking match time. A few times caught out, and they were get in the right hand side too many times ; but overall did well. Looks a useful player.

Gallagher - well done. A difficult debut and whilst once or twice got off the hook, overall he did well. I had him for anytime scorer at 16/1.

Burke - no idea. He's just really fast, I hope he comes good ; but it's not looking great. Dropping down the leagues every year, but he's still young.

McGinn - becoming a bit of a first pick these days. A brilliantly well taken goal and a difficult angle. Well done John.

Anyhoos well done! Let's move on to Tuesday!

[weekevie04]

The Ref had a shocker! Horrendous, see better refs in the SPL.

[Marky]

39 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

Were we ever a team capable of walking all.over teams away from home? Maybe the likes of San Marino but in my lifetime we've never really thrashed or cruised passed teams away from home

 

It’s not about the score line buddie. Like you say, even in our heyday we rarely pumped teams. It’s about the performance. People have suggested that it was an “average” performance or an adequate one because we won the match 2-1. It wasn’t though. Not only were we lucky to win it, it was a terrible, uninspiring, lacklustre performance in which we luckily managed to edge out another terrible team.

Anyone who thinks a performance even remotely like that will be good enough to beat any of the countries we are likely to meet in the play off is off their head.

A confidence building victory would’ve been going away, winning the game by pretty much any score line, but doing so in a comfortable, entertaining and positive way. What I referred to a “depressing stuff”” was seeing us playing keep ball in the corner with 5 minutes to go against Cyprus, in match that that had no real significance at all.

[BraveheartGordon]

31 minutes ago, ErsatzThistle said:

Neil McCann claiming on Radio Scotland that O'Donnell should be starting 

In fairness I don’t think he did. Just said he was surprised Clarke wasn’t starting him given his relationship at Kilmarnock.

actually took it to mean that he was saying Clarke probably doesn’t really rate him.

[vanderark14]

40 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

Not sure what age you are but this is definitely the case for me as well. I’ve been watching Scotland since the late 80s and have always been nervous about this type of away game.

Not so much going to the big teams or teams equal to us but for teams we are expected to beat. Faroes, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Georgia, Malta, Cyprus etc. We normally struggle to beat these teams away.

Not sure what it was like in the 70s or early 80s though. 

We must be of similar age. We've always stuttered to wins like today but they key was always just to win them and the do wel.at hampden. We have to get back to that.

We rode our luck at times but we could have done better with some fo the chances we had too.

A win is a win, we must finish third. Ideally a good performance and win against Kazakhstan will come this week and we can look to the playoffs with confidence