Scotland squad

[mccaughey85]

5 minutes ago, Fairbairn said:

Is Ralston maybe unlucky not to be in ahead of Patterson?

Ralston has started the season well but he hasn't really looked brilliant in the past for celtic. If he continues to play well this season then he might get a chance at future squads. 

[vanderark14]

1 minute ago, mccaughey85 said:

Ralston has started the season well but he hasn't really looked brilliant in the past for celtic. If he continues to play well this season then he might get a chance at future squads. 

I think it's harsh on ralston. He is starting for celtic but is overlooked for the Motherwell RB and another RB who warms the bench

[Haggis_trap]

A little bit harsh not to take David Marshall as 2nd or 3rd keeper...
However, Stevie Clarke clearing looking to future with addition of Clark and Kelly as GK.
Craig Gordon deserves to be number 1, a great shot stopper.  But he wont last forever...

Lewis Ferguson a well deserved call up.

[Third Lanark]

5 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

I think it's harsh on ralston. He is starting for celtic but is overlooked for the Motherwell RB and another RB who warms the bench

You've got to have some consistency of selection; just picking someone with limited experience because he shows a bit of form leads to inconsistency in results. A long time ago our teams were picked on that basis and the results were disastrous on the whole. Ralston may be about to lose his Celtic place.

[er yir macaroon]

John Souttar should have been in. 

[Tartan blood]

I think this squad came a bit too soon for Ralston, Welsh and Souttar. All have started the season phenomenally, but we need to remember it's still only August. Gallagher and O'Donnell will likely be the ones to make way for them in the future.

Patterson has caps and experience at a Euros now, so despite not playing much, that is good enough justification to include him, I would say.

[wanderer]

2 minutes ago, er yir macaroon said:

John Souttar should have been in. 

He is only just back from a serious long term injury, but think there is a good chance he will be in next months squad if form continues.

[vanderark14]

2 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

You've got to have some consistency of selection; just picking someone with limited experience because he shows a bit of form leads to inconsistency in results. A long time ago our teams were picked on that basis and the results were disastrous on the whole. Ralston may be about to lose his Celtic place.

Patterson was selected despite having the same amount of game time as Ralston. O'Donnell for me is done, you talk about inconsistency, well O'Donnell is very inconsistent. I would call up Patterson and Ralston but start with Patterson. 

I'm not up to speed with Celtic's transfers, are they buying a right back?

[Fairbairn]

Just now, vanderark14 said:

 

I'm not up to speed with Celtic's transfers, are they buying a right back?

They've been linked with about half a dozen over the summer.

[vanderark14]

Just now, Fairbairn said:

They've been linked with about half a dozen over the summer.

I see

Isn't it nice to at least be discussing right  backs 🤣🤣🤣

[wanderer]

6 minutes ago, Tartan blood said:

I think this squad came a bit too soon for Ralston, Welsh and Souttar. All have started the season phenomenally, but we need to remember it's still only August. Gallagher and O'Donnell will likely be the ones to make way for them in the future.

Patterson has caps and experience at a Euros now, so despite not playing much, that is good enough justification to include him, I would say.

I think that is pretty much it in the case of Ralston and Souttar (Welsh I think was always going to be in the U21's)... do not think anyone (including Celtic fans) saw Ralston early season form coming, and probably caught Clarke unaware.

Personally I would have called up Ralston and Patterson for these games given O'Donnell has apparently not been playing for Motherwell of late.

[ProudScot]

11 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

Patterson was selected despite having the same amount of game time as Ralston. O'Donnell for me is done, you talk about inconsistency, well O'Donnell is very inconsistent. I would call up Patterson and Ralston but start with Patterson. 

I'm not up to speed with Celtic's transfers, are they buying a right back?

Agreed. Calling up O’Donnell when there is Patterson, Ralston, Ramsey to come and hopefully Ashby just seems like a waste of time.

 

[Diamond Scot]

The national manager has to look to the short term future aswell when picking a squad. 

Most people would agree that Ralston is currently in the Celtic team because they have nobody else. He has played well however Celtic are reportedly in the process of buying at least one right back. Rumoured to be a Croatia internationalist. The likeliehood is that Ralstons game time will be significantly reduced going forward.

So where is the benefit in dropping your current 1st choice right back only to potentially have to call him up for the next squad when Ralston loses his Celtic place? Thats no way to manage a player. If Ralston somehow keeps his place and form once a new RB is signed then Clarke can have more confidence picking him in the future.

Im all for calling up young players but theres a balance to be struck. 

[Third Lanark]

20 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

Patterson was selected despite having the same amount of game time as Ralston. O'Donnell for me is done, you talk about inconsistency, well O'Donnell is very inconsistent. I would call up Patterson and Ralston but start with Patterson. 

I'm not up to speed with Celtic's transfers, are they buying a right back?

Just bought the Croatian guy. You never know, Ralston may keep his place. Either way we are now in a far better position than even 3 months ago for right backs. SOD I think is gradually being weaned away but he has, what, 20 caps? You can't replace that experience (and tournament experience at that) easily.

[Third Lanark]

21 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

I see

Isn't it nice to at least be discussing right  backs 🤣🤣🤣

Yes, and nobody is mentioning Liam Palmer!

[Third Lanark]

30 minutes ago, er yir macaroon said:

John Souttar should have been in. 

We are now at the stage were newcomers and returnees have to be fed in gradually. Won't be long before he takes Hendry's place I would think. Ferguson gets in because Jack is still not ready and McTom has been injured.

[Malcolm]

9 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

We are now at the stage were newcomers and returnees have to be fed in gradually. Won't be long before he takes Hendry's place I would think. Ferguson gets in because Jack is still not ready and McTom has been injured.

Souter has a way to go.  Spends more time injured.  Need a decent season from him.

[morrie21]

You never know who will be drafted in off the standby list after the weekend club fixtures. As for the right-back position - Clarke knows and trusts O'Donnell. He gets some amount of stick on here but it looks to me that for now at least he is still the man in possession of the jersey. Denmark away next Wednesday  I think Clarke will go with his experience over Patterson. Moldova at home on the Saturday might be different, that could be Patterson's night to start.

[Archiesdad]

Aye, once again the old firm game played before a Scotland set of fixtures.

While not as many Scots as previous years it still has potential for injuries

Why do they always schedule old firm before Scotland games.?🤔

 

I still blame Albertz for our 1999 defeat (I know,I know) ⚽⚽

[theabsentee]

1 hour ago, Diamond Scot said:

The national manager has to look to the short term future aswell when picking a squad. 

Most people would agree that Ralston is currently in the Celtic team because they have nobody else. He has played well however Celtic are reportedly in the process of buying at least one right back. Rumoured to be a Croatia internationalist. The likeliehood is that Ralstons game time will be significantly reduced going forward.

So where is the benefit in dropping your current 1st choice right back only to potentially have to call him up for the next squad when Ralston loses his Celtic place? Thats no way to manage a player. If Ralston somehow keeps his place and form once a new RB is signed then Clarke can have more confidence picking him in the future.

Im all for calling up young players but theres a balance to be struck. 

Yeh very good point, ideally O'donnells time is coming to a end but it's slightly too early for Ralston. If he keeps the imminent croatian international signing on the bench in October hopefully he will be rewarded. 

   I hope Soutter & Welsh continue their good form & are also pushing for places on October. 

  Very pleased for Zander Clark, always thought he was one of the better spl keepers. Is Gordon fit enough for 3 games in a week? If not I'd give Clark his debut against Moldova as i think he looks a strong & confident enough character not to be phased by the step up. 

   

 

[0Neils40yarder]

2 hours ago, Haggis_trap said:

A little bit harsh not to take David Marshall as 2nd or 3rd keeper...
However, Stevie Clarke clearing looking to future with addition of Clark and Kelly as GK.
Craig Gordon deserves to be number 1, a great shot stopper.  But he wont last forever...

Lewis Ferguson a well deserved call up.

It's far from harsh

[Tartan blood]

1 hour ago, Archiesdad said:

Aye, once again the old firm game played before a Scotland set of fixtures.

While not as many Scots as previous years it still has potential for injuries

Why do they always schedule old firm before Scotland games.?🤔

 

I still blame Albertz for our 1999 defeat (I know,I know) ⚽⚽

From one side, that is true. However, there is a very good chance that Celtic will be starting with 7 Scots: Taylor, Welsh, Ralston, McGregor, Forrest, Christie and Turnbull. Even in the 90s I doubt either half of the old firm were playing more Scots than that.

I'd be shocked if Rangers were starting with any eligible Scots, which is a sad thing to say about the Scottish champions.

[ceudmilefailte]

Pretty brave selections regarding the keepers but apart from that pretty much as expected.

Easy for me to say Gallagher and O'Donnell should be left out but Clarke did say he wanted to keep as much of the squad that trained together for the length of the Euro's  intact.

SPL seems to have a lot more depth to it than in recent years which must be a good thing.

[romanticscot]

We all seem to have forgotten how immense SOD was against England, I'm not saying he can ride that forever but I can't recall him letting us down. We have others budding options at right back and within 6-12 months I expect someone will have that position nailed down which is fantastic and an improvement in the attacking sense over SOD.

[DAVIDB46]

4 hours ago, wanderer said:

Aberdeen certainly do not need a keeper at the moment (Lewis, while a slight dip in form of late, has been one of the most consistent keepers in Scotland for a good few years, and when Woods played a few games last season Aberdeen fans were actually shocked just how good he is) and Hibs the same.

I think had Celtic failed to get Hart, their attention might have turned to Marshall as a alternative.

Hopefully he will get a move soon.

I think 12-16 months ago the loss of McTominay would have been massive, now its a case of hoping Hendry's performance v the Czechs in the Euros was a one off, and would expect Gilmour now a shoo-in to start from now on in midfield, I think there is some depth in the squad to call upon (personal opinion, but feel McTomany is wasted at the back, but problem is moving him into midfield seems to have a habit of upsetting the balance of that more so than when he plays at the back).

I get mctominay plays because he is on the books of man united , however I think we have enough players to choose that he doesn’t have to be shoe horned into the side.