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Team V Slovakia


Caledonian Craig

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Tomorrow's game against Slovakia, we shouldn't lose focus on its importance as we have seen from out previous Nations League campaign. Yes we are through to a play-off final but tomorrow we have to go in search of three points and strengthen our position in this group. Now we know Paul McGinn, Andrew Considine and Ross McRorie have been called up to bolster the Covid-19/injury hit squad. A lot of the team put in a load of effort the other night so I'd expect big changes to the starting line-up. It would not surprise me to see us line-up something like this:-

 

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

 

--------------------------------------------------Porteous---------------------------------Cooper-------------------------------------------------Taylor---------------------------------------------------------

------------McGinn-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Robertson--------------------------------------

 

---------------------------------------Jack--------------------------------------McLean----------------------------------------------------Fleck---------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fraser----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

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Just to add that Slovakia and Czech Republic do have COVID issues:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54491472

Also worth noting that we have a knackered squad but so do Slovakia who also went through extra-time and penalties on Thursday night and then had a flight thereafter.

Edited by Caledonian Craig
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Depending on player fitness, I can see a lot of changes incoming - especially as we need to consider the Czech Republic match on Wednesday:

Marshall

P McGinn, Porteous, Cooper, Considine, Taylor

McCrorie, McLean, Fleck

Paterson, Shankland

It's possible Gallagher, McTominay, McBurnie and Dykes could be fit enough to start despite starting on Thursday, as well as Fraser. I'd have Gallagher in for Considine, and Dykes in for Paterson if they are fit. Fraser did have a period at right wing-back for Bournemouth, so he could play there ahead of Paul McGinn, as could Jack if he's fit enough. I also wouldn't be surprised if the keeper is changed just to give McCrorie or McLaughlin a go.

If anything, tomorrow's match is will be a learning experience for us and will give players opportunities who wouldn't normal have one. The Slovaks do have their own Covid issues and did also go to penalties on Thursday, but I think their squad depth is better than ours.

The Slovaks aren't on the best form though and may be past their peak right now. They've only beaten Azerbaijan (twice), Hungary (twice) and Jordan since the start of 2019, with draws against Wales, Paraguay, Israel and Ireland and defeats to Wales, Croatia (twice) and the Czech Republic. This is much worse than when we faced them in World Cup qualifying a few years back, when they'd had a rather impressive 2014 and 2015 and decent 2016 and 2017. They also only won three of their past ten away matches (Hungary, Azerbaijan and Thailand), with two draws (Sweden and Israel).

I'd take a draw now, but even with a weakened side they're still beatable.

Edited by Clyde1998
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I think we need to go as strong as possible.  Players will be able to play again but there is no harm in freshening things up a little bit.  I think a positive result is so key to building the momentum we need ahead of the finals.

If we can, I'd start with the same XI other than swapping O'Donnell out.  I'd be tempted to bring Fraser in but would understand putting McGinn or McCrorie in instead. 

 

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Change the team around. It's a risk but we should take it.

Jack got tired before extra time and had to be taken off. O'Donnell was completely and utterly fucked when he was taken off during extra time. Gallagher was visibly wincing in the last ten-fifteen minutes like he was injured.

Maybe even let McLaughlin have a go in goal.

Return to having our strongest line up vs the Czechs.

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1 hour ago, PASTA Mick said:

I think we need to go as strong as possible.  Players will be able to play again but there is no harm in freshening things up a little bit.  I think a positive result is so key to building the momentum we need ahead of the finals.

If we can, I'd start with the same XI other than swapping O'Donnell out.  I'd be tempted to bring Fraser in but would understand putting McGinn or McCrorie in instead. 

 

I’m sure Clarke has more or less stated already he will change things up on Sunday. I expect 5 or 6 changes and then a very similar line up to Thursday against the Czechs on Wednesday. 

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5 hours ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Tomorrow's game against Slovakia, we shouldn't lose focus on its importance as we have seen from out previous Nations League campaign. Yes we are through to a play-off final but tomorrow we have to go in search of three points and strengthen our position in this group. Now we know Paul McGinn, Andrew Considine and Ross McRorie have been called up to bolster the Covid-19/injury hit squad. A lot of the team put in a load of effort the other night so I'd expect big changes to the starting line-up. It would not surprise me to see us line-up something like this:-

 

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

 

--------------------------------------------------Porteous---------------------------------Cooper-------------------------------------------------Taylor---------------------------------------------------------

------------McGinn-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Robertson--------------------------------------

 

---------------------------------------Jack--------------------------------------McLean----------------------------------------------------Fleck---------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fraser----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

I agree the game on Sunday is important as a win would almost certainly guarantee we won’t get relegated from League B. If we could manage at least 4 points from our next 2 games we could even start thinking about the possibility of promotion.

COVID is turning these games into a farce though.  We are actually lucky we are only missing 3 players due to the virus when you look at the issues the Czechs are having. 

Edited by Texas Pete
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Quote

After their squad were screened again on Saturday at their Cyprus training camp, head coach Jaroslav Silhavy and nine players have travelled to Israel.

They will be supplemented by players from the Czech top flight. The rest of the squad are awaiting test results and may rejoin their team-mates.

Interesting, sounds a bit similar to the last time. Wonder if some of the some lads that did so well against us will be in there again?

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15 hours ago, ErsatzThistle said:

Change the team around. It's a risk but we should take it.

Jack got tired before extra time and had to be taken off. O'Donnell was completely and utterly fucked when he was taken off during extra time. Gallagher was visibly wincing in the last ten-fifteen minutes like he was injured.

Maybe even let McLaughlin have a go in goal.

Return to having our strongest line up vs the Czechs.

How did the formation change when O’Donnell went off? Did Fraser slip into right wing-back? Can’t mind now, too busy thinking about the upcoming penalties I think....

Edited by McTeeko
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If we have wholesale changes fine, but please pick players that are fit.

One of my biggest bugbears as a Scotland fan is how unfit and the general poor fitness in our squad with a few exceptions.

it one of the reasons we go through so many players .

look at the likes of Iceland limited quality but they are always fit the side and they have qualified last few tournaments .

When I think of our fitness , I picture our players jumping over cones from those pictures you saw in the papers in the 70s and 80s under Macleod and stein.

i get the feeling it hasn’t moved on greatly from that .

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8 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Normally I support Clarke in his choices but I must say I'm baffled by the call-up of Considine at 33 years old. I get that he may just be there for emergency cover but why not pick Stuart Findlay who he has selected before, or Jason Kerr who is younger and been tipped for a call-up for a while?

Considine and McGinn are shocking call ups. So far off the standard required. Call ups of this nature should either be a) young boys with potential or b) older players who have had chance to push for starting places but for whatever reason have recrntly been oit of the picture. ( ie Griffiths and Phillips)

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9 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Normally I support Clarke in his choices but I must say I'm baffled by the call-up of Considine at 33 years old. I get that he may just be there for emergency cover but why not pick Stuart Findlay who he has selected before, or Jason Kerr who is younger and been tipped for a call-up for a while?

Findlay is in isolation along with the rest of killie squad.

Consodine is no world beater but be is solid and experienced and plays left of a back 3 for Aberdeen.

Pretty logical call up in my opinion.

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18 minutes ago, Diamond Scot said:

Considine and McGinn are shocking call ups. So far off the standard required. Call ups of this nature should either be a) young boys with potential or b) older players who have had chance to push for starting places but for whatever reason have recrntly been oit of the picture. ( ie Griffiths and Phillips)

What's wrong with picking dependable experienced players who will do a good job for a specific game or games? 

Don't particularly rate either player but they are experienced and less risky than calling up an unproven young player.

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38 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Normally I support Clarke in his choices but I must say I'm baffled by the call-up of Considine at 33 years old. I get that he may just be there for emergency cover but why not pick Stuart Findlay who he has selected before, or Jason Kerr who is younger and been tipped for a call-up for a while?

I hadn't realised Considine was as old as that.  I agree, though, he's a strange one to call up.  A solid club player, nothing more.  I'd have preferred to see a younger player brought in and given the opportunity, if called upon. 

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41 minutes ago, gonzohiggy said:

Findlay is in isolation along with the rest of killie squad.

Consodine is no world beater but be is solid and experienced and plays left of a back 3 for Aberdeen.

Pretty logical call up in my opinion.

Thanks. But Kerr is experienced too and may have more of a future than Considine.

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1 hour ago, Diamond Scot said:

Considine and McGinn are shocking call ups. So far off the standard required. Call ups of this nature should either be a) young boys with potential or b) older players who have had chance to push for starting places but for whatever reason have recrntly been oit of the picture. ( ie Griffiths and Phillips)

Agree totally.

I think if it was more okay to take in players from abroad then guys like Ryan Gauld, David Bates etc would be called in to this squad now. 

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2 hours ago, DAVIDB46 said:

If we have wholesale changes fine, but please pick players that are fit.

One of my biggest bugbears as a Scotland fan is how unfit and the general poor fitness in our squad with a few exceptions.

it one of the reasons we go through so many players .

look at the likes of Iceland limited quality but they are always fit the side and they have qualified last few tournaments .

When I think of our fitness , I picture our players jumping over cones from those pictures you saw in the papers in the 70s and 80s under Macleod and stein.

i get the feeling it hasn’t moved on greatly from that .

I don't know if that's true and I don't know why it should be true.  Many players are at EPL clubs and you'd expect their  fitness to be exactly the same as other players, these clubs spend a fortune on monitoring players, conditioning and ensuring they are as fit as possible.  I would expect the same from SPFL clubs as well, particularly Celtic and Rangers. I would expect that what happens on National duty has little impact on overall fitness.

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9 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:

I don't know if that's true and I don't know why it should be true.  Many players are at EPL clubs and you'd expect their  fitness to be exactly the same as other players, these clubs spend a fortune on monitoring players, conditioning and ensuring they are as fit as possible.  I would expect the same from SPFL clubs as well, particularly Celtic and Rangers. I would expect that what happens on National duty has little impact on overall fitness.

It’s just an impression I get but you saw the state of Patterson when he came on, mcburnie was struggling but maybe that was through lack of game time.

i get the feeling we are not trusted to look after players by English clubs as we are seen as not very professional , with arsenal saying before not to pick tierney and Steve Bruce wasn’t happy as he didn’t think fraser was fit enough.

You would not these clubs making ultimatums to the likes of Giggs and Southgate 

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6 minutes ago, killiefaetheferry said:

Ireland look very ordinary but should have won in Slovakia...

The Irish were very unlucky not to win in Slovakia. They have had a number of players pull out today due to injuries and Covid, so aren't at full strength (neither are we, mind). The Welsh are lacking Bale and Ramsey, among others, so aren't at full strength either - so it may be hard to judge where sides are right now.

I imagine Slovakia are missing a number of first teamers with everything going on, as well as being in the same boat as us with having to make changes are going to penalties on Thursday.

Today's game is winnable, even with a changed side.

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