Before we blame the subs

[ProudScot]

13 hours ago, kumnio said:

Subs not to blame, entirely the game plan at fault. 

This.

Czech Rep was a worse fuck up in terms of gameplan and selection from the manager. 

Just can’t not pick his favourites despite them not being in our best 11.

[thesaint]

14 hours ago, Blantyre_Braveheart said:

While they have better players in certain departments, Croatia have been really poor this tournament and for a while in general. They are nowhere near the team they were 3 years ago when they overperformed at the world cup. Players are older, many are out of form and many of the newer players aren't of the same quality.

Yes they have better players but tactically like the Czech game we weren't set up right to counter it.

It's an easy out to say they have better players or they made the WC final.

Agree totally.The way we were set up against croatia was ridiculous.All their strenght is in midfield.So what do we do,try to match up against them.We should have started the game with either Forrest or Fraser.We had to have the option to try and by pass their midfield,by having somebody to provide an out from defence and carry the ball up the wing quickly.It was embarrassing the dominance the crotia midfield had.When we got that goal back just before half time,it was the perfect chance to put a winger on and give them something new to think about.Unfortunately,Steve Clarke chose to keep it the same,and if anything it was even worse in the second half.As usual,he waits until we go 2-1 down before making the change.He's not proactive,he's reactive.Too timid in his management.The only game that he got the tactics spot on was the england game,but the Czech and Crotaia game plans were really poor.Great to have got to the euros,but got to be said,a pretty poor tournament for us.Maybe,just maybe Billy Gilmour might have made a difference to the midfield situation,with his ability to hold the ball and make incisive passes,but as soon as he was not going to play,Clarke should have went for a different game plan,and not just try to replace Gilmour with Armstrong,who i hate to say ,has been crap so far.Maybe they were constrained by having to defend so much,but Tierney and Robertson didn't seem able to provide the usual pushing forward from defence,especially in the second half.Horrible night all round.

[thesaint]

15 hours ago, kumnio said:

Subs not to blame, entirely the game plan at fault. 

100% correct.It was totally ridiculous.Played into their hands.

[Parklife]

14 hours ago, Templeton_Peck said:

Pass back to marshall.. Punt it.. They keep ball for fun...Repeat.   

I was absolutely furious at Marshall at one point.

At the start of the second half, McGregor came short to give Marshall an easy pass in to the middle of the park. Marshall ignore him and humped it long. 

Subsequently the Croatians won the ball and 5 seconds later their striker was clean through on Marshall, who to be fair to him, did well to save.

Infuriating. 

[ProudScot]

9 minutes ago, Parklife said:

I was absolutely furious at Marshall at one point.

At the start of the second half, McGregor came short to give Marshall an easy pass in to the middle of the park. Marshall ignore him and humped it long. 

Subsequently the Croatians won the ball and 5 seconds later their striker was clean through on Marshall, who to be fair to him, did well to save.

Infuriating. 

Yes exactly this. 

His pass accuracy percentage must be about 15% based on last night. 

He’s a good shot stopper but that’s about it. Also getting beat from the halfway line not a particularly high career point for him. 

[thesaint]

2 hours ago, Jim Beem said:

I like Armstrong but he had a nightmare last night and should never have come out for the second half. I was praying to make it to half time just the 1 goal down, to go in at 1v1 was a huge boost. Again, a wee bit more positivity form Clarke and he would have changed it and came out guns blazing.

Correct.The time to change was at half time.It was crying out for a bit of positivity from the manager to give the opposition something different to think about.Instead the same team was put out,and it went from bad to worse.

[gaz7]

Armstrong getting a bit of stick as he did give ball away a few times however he also created best chances arguably with ball to mcginn who tried to head it to dykes and cross to adams, he takes risks and this is why he loses ball but he can also create. I agree that our midfield was over run but IF and its a big if we had scored one of our chances to go in lead at any point then game would have been different. I feel that dykes and adams were getting joy and although they had a lot of ball I also felt that we looked dangerous any time we attacked. Its too easy to say nothing was working but in effect it was as 11 attempts is not too bad in my book. our 352 was totally nullified with them I feel and made it easy for them to press. Robertson and tierney were pushed back so we went long and whilst it gave them ball back sometimes a lot of time dykes won it and we did have joy but could not get that little rub of green.

Going forward I feel our midfield needs to be mctominay gilmour and turnbull. Mctominay has the legs and the other 2 just look after the ball like its their wee toy. Clarke was I feel too loyal in this tournament but I also feel that Luck has not been with us. We had 41 attempts in 3 games and only 1 goal and yes a better finisher would likely have scored a couple but cmon look at how close we were. Totally disappointed but realism is with me and theres no way we were as bad as only 1 goal and 1 point in those 3 games. 

Scottish football players on the whole do not imo have enough ambition as the only way our national team will get better will be if we have players coming in from all different clubs abroad ala croatia. Ours in the norm get to either of big 2 and think theyve made it where in croatia they see dynamo zagreb as a stepping stone. Scottish football and English championship is miles behind technicians of Top countries. 

 

[Orraloon]

17 hours ago, Templeton_Peck said:

Pass back to marshall.. Punt it.. They keep ball for fun...Repeat. 

Only one team actually played any decent football. 

But if you had offered me all of this after the campaign started with a 3 nil loss to the Kazachs then would have bit your hand off.

We have a young team who will learn from this. We need a finisher though and probably a new keeper.  

That's the bit I found hard to believe. I thought we had got past that stage. I didn't count how many times we did it but it was a lot. If we were deliberately using that tactic then he should at least pick a goalie who can kick the baw more than 40 yards. I don't think his punts ever cleared the half way line?

[Orraloon]

6 hours ago, robbo cop said:

 

Roll on the next game and get this out of our system.

Good luck with that one. Our next game is away to Denmark. 

I'd take a draw right now. I fear that we could be getting another football lesson from a team full of players who are far more technically competent than we are.

[robbo cop]

27 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

Good luck with that one. Our next game is away to Denmark. 

I'd take a draw right now. I fear that we could be getting another football lesson from a team full of players who are far more technically competent than we are.

Aye, then it's away to Austria 6 days later with a home game v Moldova in between.

Huge games for us and hopefully get something away from home.