Just For Fun

[Caledonian Craig]

As we all know the last time we graced a major tournament was the 1998 World Cup Finals squad and found myself wondering how our current squad measures up against that 1998 squad just for a bit of fun.

Well I'd say the Class of 2021 wins out for our back-up options. Leighton was a legend but back-up was Neil Sullivan and Jonathan Gould. Gordon as back-up is very strong.

The defence is a tighter call. The Class of 98 had experiences Premier League internationals at the heart of defence in Hendry, Caderwood and Weir as options whereas today we don't have that experience and are relying more on players playing out of position or playing in the SPL so would maybe just have to give it to 1998 but we do have better back-up today. The wide options would see left-side won by today's Robertson who is widely regarded as one of the best in Europe but 98 just win out on the other flank. Defence is a tie.

The midfield saw the Class of 98 packed with legends such as John Collins and Paul Lambert with the great servant Craig Burley also in there. Today we have better strength in depth but less experience and certainly not in the legends category yet - but that could change in the following years. Really tough to call as both have their strengths. A tie.

In attack the Class of 98 just come out on top for me with the likes of Durie, Gallacher and Booth to call on. At present we are still building our best attack so they are largely untried at the highest level so 98 wins.

In summary then Goalkeepers goes to 2021. Defence is a tie. Midfield is a tie. Attack goes to 1998.

Remember it is all fun.

Discuss....

 

[Malcolm]

I think it would be more interesting to pick a first 11 from each squad.  I think it would mainly be a 98 team with Robertson, Mcginn and maybe dykes....  off the top of my head and without looking at the squads...

 

                         Leighton

         Calderwood   Hendry.   Boyd

weir.           Lamber.  Collins.         Robertson

                            Mcginn

                  Gallagher.    Dykes/durie

 

would be something like I would go with...  but....  Leighton was at the end of his time really so an argument could be made for Marshall or Gordon.  Our forwards weren’t prolific back then either..  Fraser or Christie could be arguably better shout than Gallagher.

 

 

 

 

[exile]

I think an important point is your point about who we've been up against. The 98 side would be more likely playing 'bigger' teams more often? Our recent gaemes have been proportionately more 'at our level' almost by definition - our Nations League level.

It may be wishful thinking but I can't help thinking the 98 strikers had reached their peak or reached their limits - we only scored 2 goals, as I recall, and from midfield - whereas the current crop, there is optimism that the best is yet to come.

Though, these days it can be hard to judge the exact equivalent of midfiled and forwards compared with days of old?

 

Edited November 14, 2020 by exile

[daviebee]

1 hour ago, Malcolm said:

I think it would be more interesting to pick a first 11 from each squad.  I think it would mainly be a 98 team with Robertson, Mcginn and maybe dykes....  off the top of my head and without looking at the squads...

 

                         Leighton

         Calderwood   Hendry.   Boyd

weir.           Lamber.  Collins.         Robertson

                            Mcginn

                  Gallagher.    Dykes/durie

 

would be something like I would go with...  but....  Leighton was at the end of his time really so an argument could be made for Marshall or Gordon.  Our forwards weren’t prolific back then either..  Fraser or Christie could be arguably better shout than Gallagher.

 

 

 

 

Well Kevin Gallagher was pretty damn prolific in the qualifiers!  Swap Burley for Weir and that's more or less the team.  Tierney for Boyd maybe?

[Rolling hIlls]

1 hour ago, exile said:

I think an important point is your point about who we've been up against. The 98 side would be more likely playing 'bigger' teams more often? Our recent gaemes have been proportionately more 'at our level' almost by definition - our Nations League level.

It may be wishful thinking but I can't help thinking the 98 strikers had reached their peak or reached their limits - we only scored 2 goals, as I recall, and from midfield - whereas the current crop, there is optimism that the best is yet to come.

Though, these days it can be hard to judge the exact equivalent of midfiled and forwards compared with days of old?

 

Aye the game evolves and in 98 we got Brasil as usual!  Our group next year is a tough one so will be better able to judge afterwards.

[Rolling hIlls]

2 minutes ago, daviebee said:

Well Kevin Gallagher was pretty damn prolific in the qualifiers!  Swap Burley for Weir and that's more or less the team.  Tierney for Boyd maybe?

Tom Boyd was a decent player but I think Tierney is better.  I heard Ally McCoist a few weeks back talking about the level of fitness now that modern day players have compared to back when he played.  So, it is hard to judge really.  That bugger Boyd put a Celtic top over me from behind at  a sportsman's dinner at Fir Park one night.  He had brought it to raffle and I never seen him coming from behind.  All I could do was laugh.

[Rolling hIlls]

Seen this on FB and made me chuckle.  That is me got 6 friends on there now.  Ok, two have since died and one is a Snow Lepoard, but hey ho!

[Orraloon]

Ach that one's easy to answer.

Two words.

Christian Dailly.