Scottish players in action 21/22

[BryanBlessed]

18 hours ago, mccaughey85 said:

Hes always been terrible for pulling out or not being available. Clarke had to make an example out of him because he took the piss one to many times. Good player and I would like him back in the squad but his commitment in the past was poor.

It would be strange for Clarke to bring him back into the fold for the Nations League and and then freeze him out again. He was frozen out at Newcastle (probably because he was on a good salary and didn't want to move for less) so I can understand him not being in recent squads but we don't really have any other players like him.

[bigfingers]

I’m liking the flexibility of our squad…: Maclean in centre defence and Christie playing more as a centre mid recently. 
Has anyone had a proper look at Maclean at centre back?

[syecosse]

First half goals for Conway for Bristol City and Michael Mellon Morecombe.

[bigfingers]

Shankland scoring in front of a watching Steve Clarke. 

[Caledonian Craig]

Stuart Armstrong scores for Southampton.

[Caledonian Craig]

An assist for Fraser today and Patterson starts for Everton against Burnley.

[Rich NATA]

1 hour ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Stuart Armstrong scores for Southampton.

 

58 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

An assist for Fraser today

 

I was there. 

Armstrong was awarded Man of the Match too. Deserved, I think. He was a busy bee.

Fraser Came on. He repeatedly created chances and provided the assist for the third goal (Mara).

Adams was on the bench, but never came on.

[BryanBlessed]

Though it's great to see Stuart Armstrong doing well and Nathan Patterson starting, my concern is still our CB's and attackers. I noticed Ryan Porteous came on as a sub today as did Dykes but Adams didn't get any game time. Given at least two of those three will most likely start for us, and Stewart Armstrong won't, I have some concerns. It wasn't long ago that there was talk of Adams and Hendry getting transferred to an EPL club but that seems a long time ago. I'd feel much more confident if we had at least one EPL-level CB (I don't consider Tierney a true CB)

Shankland, though it was a free header today, continues to stake a claim. As does Ryan Fraser.

[Caledonian Craig]

9 hours ago, BryanBlessed said:

Though it's great to see Stuart Armstrong doing well and Nathan Patterson starting, my concern is still our CB's and attackers. I noticed Ryan Porteous came on as a sub today as did Dykes but Adams didn't get any game time. Given at least two of those three will most likely start for us, and Stewart Armstrong won't, I have some concerns. It wasn't long ago that there was talk of Adams and Hendry getting transferred to an EPL club but that seems a long time ago. I'd feel much more confident if we had at least one EPL-level CB (I don't consider Tierney a true CB)

Shankland, though it was a free header today, continues to stake a claim. As does Ryan Fraser.

Hmmm well look at the Welsh side in Euro2016. There defence was made up of players playing for the likes of Reading, WBA and Swansea to name a few and they actually reached the semis. Proof that ifcyou have a well-drilled and well-organised defence it can take you far without need for an EPL influence.

[BryanBlessed]

1 hour ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Hmmm well look at the Welsh side in Euro2016. There defence was made up of players playing for the likes of Reading, WBA and Swansea to name a few and they actually reached the semis. Proof that ifcyou have a well-drilled and well-organised defence it can take you far without need for an EPL influence.

I think if you watch back that Belgium quarter-final, Wales really rode their luck in that game. Just like they did in the Ukraine play off.

Our only player who may be playing against top forwards every week will be McKenna if he gets a move to another EPL club and that may not happen. 

 

 

[Caledonian Craig]

3 minutes ago, BryanBlessed said:

I think if you watch back that Belgium quarter-final, Wales really rode their luck in that game. Just like they did in the Ukraine play off.

Our only player who may be playing against top forwards every week will be McKenna if he gets a move to another EPL club and that may not happen. 

 

 

Fact is they got through to the latter stages without being armed with an EPL-laden defence which is my point here. Some teams have to get by with what they have got. We cannot force EPL clubs to buy Hendry or Porteous or Hanley or Cooper but bear in mind our stand out central defender this campaign has probably been a man without EPL experience - Ryan Porteous usurping Scott McKenna who is in the EPL.

[Bobby Russell's Lovechild]

 

[Caledonian Craig]

16 minutes ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

 

Great watch.

[BryanBlessed]

1 hour ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Fact is they got through to the latter stages without being armed with an EPL-laden defence which is my point here. Some teams have to get by with what they have got. We cannot force EPL clubs to buy Hendry or Porteous or Hanley or Cooper but bear in mind our stand out central defender this campaign has probably been a man without EPL experience - Ryan Porteous usurping Scott McKenna who is in the EPL.

Porteous is hopefully going to eventually get a move to the EPL. I agree that he's been the stand-out. We definitely need Hickey though as he's a better defender than Patterson.

 

A team with championship- level centre backs might do well but that's probably an exception rather than a rule.

Regarding Wales, they had a group with a poor England side, a poor Russia side and Slovakia. They then got Northern Ireland in the last 16. Don't get me wrong, they did well but I don't think it was because of their defence. The best defensive performances are, for me, when you stop the opposition from really creating anything. That certainly wasn't the case for them against Belgium.

 

 

 

 

[mccaughey85]

1 hour ago, BryanBlessed said:

Porteous is hopefully going to eventually get a move to the EPL. I agree that he's been the stand-out. We definitely need Hickey though as he's a better defender than Patterson.

 

A team with championship- level centre backs might do well but that's probably an exception rather than a rule.

Regarding Wales, they had a group with a poor England side, a poor Russia side and Slovakia. They then got Northern Ireland in the last 16. Don't get me wrong, they did well but I don't think it was because of their defence. The best defensive performances are, for me, when you stop the opposition from really creating anything. That certainly wasn't the case for them against Belgium.

 

 

 

 

Thats a bit unfair on them, England are always a top team with top players and Russia usually have a decent team that plays well together. Slovakia aren't the minnows they used to be either. 

Wales did well and were obviously a good team around that period. 

[mccaughey85]

3 hours ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Hmmm well look at the Welsh side in Euro2016. There defence was made up of players playing for the likes of Reading, WBA and Swansea to name a few and they actually reached the semis. Proof that ifcyou have a well-drilled and well-organised defence it can take you far without need for an EPL influence.

Looking at their games v England and Belgium it seems like the played three at the back. All three were playing epl football at the time.

Williams was at Swansea and was a decent epl centre back at that time and had been a rock for Wales.

Davies was at Tottenham Hotspurs after spending a good few years at Swansea. Decent player at epl level.

Chester was at hull in the epl, not really sure how good he was but he did have a few years playing epl and played alot of championship football.

Thats definitely a step up from our options. 

Saying that I agree that we can forge a good defence out of the limited options we have. Porteous and hendry have been excellent despite no top league experience. Tierney usually does well in the position as well despite not being a proper CB. Our defence seems well drilled and knows how to defend as a unit. 

We just need to keep Gunn fit and I think we should be able to keep most teams out.

[Third Lanark]

Add to that the fact that Hendry is probably playing against better players now than he was in Belgium, we have Hanley to come back who has decent EPL experience as well as McKenna and Cooper who captained Leeds in the PL.

[BryanBlessed]

1 hour ago, mccaughey85 said:

Thats a bit unfair on them, England are always a top team with top players and Russia usually have a decent team that plays well together. Slovakia aren't the minnows they used to be either. 

Wales did well and were obviously a good team around that period. 

They had a good team but one outstanding player and one very good one.

 

I'm not saying Slovakia are  or were minnows but the have never been that great. That England team was really poor. They went out to Iceland. I think our current team would be confident of getting out of that group. It was certainly easier than what we're facing in Euro 2024. The only top opposition they came up against was Belgium and I wouldn't say that was a solid defensive display.

[BryanBlessed]

53 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Add to that the fact that Hendry is probably playing against better players now than he was in Belgium, we have Hanley to come back who has decent EPL experience as well as McKenna and Cooper who captained Leeds in the PL.

I looked into this last time this point came up and that league is rated well below the English championship. His team is not even doing well and I don't think he's performed well for Scotland since going there. Is there anyone who thinks he's improved?

[mccaughey85]

27 minutes ago, BryanBlessed said:

They had a good team but one outstanding player and one very good one.

 

I'm not saying Slovakia are  or were minnows but the have never been that great. That England team was really poor. They went out to Iceland. I think our current team would be confident of getting out of that group. It was certainly easier than what we're facing in Euro 2024. The only top opposition they came up against was Belgium and I wouldn't say that was a solid defensive display.

Not sure it's that much easier. Theres always upsets in tournaments and England going out to Iceland was an upset but they still had top players and were a top 10 side in the world. 

Russia had done well in the world cup and were a decent side around that time. They comfortably dealt with us a few years ago when they beat us 4 nil yet you think they were a poor side. 

Not sure how good Slovakia were at that time but they seem to be qualifying for the euros quite regularly so they can't be that bad.

Whatever way you spin it Wales had a good team and were worthy of their success. They had two star players and a squad full of good epl and championship players. With good management and a good team spirit you can achieve alot with a squad like that. 

[BryanBlessed]

9 minutes ago, mccaughey85 said:

Not sure it's that much easier. Theres always upsets in tournaments and England going out to Iceland was an upset but they still had top players and were a top 10 side in the world. 

Russia had done well in the world cup and were a decent side around that time. They comfortably dealt with us a few years ago when they beat us 4 nil yet you think they were a poor side. 

Not sure how good Slovakia were at that time but they seem to be qualifying for the euros quite regularly so they can't be that bad.

Whatever way you spin it Wales had a good team and were worthy of their success. They had two star players and a squad full of good epl and championship players. With good management and a good team spirit you can achieve alot with a squad like that. 

England came out of the 2014 World Cup with one point and Russia with two points. Consequently, they both went out in the group stages. Russia didn't do any better in Euro 2016 so how did they beat us? Mainly because we were rubbish with largely average players.

Anyway, the point wasn't that Wales weren't a decent side. It was that they didn't owe their success to their defence.

 

.

[mccaughey85]

10 minutes ago, BryanBlessed said:

England came out of the 2014 World Cup with one point and Russia with two points. Consequently, they both went out in the group stages. Russia didn't do any better in Euro 2016 so how did they beat us? Mainly because we were rubbish with largely average players.

Anyway, the point wasn't that Wales weren't a decent side. It was that they didn't owe their success to their defence.

 

.

Yeh sorry I got the 2014 world cup mixed up with the 2018 world cup. Either way Russia qualified for the 2014 world cup and did well at the 2018 world cup. That means they were a decent side between that period. 

As for England they are always a tough team to play. They are an elite nation and have top players that usually qualify with ease for tournaments. 

Wales did very well to get out of the group.

Not sure I know enough about Wales defensive record during that time so I can't really judge how good they were in that department.

[Scot1]

Man Utd look like they are going 4/3/3, Fernandez out of the team because of yellow cards. Be interesting to see if they look more balanced, although on paper their midfield 3 look like they lack a little creativity. 
Patterson had a decent game for Everton against Burnley, playing right wing back. Really should’ve had an assist, put in a lovely ball for DCL, just before Everton got their first goal. He’s still raw and inexperienced but when / if the penny drops we’re going to have a very good right back / wing back.

[er yir macaroon]

Just looking at Robbie McCrorie next to Jack Butland, McCrorie is huge now. Possibly as tall as Butland (who’s 6ft 5 in) and he has also developed a huge frame. He needs to go and get first team football and I’m sure clubs will be interested.

[mccaughey85]

10 minutes ago, er yir macaroon said:

Just looking at Robbie McCrorie next to Jack Butland, McCrorie is huge now. Possibly as tall as Butland (who’s 6ft 5 in) and he has also developed a huge frame. He needs to go and get first team football and I’m sure clubs will be interested.

He still growing at 24/25? Didn't think that was possible.

Not sure an extra couple of inches is going to make him alot better. 

Either way I agree he needs first team football.