Scotland starting XI vs Czech Republic

[adamntg]

4 hours ago, ErsatzThistle said:

The game against the Hong Kong League XI has never been recognised by FIFA so Warren Cummings has no caps for Scotland. Appearances and goals scored in that game don't count either. The SFA arranged that game at the last minute so that Vogts could finally record a win.

Bob Malcolm was called up at least once by Vogts but he never played. He has no caps.

Jamie Smith was quite a promising young player at Celtic but injuries screwed his career.

With the benefit of hindsight, Vogts would have been slightly better off picking players like Robbie Winters, Charlie Miller, Alex Rae & Dougie Freedman (all four of whom he ignored) than some of the others he picked. 

Kenny Miller kept getting injured during the first half of Vogts time in charge which didn't help either.

Again with hindsight, Paul Gallacher should really have been our first choice goalkeeper rather than Rab Douglas.

The other Paul Gallagher, the one from Blackburn.  Fair enough on WATP Malcolm. 

Edited September 7, 2020 by adamntg

[ProudScot]

Should be McLeans last cap. For Christ sake get McTominay back into midfield, so out of place and uncomfortable at the back. 

[exile]

The pessimist says we've been too dire too long.

But can our fortunate result turn into confidence?

Edited September 7, 2020 by exile

[Stu101]

Fuck that.

We dont deserve to play at any finals for a long time.

The shape, tactics, press, movement, runnning, switching were all over the shop. I'm still not sure who was playing where. Why was McTominay at the back?!

Marshall man of the match imo.

[Hertsscot]

Just now, exile said:

The pessimist says we've been too dire too long.

But can our fortunate survival turn into confidence?

The pessimist says we can't keep playing so rubbish and getting away with it.

[slasher]

Marshall is the only player to emerge with any credit from that omnishambles

Edited September 7, 2020 by slasher

[Texas Pete]

10 minutes ago, dandydunn said:

McTominay was a bomb scare all night. 

Agreed but it’s not his fault. He should be nowhere near the defence. 

[Hertsscot]

I don't understand the back three, that's twice now McTominay has (through no fault of his own) been found wanting.  If Clarke continues with a three I don't know who would take McTominay's place.  The midfield still isn't right, the result is good, Dykes has been a positive but other than that we seem to be no further forward.

 

[Barney Rubble]

1 hour ago, Barney Rubble said:

And that is why I am not a football manager.

Two great crosses from Palmer and a tidy finish from Dykes.

Well done to both players.

I take the Palmer part back - he reverted to being his normal useless self throughout the entire second half.

David Marshall MoM by some distance. Dykes ran his guts out and scored a decent goal.

None of the rest put in anything close to an acceptable performance.

[dandydunn]

4 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

Agreed but it’s not his fault. He should be nowhere near the defence. 

Correct 

[ErsatzThistle]

McLean was fucking dreadful. Gave the Czechs the ball every friggin time he could. 

McKenna needs to realise that he might get away with manhandling players around the box in the Scottish premiership but not at international level. 

Well done Dykes 

Was sorry that big Paterson missed that chance he had. He loves playing for Scotland.

[Barney Rubble]

30 minutes ago, mentalist said:

Has Crock of Shit said "Scotland always do things the hard way" yet? Cos if he hasn't I guarantee the bastard will soon.

Maybe if we stopped supplying him with ample ammunition then he wouldn't have cause to say it.

Edited September 7, 2020 by Barney Rubble

[COLT NY]

12 minutes ago, dandydunn said:

McTominay was a bomb scare all night. 
 

Mclean, Christie, Armstrong were all horrific.  

This exactly.

Marshall was man of the match by a mile. Without him they'd have had 3 or 4, and without the post they'd have had another couple. I'd have been happy with a 2-1 before the game but this performance (and Israel) was so bad I'm feeling nothing.

[weekevie04]

That was probably worse than Friday.

Well done Czech's make shift team. They were put together on Saturday night, at most they've had two training sessions - two players among their team had been capped.

We looked like the side cobbled together.

So slow, cumbersome, and poor basic skills - how many times do we needesley give it away or can't even pass it straight or string 5-6 passes together before its back to a red shirt. We were offside about 10 times to their 1 ; they had 7 corners to our 0 ; and they had about 18 chances to our 3.  We were lucky with the penalty, incredibly lucky.

They had massive gaps (just like we did) yet the Czechs actually caused problems in the gaps.

Palmer is mince ; Cooper doesn't look great ; Haaland vs McKenna is a frightening thought ; Armstrong was horrendous ; Christie trying way too much and very little of it paying off ; Fleck did alright ; MacLean isn't good enough yet probably did the best out of the starters in midfield ; Robertson is not a captain, and Tierney is better IMO ; McTominay is rank as a defender.

Positives  :

McGinn actually looked good on the ball and in a better side with quicker thinking players might have caused issues for their team.

Dykes looks decent. He's probably not good enough at a high level, but he worked his arse off in both games, and some intelligent play. Looks more a player than McBurnie has in his 9 caps.

Marshall is a decent keeper. Not brilliant, but helped us a fair few times.

As for Clarke, I am not sure at all. Why try a formation you are supposedly aiming to fit KT and Robbo in to and not play one of them. He's too slow to makes changes, 61st minute before the first change? Is he another Levein with his stubborn ness to show he's boss? I like the guy, but he's not exactly inspirational nor the master coach some have tried to make him out to be.

We are top of the group by a massive luck of the green by playing a Czech B/C team. I doubt anyone was predicting us hammering them, but to be under the cosh, have absolutely nothing going forward again, horrendous huge gaps that the normal Czech side would easily open up in to. We would have lost about 4-0 tonight, if not for a huge bit of fortune.

You could argue we are top of the group and unbeaten in five games as a positive. And, we've got Israel coming up who we may well sneak though against yet coming up against Serbia or Norway ; we will surely be put to the sword and handsomely so ; and even if we do shit out a sponny 1-0 win in both games, do we really want to be at the Euros? At least we are forgotten about just now ; if we make it and you've got the world viewing us embarrassing ourselves at a major finals?

We can't even do basic things right. String 5 or 6 passes together. The panic of just blootering it out to anywhere, no creation or invention in the team. No one good enough to trouble defenders up front. Dykes and Shankland look average enough players and I like what they've done in Scotland jersey, sadly they are not good enough to play against better teams - or to score and break down defenders of better teams.

 

[exile]

All too familiar. 

[mariokempes56]

4 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

That was probably worse than Friday.

Well done Czech's make shift team. They were put together on Saturday night, at most they've had two training sessions - two players among their team had been capped.

We looked like the side cobbled together.

So slow, cumbersome, and poor basic skills - how many times do we needesley give it away or can't even pass it straight or string 5-6 passes together before its back to a red shirt. We were offside about 10 times to their 1 ; they had 7 corners to our 0 ; and they had about 18 chances to our 3.  We were lucky with the penalty, incredibly lucky.

They had massive gaps (just like we did) yet the Czechs actually caused problems in the gaps.

Palmer is mince ; Cooper doesn't look great ; Haaland vs McKenna is a frightening thought ; Armstrong was horrendous ; Christie trying way too much and very little of it paying off ; Fleck did alright ; MacLean isn't good enough yet probably did the best out of the starters in midfield ; Robertson is not a captain, and Tierney is better IMO ; McTominay is rank as a defender.

Positives  :

McGinn actually looked good on the ball and in a better side with quicker thinking players might have caused issues for their team.

Dykes looks decent. He's probably not good enough at a high level, but he worked his arse off in both games, and some intelligent play. Looks more a player than McBurnie has in his 9 caps.

Marshall is a decent keeper. Not brilliant, but helped us a fair few times.

As for Clarke, I am not sure at all. Why try a formation you are supposedly aiming to fit KT and Robbo in to and not play one of them. He's too slow to makes changes, 61st minute before the first change? Is he another Levein with his stubborn ness to show he's boss? I like the guy, but he's not exactly inspirational nor the master coach some have tried to make him out to be.

We are top of the group by a massive luck of the green by playing a Czech B/C team. I doubt anyone was predicting us hammering them, but to be under the cosh, have absolutely nothing going forward again, horrendous huge gaps that the normal Czech side would easily open up in to. We would have lost about 4-0 tonight, if not for a huge bit of fortune.

You could argue we are top of the group and unbeaten in five games as a positive. And, we've got Israel coming up who we may well sneak though against yet coming up against Serbia or Norway ; we will surely be put to the sword and handsomely so ; and even if we do shit out a sponny 1-0 win in both games, do we really want to be at the Euros? At least we are forgotten about just now ; if we make it and you've got the world viewing us embarrassing ourselves at a major finals?

We can't even do basic things right. String 5 or 6 passes together. The panic of just blootering it out to anywhere, no creation or invention in the team. No one good enough to trouble defenders up front. Dykes and Shankland look average enough players and I like what they've done in Scotland jersey, sadly they are not good enough to play against better teams - or to score and break down defenders of better teams.

 

Utterly depressing.  I'd agree almost 100%.

[Malcolm]

feck knows where we go from here

                         Marshall

tierney.    McKenna Cooper.    Robertson

    Armstrong  Mctominay fleck mcginn

                          Christie 

                          Dykes

 

its horrible...

      

[Malcolm]

2 minutes ago, mariokempes56 said:

Utterly depressing.  I'd agree almost 100%.

Me too.

[Hertsscot]

3 hours ago, runningtings said:

------------------- Marshall

Palmer Cooper McKenna Robertson

------------- Fleck McLean

Christie McTominay Armstrong

------------------ Dykes

Shame we never got to see that team tonight in that formation

[fringo]

18 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:

I don't understand the back three, that's twice now McTominay has (through no fault of his own) been found wanting.  If Clarke continues with a three I don't know who would take McTominay's place.  The midfield still isn't right, the result is good, Dykes has been a positive but other than that we seem to be no further forward.

 

Playing McTominay there once was bad enough but to do it twice in a few days is mental.

[ProudScot]

10 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

That was probably worse than Friday.

Well done Czech's make shift team. They were put together on Saturday night, at most they've had two training sessions - two players among their team had been capped.

We looked like the side cobbled together.

So slow, cumbersome, and poor basic skills - how many times do we needesley give it away or can't even pass it straight or string 5-6 passes together before its back to a red shirt. We were offside about 10 times to their 1 ; they had 7 corners to our 0 ; and they had about 18 chances to our 3.  We were lucky with the penalty, incredibly lucky.

They had massive gaps (just like we did) yet the Czechs actually caused problems in the gaps.

Palmer is mince ; Cooper doesn't look great ; Haaland vs McKenna is a frightening thought ; Armstrong was horrendous ; Christie trying way too much and very little of it paying off ; Fleck did alright ; MacLean isn't good enough yet probably did the best out of the starters in midfield ; Robertson is not a captain, and Tierney is better IMO ; McTominay is rank as a defender.

Positives  :

McGinn actually looked good on the ball and in a better side with quicker thinking players might have caused issues for their team.

Dykes looks decent. He's probably not good enough at a high level, but he worked his arse off in both games, and some intelligent play. Looks more a player than McBurnie has in his 9 caps.

Marshall is a decent keeper. Not brilliant, but helped us a fair few times.

As for Clarke, I am not sure at all. Why try a formation you are supposedly aiming to fit KT and Robbo in to and not play one of them. He's too slow to makes changes, 61st minute before the first change? Is he another Levein with his stubborn ness to show he's boss? I like the guy, but he's not exactly inspirational nor the master coach some have tried to make him out to be.

We are top of the group by a massive luck of the green by playing a Czech B/C team. I doubt anyone was predicting us hammering them, but to be under the cosh, have absolutely nothing going forward again, horrendous huge gaps that the normal Czech side would easily open up in to. We would have lost about 4-0 tonight, if not for a huge bit of fortune.

You could argue we are top of the group and unbeaten in five games as a positive. And, we've got Israel coming up who we may well sneak though against yet coming up against Serbia or Norway ; we will surely be put to the sword and handsomely so ; and even if we do shit out a sponny 1-0 win in both games, do we really want to be at the Euros? At least we are forgotten about just now ; if we make it and you've got the world viewing us embarrassing ourselves at a major finals?

We can't even do basic things right. String 5 or 6 passes together. The panic of just blootering it out to anywhere, no creation or invention in the team. No one good enough to trouble defenders up front. Dykes and Shankland look average enough players and I like what they've done in Scotland jersey, sadly they are not good enough to play against better teams - or to score and break down defenders of better teams.

 

Depressingly accurate 

[Morrisandmoo]

25 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

That was probably worse than Friday.

Well done Czech's make shift team. They were put together on Saturday night, at most they've had two training sessions - two players among their team had been capped.

We looked like the side cobbled together.

So slow, cumbersome, and poor basic skills - how many times do we needesley give it away or can't even pass it straight or string 5-6 passes together before its back to a red shirt. We were offside about 10 times to their 1 ; they had 7 corners to our 0 ; and they had about 18 chances to our 3.  We were lucky with the penalty, incredibly lucky.

They had massive gaps (just like we did) yet the Czechs actually caused problems in the gaps.

Palmer is mince ; Cooper doesn't look great ; Haaland vs McKenna is a frightening thought ; Armstrong was horrendous ; Christie trying way too much and very little of it paying off ; Fleck did alright ; MacLean isn't good enough yet probably did the best out of the starters in midfield ; Robertson is not a captain, and Tierney is better IMO ; McTominay is rank as a defender.

Positives  :

McGinn actually looked good on the ball and in a better side with quicker thinking players might have caused issues for their team.

Dykes looks decent. He's probably not good enough at a high level, but he worked his arse off in both games, and some intelligent play. Looks more a player than McBurnie has in his 9 caps.

Marshall is a decent keeper. Not brilliant, but helped us a fair few times.

As for Clarke, I am not sure at all. Why try a formation you are supposedly aiming to fit KT and Robbo in to and not play one of them. He's too slow to makes changes, 61st minute before the first change? Is he another Levein with his stubborn ness to show he's boss? I like the guy, but he's not exactly inspirational nor the master coach some have tried to make him out to be.

We are top of the group by a massive luck of the green by playing a Czech B/C team. I doubt anyone was predicting us hammering them, but to be under the cosh, have absolutely nothing going forward again, horrendous huge gaps that the normal Czech side would easily open up in to. We would have lost about 4-0 tonight, if not for a huge bit of fortune.

You could argue we are top of the group and unbeaten in five games as a positive. And, we've got Israel coming up who we may well sneak though against yet coming up against Serbia or Norway ; we will surely be put to the sword and handsomely so ; and even if we do shit out a sponny 1-0 win in both games, do we really want to be at the Euros? At least we are forgotten about just now ; if we make it and you've got the world viewing us embarrassing ourselves at a major finals?

We can't even do basic things right. String 5 or 6 passes together. The panic of just blootering it out to anywhere, no creation or invention in the team. No one good enough to trouble defenders up front. Dykes and Shankland look average enough players and I like what they've done in Scotland jersey, sadly they are not good enough to play against better teams - or to score and break down defenders of better teams.

 

I'm just going to quote this too. Nothing else needs to be said. 

[runningtings]

Well summed up weekev

[BucksburnDandy]

Undeniably poor again tonight but the history books will only show a 2-1 win in the Czech Republic so let's be thankful for that.

First the handful of positives - Marshall was superb, Dykes once again very good, Christie looked bright again, Armstrong was decent and McKenna again looked pretty comfortable, twice in a week for the big guy.

In terms of players, really not sure how Kenny McLean lasted 90 minutes out there as he was brutally bad. Palmer was dozy tonight, McTominay isn't a centre half but that's not his fault that everyone wants to shoehorn him in there.

The same faults as Friday in terms of the formation, it stunted any creativity we had going forward and once Clarke did his usual sitting back tactic once we got the lead, the centre of midfield was too light in numbers leading to an onslaught for the defence. Ultimately we are more comfortable playing 4-5-1/4-2-3-1/4-3-3 and I would like to see us revert back to that for the playoffs.

A word for the Czechs who were a decent team and probably would be a good League C outfit if given time and preparation, better than a number of countries we've been beat by (Georgia and Kazakhstan to name two).

Ultimately to play poorly over two games and get four points is a positive but we desperately need to see signs of progress soon under Clarke as it was difficult to take too much positives over the last two matches. However, top of the league and probably a point better off than I thought we would be so I'll take that as my positive viewpoint for tonight.

[Bino's]

5 minutes ago, BucksburnDandy said:

Undeniably poor again tonight but the history books will only show a 2-1 win in the Czech Republic so let's be thankful for that.

First the handful of positives - Marshall was superb, Dykes once again very good, Christie looked bright again, Armstrong was decent and McKenna again looked pretty comfortable, twice in a week for the big guy.

In terms of players, really not sure how Kenny McLean lasted 90 minutes out there as he was brutally bad. Palmer was dozy tonight, McTominay isn't a centre half but that's not his fault that everyone wants to shoehorn him in there.

The same faults as Friday in terms of the formation, it stunted any creativity we had going forward and once Clarke did his usual sitting back tactic once we got the lead, the centre of midfield was too light in numbers leading to an onslaught for the defence. Ultimately we are more comfortable playing 4-5-1/4-2-3-1/4-3-3 and I would like to see us revert back to that for the playoffs.

A word for the Czechs who were a decent team and probably would be a good League C outfit if given time and preparation, better than a number of countries we've been beat by (Georgia and Kazakhstan to name two).

Ultimately to play poorly over two games and get four points is a positive but we desperately need to see signs of progress soon under Clarke as it was difficult to take too much positives over the last two matches. However, top of the league and probably a point better off than I thought we would be so I'll take that as my positive viewpoint for tonight.

Not sure everyone was picking the team

Just Steve Clarke

Shades of levein now

Stubbornly continuing with obvious mistakes