2021 Most Improved

[romanticscot]

Using the poll, who has improved the most this year? Please back up your choice using the thread. 

Edited November 28, 2021 by romanticscot

[Tartan blood]

Callum McGregor for sure. I was his biggest critic right up until the Euros. Whether it was the goal he scored, or being given the captaincy at Celtic, or anything else, something has changed. He's been a man possessed.

I suspect it's a combination of many things, but number 1 will have been that he was finally in a precarious situation where his place in the first 11 was not guaranteed for Scotland or Celtic. Well he's put that to bed the last few months.

Still not undroppable in the way McGinn is, but he has definitely improved the most in my eyes.

[gkm_vancouver]

I'd actually say Patterson is most improved as he has gone from a first cap in a friendly to a nailed-on starter at right back and with 2 assists and a goal to boot.

[ceudmilefailte]

Has to be Clarke for me considering I started a thread questioning if he was worth the new contract he got. 

[Caledonian Craig]

I was torn between McGregor and Hanley but opted for the Norwich central defender.

About a year ago I was feeling McGregor should be dropped to make way for another option but that has greatly changed with the emergence of Gilmour. He and McGregor have formed a great partnership that works so well together and makes our midfield tick. I now absolutely do not want McTominay muscling in to spoil this partnership.

However, I just gave it to Hanley. When he was recalled I was skeptical and I remembered back to his early international career where all I remember him doing was pulling jerseys and filling me with dread as we defended set pieces. Since breaking back into the team he has been like a different player. Marshalled pur defence and read the game well and offered a threat at set pieces. He has become an integral part in our team.

[Third Lanark]

9 hours ago, Tartan blood said:

Callum McGregor for sure. I was his biggest critic right up until the Euros. Whether it was the goal he scored, or being given the captaincy at Celtic, or anything else, something has changed. He's been a man possessed.

I suspect it's a combination of many things, but number 1 will have been that he was finally in a precarious situation where his place in the first 11 was not guaranteed for Scotland or Celtic. Well he's put that to bed the last few months.

Still not undroppable in the way McGinn is, but he has definitely improved the most in my eyes.

When he was on loan at Notts County a few seasons ago he scored I think 11 goals. That's the one area he can improve on - his finishing and getting into the box. He is no holding player that's for sure. But his passing has improved immeasurably.

[aaid]

Given that he’s gone from being uncapped to be8ng one of the first names on the team sheet in six months, it’s hard to see past Gilmour, which makes his omission staggering

[romanticscot]

1 hour ago, aaid said:

Given that he’s gone from being uncapped to be8ng one of the first names on the team sheet in six months, it’s hard to see past Gilmour, which makes his omission staggering

I was thinking in the context of their Scotland appearance's, who has covered the most ground from their worst to their best and maintaining that at a consistent level.   

[aaid]

30 minutes ago, romanticscot said:

I was thinking in the context of their Scotland appearance's, who has covered the most ground from their worst to their best and maintaining that at a consistent level.   

So someone who was shite and is now okay qualifies?

[romanticscot]

3 hours ago, aaid said:

So someone who was shite and is now okay qualifies?

Who in our current squad firsts that description for you? 

[daviebee]

Grant Hanley.  His performance at Wembley wasn't just outstanding - it was one of the best I've ever seen from a Scotland centre-half.  Considering he came back into the squad from absolutely nowhere it's hard to see past him.

[kumnio]

Grant Hanley by a good distance. He was absolutely dire for years, a complete utter bombscare for us, but now looks like a solid reliable player. One of the home games, he was booked very early, and I was absolutely certain that he would get sent off, but he played well after that, he has improved massively.

[Tartan blood]

17 hours ago, Third Lanark said:

When he was on loan at Notts County a few seasons ago he scored I think 11 goals. That's the one area he can improve on - his finishing and getting into the box. He is no holding player that's for sure. But his passing has improved immeasurably.

I wouldn't say he isn't a holding a midfielder. He isn't a defensive midfielder or anchorman, for sure, but him and Gilmour are excellent holding midfielders. 

It was his laissez-faire attitude that really annoyed me before, where he'd just pass the buck and let others do the hard work. Now he is far more dynamic and positive. 

The only reason I didn't vote Hanley is because I never bought into the bombscare narrative. Even when he first broke in, you could see he had all the attributes to be the next Gary Caldwell. Some football fans are very fickle and a few bad performances in an extremely poor team meant loads of people wrote him off prematurely. I always rated him.

[Orraloon]

20 minutes ago, Tartan blood said:

 

The only reason I didn't vote Hanley is because I never bought into the bombscare narrative. Even when he first broke in, you could see he had all the attributes to be the next Gary Caldwell. Some football fans are very fickle and a few bad performances in an extremely poor team meant loads of people wrote him off prematurely. I always rated him.

🤣 "The next Gary Caldwell" 🤣

Only inside the head of Gary Caldwell does the new generation of Scottish footballers grow up aspiring to be the next Gary Caldwell. 🤣

[Caledonian Craig]

18 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

🤣 "The next Gary Caldwell" 🤣

Only inside the head of Gary Caldwell does the new generation of Scottish footballers grow up aspiring to be the next Gary Caldwell. 🤣

😂

[Malcolm]

No option for Craig Gordon?

craig has been in some of the best form of his career, and might even be the best goalkeeper in Scotland just now.

 

[Tartan blood]

2 hours ago, Orraloon said:

🤣 "The next Gary Caldwell" 🤣

Only inside the head of Gary Caldwell does the new generation of Scottish footballers grow up aspiring to be the next Gary Caldwell. 🤣

Hanley has turned out to be a very different player, but I remember thinking that he could be the natural successor to Caldwell. More so in terms of being an ever present in the team.

But I'm not having this nonsense that 55 cap Gary Caldwell was not a superb player for us. 

[Malcolm]

2 hours ago, Tartan blood said:

Hanley has turned out to be a very different player, but I remember thinking that he could be the natural successor to Caldwell. More so in terms of being an ever present in the team.

But I'm not having this nonsense that 55 cap Gary Caldwell was not a superb player for us. 

i think superb is stretching it somewhat.  He was a decent pro that put in a shift but hardly Maldini.  Was it not him and his brother that played at centre half when we played Norway and we were about four down by half time?

[Third Lanark]

6 hours ago, Caledonian Craig said:

😂

I think he meant the next Colin Hendry, surely?

[Tartan blood]

1 hour ago, Malcolm said:

i think superb is stretching it somewhat.  He was a decent pro that put in a shift but hardly Maldini.  Was it not him and his brother that played at centre half when we played Norway and we were about four down by half time?

Superb servant. Superb endeavour. And lots of other valuable traits for a centre back. I'm not comparing him to our best centre backs of all time. I compared Hanley to him because Caldwell was retiring and we needed a replacement. I'm not claiming Caldwell was World Class, but he wasn't some 10 cap dud that we've had plenty of. 

Defenders (and goalies) very unfairly get remembered for their bad games more than their good ones. You'd think Scotland hasn't had a good defender since the 90s judging by the way some Scotland fans speak.

[aaid]

19 hours ago, romanticscot said:

Who in our current squad firsts that description for you? 

Oli McBurnie

[fringo]

On 11/29/2021 at 4:41 PM, aaid said:

Given that he’s gone from being uncapped to be8ng one of the first names on the team sheet in six months, it’s hard to see past Gilmour, which makes his omission staggering

I was about to say the same for me. Gilmour.

[fringo]

18 hours ago, kumnio said:

Grant Hanley by a good distance. He was absolutely dire for years, a complete utter bombscare for us, but now looks like a solid reliable player. One of the home games, he was booked very early, and I was absolutely certain that he would get sent off, but he played well after that, he has improved massively.

That's a good shout too.

[Dodger]

20 hours ago, kumnio said:

Grant Hanley by a good distance. He was absolutely dire for years, a complete utter bombscare for us, but now looks like a solid reliable player. One of the home games, he was booked very early, and I was absolutely certain that he would get sent off, but he played well after that, he has improved massively.

Yes - home to Austria when he was surprisingly given a start. Everyone watching was resigned to him getting sent off. Went on to score the equaliser and had a solid game. Hasn't looked back since.