Poland Match Thread

[fanatyk]

if his foot was above butcher`s Greer`s chest, how it is possible his tibia protector is smashed and there is hole in his leg? He cut himself while shaving?

[scotlad]

Fascinating group. I know it would be close and exciting but not as much as this at an early stage.

Enjoyed watching this Scotland side more than any in my lifetime

Same here.

I have seen some excellent results and performances during my time as a Scotland fan (mostly during the Craig Brown era) but this is the first time I can remember us actually playing decent football and achieving decent results too.

Jesus christ...if it had been Levein we would have been out by now.

If Levein was still in charge we'd be sat on one point at this stage after drawing 0-0 against Georgia at home.

Four points after the first three games is exactly what I expected us to realistically achieve. For a while last night it looked it looked like we might do better than that but in the end a draw was probably a fair result. One thing is for sure, it was a cracking game of fitba'.

[Banjaxed]

Ireland were hopeless against Georgia. That same team played against Germany and reverted to the same negative tactics. Not until the introduction of Hendrick, Gibson and Hoolahan did Ireland play with confidence and and we looked very dangerous in the last 20 minutes.

Assuming O'Neill sees sense and adopts a more positive approach and with Coleman and McCarthy to come back in, I can't see us losing against you guys next month...knowing how we can play...potentially.

If the same starting 11 that played against Georgia and Germany starts against you guys next month, then a loss wouldn't surprise me at all.

[andyD]

Greer on Lewandowski..

Greer puts hiw foot out and get the ball before Lewandowski does. Lewandowski mis-kicks as a result (Greer moved the ball) and his follow thru hits Greers foot. How is it a foul if Greer knocks the ball away first and Lewandowski kicks him?

I'd maybe criticise Greer as he seems to straighten his leg a bit which could really have hurt the Pole, but other than that.

You can argue it's dangerous play.. but for me he takes the ball first and he hasn't followed thru into the player, the contact is fron the player's own follow thru.

[RenfrewBlue]

And both have played Gilbraltar

I think folk are forgetting that both RoI and Poland have 3 points from the gift that is Gibraltar. Effectively we are all on 4 points when the gimme results are removed.

[Green_Tide_Rising]

Away! Having watched that game, you were as surprised as anyone that Ireland came away from that game with a win.

In fairness Dave - I have no problem saying that we werent at our best against Georgia , but we were marginally better than them , not by much but enough

I had accepted a draw until Mcgeady popped up and hit the back of the net with that wonder strike

I class scoring goals in the last minute of games, maybe not as flukey, but lucky. All i was saying was that you're team are carrying a little bit of luck that way and that is why 4 points against ye isn't good enough.

Btw i voted yes.

getting a little bit of luck has a very different meaning to saying we get flukey results

P.S there was nothing lucky about Mcgeadys winner in Georgia....the goal was pure skill

[Marky]

Brilliant stuff last night, but it’s just very frustrating with the benefit of hindsight when you know games were there for the taking. We were our own worst enemy last night.

Strachan said himself that we are at our best when we attack teams (loosely translated as we’re rubbish at defending).

Basically when we equalised against Germany and took the lead against Poland we just completely stopped playing the way that had been successful for us and just sat back. For most teams that would be the "right" thing to do, but it's suicide for us every time. We simply cannae defend at the moment. We just don’t have the players. Even our defenders are better at attacking. Still think that dropping Robertson last night was a massive mistake too. One of only two mistakes WGS made last night (the other being a negative tactical change too early in the game).

But that’s about it with the negative stuff. For massive chunks of the game last night we totally controlled it and looked like a properly good, top level team. Some of the fitba we play is majestic at times. We just need to get that belief that we can keep playing the same way when we get into commanding positions.

[ErsatzThistle]

Ireland were hopeless against Georgia. That same team played against Germany and reverted to the same negative tactics. Not until the introduction of Hendrick, Gibson and Hoolahan did Ireland play with confidence and and we looked very dangerous in the last 20 minutes.

Assuming O'Neill sees sense and adopts a more positive approach and with Coleman and McCarthy to come back in, I can't see us losing against you guys next month...knowing how we can play...potentially.

If the same starting 11 that played against Georgia and Germany starts against you guys next month, then a loss wouldn't surprise me at all.

That's fighting talk Banjaxed, love it !

[andyD]

To be fair, the introduction of Mila gave them a lot more dynamism up front. Mila, Milik and Grosicki looked like decent players, along side Lewandowski. We lost a grip on midfield when we made our changes and Poland seemed to sense they could get back in it (which they did). You've got to give them some credit for raising their game for the final 15-20 minutes and really putting us under pressure all over. Up until they point they'd been happy to let us have it outside their half pretty much. It's a little disappointing we didn't keep the ball as well in that final period, we'd handled it so well in tight situations the rest of the game, but we're still an improving side. we're not the finished article yet, but we are getting better and better since strachan came in.

not sure that not playing robertson was a massive mistake. I'm not at all a fan of whittaker at left back. he's so right footed that when he's at left back he plays us into trouble simply thru that. not to mention that he's not actually very good at any of the basic defensive duties. he didnt have a disastrous game tho. got in a couple of decent blocks and while he still got embarassed by a 32 year old from Slask Wroclaw, he did mostly ok. I don't think strachans call of limitting our fulbacks and not overcommiting players forward during the game was a bad one and he probably picked whittaker because he's more mature and so probably more inclined to resist charging forward. it let us contain poland really well for most of the match and combined with Maloney offering up as a midfield option it gave us a lot of control and security. Do i think robertson's up to the job? absolutely. did him not playing affect the result at all? probably not.

[Parklife]

Basically when we equalised against Germany and took the lead against Poland we just completely stopped playing the way that had been successful for us and just sat back.

I disagree that we "sat back".

Poland had allowed us a lot of easy possession in our own half prior to that in the game, which meant we could work the ball up the pitch and build possession in more attacking areas.

After we went 2-1 up, Mila came on and Poland started pressing us far higher up the pitch. We struggled to keep the ball and ended up often having to punt it long (which made taking both Fletcher and Naismith off bizarre IMO) and lost the ball. Allowing Poland to get possession far higher up the pitch than they previously had.

[Marky]

I disagree that we "sat back".

Poland had allowed us a lot of easy possession in our own half prior to that in the game, which meant we could work the ball up the pitch and build possession in more attacking areas.

After we went 2-1 up, Mila came on and Poland started pressing us far higher up the pitch. We struggled to keep the ball and ended up often having to punt it long (which made taking both Fletcher and Naismith off bizarre IMO) and lost the ball. Allowing Poland to get possession far higher up the pitch than they previously had.

That's fair comment actually. Although you'd have to question Poland's ambition to be still sitting off us at 1-1. Totally agree on the subs issue as I said in my previous post.

[andyD]

I think they just believe that they'll get a couple of chances and that they have the quality to take them.

[Langtonian]

Greer on Lewandowski..

Greer puts hiw foot out and get the ball before Lewandowski does. Lewandowski mis-kicks as a result (Greer moved the ball) and his follow thru hits Greers foot. How is it a foul if Greer knocks the ball away first and Lewandowski kicks him?

I'd maybe criticise Greer as he seems to straighten his leg a bit which could really have hurt the Pole, but other than that.

You can argue it's dangerous play.. but for me he takes the ball first and he hasn't followed thru into the player, the contact is fron the player's own follow thru.

watched it again and it didn't look like Greer got anything on the ball.looked a red card offence,studs up

[girvanTA]

Greer is a rockstar!

[davew]

Here's the Greer challenge on Lewandowski in pictures

Edited October 16, 2014 by davew

[Caledonian Craig]

Well how about the Pole who dived in the area shortly after that incident trying to con the ref and win a penalty. Is that also not now a red card offence as well or at least yellow?

[fanatyk]

two situations totally incomparable (if it was any diving anyway)

you couldn`t finish someone career by diving and there is yellow card for this as we all know

butchers like Greer usualy ends up with red card plus additional suspension by FIFA

he was very very lucky but won`t be suprised if football authorities have a closer look at it post match

[ParisInAKilt]

Thought it was a bad tackle at the time and the replays and pictures prove it. Dangerous and probably a red card, although I don't think there was any malice in it

[Caledonian Craig]

but won`t be suprised if football authorities have a closer look at it post match

Unlikely. Unless the ref has put it in his match report which I can't see him doing since he never even gave the free-kick.

[Parklife]

Greer should've been off. No doubt about it.

Folk coming out with "he kicked the ball first" only show they don't have a fecking clue what they're talking about

[andyD]

watched it again and it didn't look like Greer got anything on the ball.looked a red card offence,studs up

if you cant see greer getting hte ball then.. there's not really much point disagreeing with you.

you should probably surrender your driving license till you get yourself off to specsavers tho.

[ParisInAKilt]

Don't think it matters if he hit the ball first

[davew]

Greer should've been off. No doubt about it.

Folk coming out with "he kicked the ball first" only show they don't have a fecking clue what they're talking about

Yellow card IMO.

Although it's really not far off a red card.

[andyD]

Don't think it matters if he hit the ball first

Fair enough.

I'd say that he got the ball and he doesn't go thru the man, the man kicks him and that's where all the force comes from.

Maybe he was lucky, his studs were up more than they needed to be and on another night he might have been sent off for it.

If your point just that it was dangerous, rather than it was a foul?

[ParisInAKilt]

I thought it was both at the time and after seeing a replay.