dohadeer Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 2 minutes ago, Tartan blood said: Agreed. I didn't say we didn't have good midfielders, just far less to choose from. When McFadden, Maloney et al were injured, we were significantly weakened. Now, it seems we have a lot of strength in depth. Forwards as well? It's maybe too soon to say Griffiths is back to his best. But having an EPL striker (Mcburnie), a proven international player with bags of experience (Naismith), an up and comer (Shankland) as well as Griffiths, is one of the strongests we've been in years. We were heavily reliant on Kenny Miller for many years. I disagree about forwards I’m afraid. Regardless of potential or experience, I don’t see a Hearts attacker or a Dundee United attacker as anywhere near good enough to compete at the European Championships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan blood Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 2 minutes ago, dohadeer said: I disagree about forwards I’m afraid. Regardless of potential or experience, I don’t see a Hearts attacker or a Dundee United attacker as anywhere near good enough to compete at the European Championships. Excluding Shankland and Naismith. Assume Griffiths is at his best (hypothetical) and Mcburnie is playing regularly in a top 8 EPL team. When did we have a better strikeforce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csinclair Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 I feel we've got some of the best individual players we've had in a very long time at the minute but we've rarely looked like a solid team in the past few years with the exception of a handful of games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dohadeer Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Tartan blood said: Excluding Shankland and Naismith. Assume Griffiths is at his best (hypothetical) and Mcburnie is playing regularly in a top 8 EPL team. When did we have a better strikeforce? Yeah, it’s great to have an English Premiership striker again, and a £20m one at that, almost out of nowhere. I’m not sure that I’d include Griffiths in that discussion, but we’ll see how his career picks back up again. Yeah, it’s been a wee while, since Kenny Miller retired, since Naismith was at Everton, since McFadden was at Everton. Anyone I’m forgetting? 14 minutes ago, csinclair said: I feel we've got some of the best individual players we've had in a very long time at the minute but we've rarely looked like a solid team in the past few years with the exception of a handful of games. Unfortunately though, our centre back area is the weakest it’s ever been, and that’s such a key area, it can easily negate the quality players we have found elsewhere - especially when they are mostly midfielders, as we can only play five of them at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csinclair Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 13 minutes ago, dohadeer said: Unfortunately though, our centre back area is the weakest it’s ever been, and that’s such a key area, it can easily negate the quality players we have found elsewhere - especially when they are mostly midfielders, as we can only play five of them at once. Looking back at old squads we had some terrible CBs like McManus & Caldwell but they always seemed to be alongside someone like Weir who was leagues above what we have now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bino's Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 (edited) 13 hours ago, csinclair said: He's very well thought of at the club and many of their ex players have said they've missed him. Will probably take over from Matic. Matic has been getting rave reviews Fred more so Plus this new Portuguese dude He might get game in uefa cup this week though and hopefully can impress Edited February 26, 2020 by Bino's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bino's Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 13 minutes ago, csinclair said: Looking back at old squads we had some terrible CBs like McManus & Caldwell but they always seemed to be alongside someone like Weir who was leagues above what we have now. McManus and Caldwell regularly played champions league Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dohadeer Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 1 hour ago, csinclair said: Looking back at old squads we had some terrible CBs like McManus & Caldwell but they always seemed to be alongside someone like Weir who was leagues above what we have now. In fairness to Caldwell and McManus..... Although they probably both made more than the requisite three mistakes for them to be labelled ‘bombscares’ or ‘liabilities’ or ‘terrible’ by our fans, they both played regularly in the Champions League group stages and even knockout stages for Celtic didn’t they? Caldwell also (famously) played during the Hampden victory against France, and we certainly weren’t carrying any passengers that night, against a team that had drawn the World Cup final three months before. Our current centre backs of Aberdeen/Hearts/Motherwell level are a big step down from Caldwell and McManus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazmidd Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 It seems some of our big players are all returning just in time, Tierney back in training today, McTominay in the squad for Man Utd tomorrow, McGinn not far away now.. All coming together perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiefaetheferry Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 Fuck off with your optimism. This is a place of despair and anger. No hope is permitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross040386 Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Having so many midfield options right now is great. Clarke will, quite rightly, be planning for a double header and he’s shown in the qualifiers that he will rotate players between the two games. Wouldn’t surprise me if over the 10 potential midfield starting rolls over the two games (assuming we win on the Thursday) if Clarke picks 7 or even 8 different players. Having the likes of McTomminay and (hopefully) McGinn back definitely helps with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASTA Mick Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 18 hours ago, dohadeer said: Goalkeepers have been fine I think?! Having a choice between Gordon, Marshall and McGregor, for most of the past 15 years, has been a very nice situation to be in. All very good goalkeepers. Might not have been as clear as I thought I was...I'd add goalkeepers to the list where we've seen a huge decline as in we've gone from Gordon, Marshall and McGregor to picking 2 'keepers from League 1 in england. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan blood Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 17 hours ago, csinclair said: Looking back at old squads we had some terrible CBs like McManus & Caldwell but they always seemed to be alongside someone like Weir who was leagues above what we have now. Extremely harsh on McManus and Caldwell. McManus' career fizzled out early, but he was captain of Celtic and dominated in the air. Caldwell was one of my favourite players. He would put his head on a block to prevent a goal. I'd have a 27 year old Caldwell in my team in a heart beat. If you'd said Lee Wilkie you might have had a point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceudmilefailte Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 42 minutes ago, PASTA Mick said: Might not have been as clear as I thought I was...I'd add goalkeepers to the list where we've seen a huge decline as in we've gone from Gordon, Marshall and McGregor to picking 2 'keepers from League 1 in england. Think I'd chance it and pick Marshall, Kelly and McCrorie than stick with our two league one keepers. Possible that in ten years time that might look like we had three decent keepers to chose from. I reckon Kelly has this year had a pretty career defining season appearing to have won the battle with Lumley to be QPR number one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErsatzThistle Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 34 minutes ago, ceudmilefailte said: I reckon Kelly has this year had a pretty career defining season appearing to have won the battle with Lumley to be QPR number one. Take a look on the QPR forums. They are far from convinced about Kelly. They certainly don't want Lumley (who is a bombscare) back in goal. Yet, are saying Kelly makes a fair few mistakes himself and seems nervous. They want Kelly to be No. 1 until the summer and then buy another keeper. Craig MacGillivray has been dropped at Portsmouth supposedly for refusing to sign a new contract and is widely expected to be sold in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csinclair Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Kelly isn't the issue, it's their woeful defence making countless mistakes. Good practice for being a Scotland keeper then I guess.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceudmilefailte Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Just now, ErsatzThistle said: Take a look on the QPR forums. They are far from convinced about Kelly. They certainly don't want Lumley (who is a bombscare) back in goal. Yet, are saying Kelly makes a fair few mistakes himself and seems nervous. They want Kelly to be No. 1 until the summer and then buy another keeper. Craig MacGillivray has been dropped at Portsmouth supposedly for refusing to sign a new contract and is widely expected to be sold in the summer. You right, I had looked at the hoops and dreams forum(if that's the one one you looked at} I dare say you might have noticed I like my stats site and since becoming first choice at the beginning of January his ratings have been pretty high. I would imagine stats for keepers are pretty easy to measure. Mind you if you say he looks nervous he is a mile away from selection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0Neils40yarder Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 On 2/26/2020 at 12:52 PM, PASTA Mick said: The 6 should be - McGregor - McTominay Forrest - McGinn* - Fraser Griffiths *Christie comes in if McGinn doesn't make it. Another Cellic man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan Chris Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 On 2/25/2020 at 6:42 PM, Bino's said: Debatable whether he'll be back in starting 11 as they've improved Started and scored last night. OGS really rates him so he'll be getting plenty of minutes while he stays as manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan Chris Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 On 2/26/2020 at 4:12 PM, PASTA Mick said: Armstrong starting wouldn't upset me. I just think the players I mentioned are better, but don't think there is much in it. Fleck is having a great season but he's so inexperienced at this level I just can't justify him ahead of any of the midfield 3. McBurnie ahead of Griffiths would be a huge gamble. I've often stuck up for McBurnie on here but it's hard to make an argument for him ahead of Griffiths on current form. Current league form not much diffferent. Griff scored 4 league goals since August, McBurnie 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dohadeer Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 32 minutes ago, Tartan Chris said: Current league form not much diffferent. Griff scored 4 league goals since August, McBurnie 3. I don’t think that you can tell anything by quoting that one single statistic. I assume that McBurnie has played many more minutes than Griffiths. McBurnie is playing in a far more difficult league. McBurnie’s Sheffield United game is about far more than the number of goals he scores - as a Scotland striker’s game is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan Chris Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 All true but Pasta Mick was making the case more for Grifiths being the far superior option atm. It will be good for Leigh Griffiths to be back in the squad as an option after all he's been through. What a story if he's the one that scores the goal that gets Scotland to first final in 22 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bino's Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 20 hours ago, Tartan Chris said: Started and scored last night. OGS really rates him so he'll be getting plenty of minutes while he stays as manager. Delighted Some doubt whether he'll start this weekend Hopefully he does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackhayes17 Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 On 2/25/2020 at 5:10 PM, 0Neils40yarder said: I'm going to take a guess that you're a Cellic fan Dundee fan mate. Just what I think would do a job for us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandydon Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Scott McKenna out for the season apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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