Ukraine v Scotland - discussion

[romanticscot]

They have hardly had any training sessions. They met up Monday night before our match last week and spent their fair share of time travelling.

 

It might be better for us to finish 1st best 2nd team to be honest, it gives us a better chance of winning our next nations league to bag a WC play off spot. That being said, I want us to keep the winning going. World Cup qualifying campaign is a long time in the future.

[mccaughey85]

3 hours ago, er yir macaroon said:

It wouldn’t surprise me if Doig replaced McKenna at left centre half. He played that role for the u21 v Northern Ireland last week. 

It would be madness to chuck doig in at centre back. Hes way to young and inexperienced to face a good international team like ukraine in a position he hasnt much experience in.

[Toepoke]

7 hours ago, romanticscot said:

It might be better for us to finish 1st best 2nd team to be honest

Possibly, but there must be long odds on the outcomes we'd need happening?

[Dodger]

Really struggling to maintain any sense of optimism for tomorrow night 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.stv.tv/sport/lyndon-dykes-and-che-adams-miss-scotland-training-ahead-of-ukraine-nations-league-match-with-sickness-bug%3famp

[Templeton_Peck]

The way clarke was speaking in his press conference the back 4 going to be 

 

Hickey -      hendry.    -   ???  -   Taylor

With a choice of Porteous/ Gallagher/Kingsley to partner Hendry. 

Also thankfully Che Adams returned to training today. 

[Caledonian Craig]

What crazy bad luck we have had with injuries over the last couple of weeks. Our defence absolutely decimated with Robertson, Tierney, Patterson, Hickey (perhaps), Hanley, Cooper and McKenna ruled out for tomorrow night. I think Clarke will definitely stick with four and the back. Other work required in midfield with McTominay suspended.

I think we will line-up something like this:-

https://team-picker.files.bbci.co.uk/scotland-selector-ukraine-sep-2022-161535ca6057ebc280451aa6877d3a1b.html

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Caledonian Craig

[King Of Paisley]

9 minutes ago, Templeton_Peck said:

The way clarke was speaking in his press conference the back 4 going to be 

 

Hickey -      hendry.    -   ???  -   Taylor

With a choice of Porteous/ Gallagher/Kingsley to partner Hendry. 

Also thankfully Che Adams returned to training today. 

See post above.

Hopefully both will make it though

[romanticscot]

Adams and Dykes struck down with "illness", but both travelling to Poland. This doesn't sound good.  

[Orraloon]

Just now, romanticscot said:

Adams and Dykes struck down with "illness", but both travelling to Poland. This doesn't sound good.  

Especially if it's some bug that they might pass on to the rest of the squad. Should have stuck them on a separate flight just in case. 😂

[King Of Paisley]

Adams on the BBC saying he trained and is ready to play

[ProudScot]

10 minutes ago, King Of Paisley said:

Adams on the BBC saying he trained and is ready to play

Thank fuck. We need him to have a very very good game uptop tomorrow if we are gonna get a good result 

[Hertsscot]

1 hour ago, Caledonian Craig said:

What crazy bad luck we have had with injuries over the last couple of weeks. Our defence absolutely decimated with Robertson, Tierney, Patterson, Hickey (perhaps), Hanley, Cooper and McKenna ruled out for tomorrow night. I think Clarke will definitely stick with four and the back. Other work required in midfield with McTominay suspended.

I think we will line-up something like this:-

https://team-picker.files.bbci.co.uk/scotland-selector-ukraine-sep-2022-161535ca6057ebc280451aa6877d3a1b.html

 

Until recently McGinn, McGregor and Gilmour was our go to midfield anyhow. McTominay was excellent against Ukraine at Hampden and we'll miss his physicality but an in form Billy Gilmour is a good international player.

[King Of Paisley]

6 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Thank fuck. We need him to have a very very good game uptop tomorrow if we are gonna get a good result 

Hoping Dykes makes it as well. Need an option on the bench

[romanticscot]

Its alright lads, this is the moment we prepared for many years ago ......... 4-6-0

[Orraloon]

From what's left in the squad I would go with

Gordon

Hickey, Hendry, Gallagher, Kingsley, Taylor

McGregor, Gilmour, Christie, McGinn

Adams.

I might be tempted to to go with Ralston at right back and move Hickey to left back but that might be one change too many. It's a very much untried defence and it could go horribly wrong but I don't think he has too many options left to him.

[Caledonian Craig]

16 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:

Until recently McGinn, McGregor and Gilmour was our go to midfield anyhow. McTominay was excellent against Ukraine at Hampden and we'll miss his physicality but an in form Billy Gilmour is a good international player.

Decimation sums up the defence though. That is the point I was making.

[Caledonian Craig]

7 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

From what's left in the squad I would go with

Gordon

Hickey, Hendry, Gallagher, Kingsley, Taylor

McGregor, Gilmour, Christie, McGinn

Adams.

I might be tempted to to go with Ralston at right back and move Hickey to left back but that might be one change too many. It's a very much untried defence and it could go horribly wrong but I don't think he has too many options left to him.

No Tierney at the back and five at the back is pointless. Both games V Ukraine is evidence of that Cooper and Kingsley are nothing like Tierney and just cannot imitate what he does in my opinion. Clarke learnt his lesson for the last game V Ukraine reverting to four at the back which troubled Ukraine far more. Also five at the back encourages pressure which our defence will not be able to hold out against over 90 minutes.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Caledonian Craig

[ceudmilefailte]

I was starting to become very negative about our chances but if we keep the formation the same it becomes a simple matter of who plays beside Hendry, the fullbacks pick themselves. You can replace McTominay with Jack,Gilmour or McGinn only the latter would create any problem with our forward midfield.

Changing formation is a disaster waiting to happen.

[romanticscot]

33 minutes ago, ceudmilefailte said:

I was starting to become very negative about our chances but if we keep the formation the same it becomes a simple matter of who plays beside Hendry, the fullbacks pick themselves. You can replace McTominay with Jack,Gilmour or McGinn only the latter would create any problem with our forward midfield.

Changing formation is a disaster waiting to happen.

I agree, keep as much the same as possible, playing people in positions they are comfortable with.  It really is who plays left of Hendry, who plays in McTominay's position and can we get 1-90 minutes out of Dykes/Adams.  If either of them are not physically able to play then we might have to put Ryan Christie up front.  

[ProudScot]

Anyone suggesting changing formation has a very short memory. Keep the formation the same and probably bring in Porteous (can’t believe I’m saying that) to play alongside Hendry. Ralston RB & Hickey LB

[Caledonian Craig]

3 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Anyone suggesting changing formation has a very short memory. Keep the formation the same and probably bring in Porteous (can’t believe I’m saying that) to play alongside Hendry. Ralston RB & Hickey LB

I'd slot Gallagher in there. He has proven he can do a job for us there and is getting into some good form again. Porteous is a step into the unknown.

[Orraloon]

The main reason I'm suggesting three at the back is that we don't have anybody in the squad who is nearly as good as McKenna. I think in this situation losing McKenna is a bigger loss than losing Tierney. 

I also think Ukraine will have loads of possession no matter what formation we play and our defence will be under loads of pressure for big parts of the game. Gallagher was great against Serbia but he doesn't have the same attributes that McKenna does. I think he will need help in there. I'm also trying to second guess what Clarke will be thinking. Playing 3 in central defence hasn't always been a disaster for him.

[Caledonian Craig]

7 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

The main reason I'm suggesting three at the back is that we don't have anybody in the squad who is nearly as good as McKenna. I think in this situation losing McKenna is a bigger loss than losing Tierney. 

I also think Ukraine will have loads of possession no matter what formation we play and our defence will be under loads of pressure for big parts of the game. Gallagher was great against Serbia but he doesn't have the same attributes that McKenna does. I think he will need help in there. I'm also trying to second guess what Clarke will be thinking. Playing 3 in central defence hasn't always been a disaster for him.

It was a disaster in the World Cup play-off against the same opponents as he didn't have the players available to him capable of playing that formation well enough to be competitive. Playing four at the back last week against them worked far, far better and should be the way to go. And Kingsley? Really? A player with one cap to his name and just working his way back to full fitness in such a massive game?

[stocky]

1 hour ago, romanticscot said:

Its alright lads, this is the moment we prepared for many years ago ......... 4-6-0

Brilliant👏👏😂

[King Of Paisley]

2 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

It was a disaster in the World Cup play-off against the same opponents as he didn't have the players available to him capable of playing that formation well enough to be competitive. Playing four at the back last week against them worked far, far better and should be the way to go. And Kingsley? Really? A player with one cap to his name and just working his way back to full fitness in such a massive game?

Got to be Gallagher to partner Hendry. No debate about it.