Euro24 Squad Make-Up

[Manno]

Would be nice to see some 'fringe' players get a run in the next three games while not making wholesale changes. Would also quite like to see some freshness for any friendlies in March - you'd think he'll know the bulk of the squad by then and it should be an opportunity to cap players ahead of the Nations League rather than prospective Euros players. Gordon only gets in ahead of Clark if he's playing regularly for Hearts. I think it will be Nisbet over Shankland, and I think Ryan Jack could miss out for an attacking player (Doak). It would be great if someone can turn into Haaland over the next six months. 

I've got 25, on the basis that we have a 26 man squad; ideally another attacking player (left-field options: Conway, Hardie, Lowry, Hornby, Gauld). I don't rate Greg Taylor or Jacob Brown.

Goalkeepers - Gunn, Kelly, Clark.

Defence - Robertson, Patterson, Hickey, Tierney, Porteous, Hendry, McKenna, Souttar, Hanley, Cooper.

Midfield - McGinn, McTominay, McGregor, Gilmour, McLean, Armstrong, Christie, Ferguson.

Forwards - Adams, Dykes, Nisbet, Doak.

 

[Texas Pete]

23 minutes ago, ceudmilefailte said:

You missed out McBurnie or do you think he is an automatic pick😉

An automatic dick maybe. 

[ProudScot]

41 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

An automatic dick maybe. 

😂👏🏾

[Toepoke]

Squad make up?

[noctonjock]

See UEFA have cut the squad numbers to 23 for EURO 2024 instead of 26 like it was for the last Euros.  Will be interesting to see who isn't included and could prove difficult to get in the Squad for someone like Doak maybe 

[Tartan blood]

12 hours ago, noctonjock said:

See UEFA have cut the squad numbers to 23 for EURO 2024 instead of 26 like it was for the last Euros.  Will be interesting to see who isn't included and could prove difficult to get in the Squad for someone like Doak maybe 

What a strange decision. I'm assuming the 5 subs will remain and lengthy injury time added on at the end of each game. A 26 man squad would have made a lot of sense. 

To be fair, we did have 3 outfield players that got no game time last time round. If memory serves, Turnbull, Fleck, Gallagher didn't get any minutes

[Caledonian Craig]

59 minutes ago, Tartan blood said:

What a strange decision. I'm assuming the 5 subs will remain and lengthy injury time added on at the end of each game. A 26 man squad would have made a lot of sense. 

To be fair, we did have 3 outfield players that got no game time last time round. If memory serves, Turnbull, Fleck, Gallagher didn't get any minutes

Two goalkeepers (Gordon and McLaughlin) and four oufield players (Taylor, Fleck, Turnbull and Gallagher) got no game time in Euro 2020.

[Tartan blood]

24 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Two goalkeepers (Gordon and McLaughlin) and four oufield players (Taylor, Fleck, Turnbull and Gallagher) got no game time in Euro 2020.

Oh yeah, forgot about Taylor. I guess that justifies the smaller squad. 

Here is the Euros squad from last time:

Looking at the outfield players only, you have to assume Forrest, Fleck, Gallagher and O'Donnell have virtually no chance of making it.

Fraser and Turnbull will have to have very strong 2nd halves of the season to have any chance of forcing their way back in.

I also can't see Taylor making it if Robbo, Tierney, Hickey and Patterson are all fit. Especially with a reduced squad size.

Nisbet will be holding on by a thread if he makes it as well. 

That's 7/8 outfield players from the last squad unlikely to make the cut. However, both Jack and McLean were injured last time and probably would have been included. This'll be an extremely hard squad to pick.

[ProudScot]

Che Adams 1 goal in last 13 caps 

Lyndon Dykes 1 goal in last 11 caps 

A striker who can score is definitely needed for the Euros campaign 

[Caledonian Craig]

7 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Che Adams 1 goal in last 13 caps 

Lyndon Dykes 1 goal in last 11 caps 

A striker who can score is definitely needed for the Euros campaign 

To be fair to them both they are the best available to us and cannot see that changing in the next few months but......

We do not heavily rely on strikers for our goals as McTominay and McGinn weigh in as do defenders plus normally our defence has been tight which helps too.

[BryanBlessed]

26 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Che Adams 1 goal in last 13 caps 

Lyndon Dykes 1 goal in last 11 caps 

A striker who can score is definitely needed for the Euros campaign 

There are a few caveats there in that how many chances have they had to score. I'd say Adams has been more wasteful than Dykes in that respect. Dykes is also a very unselfish player. When he laid it off for McLean v Norway, other forwards might have taken a touch and gone for goal.

[Scot1]

I still think if Ross Stewart returns from injury 100% and starts scoring again, he’s our best option up front at the moment.

And I’d have Turnbull in the squad.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Scot1

[JandC]

17 minutes ago, Scot1 said:

I still think if Ross Stewart returns from injury 100% and starts scoring again, he’s our best option up front at the moment.

And I’d have Turnbull in the squad.

A top striker is the one thing we're missing to get us to the next level as we need someone who can take a chance when it comes.

Im struggling to think when we last had really quality up front and probably going back to Johnston and McCoist which was over 30 years ago.

Unfortunately it doesn't look like we have anyone like that coming through but I'd agree if Stewart can get back to his form pre-injury, he could be a shout for a squad place.

[Scot1]

11 minutes ago, JandC said:

A top striker is the one thing we're missing to get us to the next level as we need someone who can take a chance when it comes.

Im struggling to think when we last had really quality up front and probably going back to Johnston and McCoist which was over 30 years ago.

Unfortunately it doesn't look like we have anyone like that coming through but I'd agree if Stewart can get back to his form pre-injury, he could be a shout for a squad place.

In my opinion Stewart is a poor man’s Haaland, he’s not going to go past 2-3 defenders and curl one into the top corner. He’s not going to create much for himself, he’s a finisher. But he has the physicality to play up front on his own, has good pace, excellent work rate / stamina, is an aerial threat, he’s 6 ft 4 or 6 ft 5, and he is a poacher in the box. I think he’s the best we’ve got at the moment and I think he probably would’ve had more caps if it wasn’t for the ACL injury. 
 

Duncan Ferguson was probably the last quality striker we had but he hardly kicked a ball for us.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Scot1

[Caledonian Craig]

46 minutes ago, JandC said:

A top striker is the one thing we're missing to get us to the next level as we need someone who can take a chance when it comes.

Im struggling to think when we last had really quality up front and probably going back to Johnston and McCoist which was over 30 years ago.

Unfortunately it doesn't look like we have anyone like that coming through but I'd agree if Stewart can get back to his form pre-injury, he could be a shout for a squad place.

Before we all get gooey-eyed about the great McCoist lets look at stats:-

McCoist 61 caps 19 goals

McGinn 60 caps 17 goals

Not much of a difference there.

[Scot1]

5 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Before we all get gooey-eyed about the great McCoist lets look at stats:-

McCoist 61 caps 19 goals

McGinn 60 caps 17 goals

Not much of a difference there.

Outstanding from McGinn, can see him getting more in the next few years. 
 

[DesiScotsman]

16 hours ago, noctonjock said:

See UEFA have cut the squad numbers to 23 for EURO 2024 instead of 26 like it was for the last Euros.  Will be interesting to see who isn't included and could prove difficult to get in the Squad for someone like Doak maybe 

Blimey I didn't know that. Gonna feel real sorry for some of the players that have been selected in our squads during this campaign that will now be missing out due to this. 

[er yir macaroon]

57 minutes ago, JandC said:

Unfortunately it doesn't look like we have anyone like that coming through

It’s hard to know when a player is coming through what they will be like, but I don’t remember anyone with a record as good as Rory Wilson, including McCoist and Johnston at the same age level. Early days at 17 and he’s not filled out yet, but I’ve got very high hopes for him. 

[stocky]

What about Conway at Bristol.

Thoughts 

[ProudScot]

19 minutes ago, stocky said:

What about Conway at Bristol.

Thoughts 

Like him. Those goals he scored that were posted on here recently were excellent.

He’s good and has potential and Rory Wilson is a mega goal machine so they’d be the two we are probably hoping for developing as actual #9’s for us. 

[BryanBlessed]

I would say Dykes is guaranteed a spot but I don't think Adams should be. He's been poor for us for a while now.  I think Doak will end up making it and I'm also a fan of Fraser.

 

We biggest worry is how we're going to perform if we lose Tierney (which isn't outwith the reals of possibility)

[bigfingers]

2 hours ago, JandC said:

A top striker is the one thing we're missing to get us to the next level as we need someone who can take a chance when it comes.

Im struggling to think when we last had really quality up front and probably going back to Johnston and McCoist which was over 30 years ago.

Unfortunately it doesn't look like we have anyone like that coming through but I'd agree if Stewart can get back to his form pre-injury, he could be a shout for a squad place.

Pinning my hopes on Rory Wilson but too young for a full call up just now.

[JandC]

2 hours ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Before we all get gooey-eyed about the great McCoist lets look at stats:-

McCoist 61 caps 19 goals

McGinn 60 caps 17 goals

Not much of a difference there.

I agree that he wasn't that prolific for Scotland but he was still miles ahead of any strikers we've had recently. 
 

 

[Tartan blood]

19 minutes ago, BryanBlessed said:

I would say Dykes is guaranteed a spot but I don't think Adams should be. He's been poor for us for a while now.  I think Doak will end up making it and I'm also a fan of Fraser.

 

We biggest worry is how we're going to perform if we lose Tierney (which isn't outwith the reals of possibility)

I don't think he should be guaranteed a slot either, but at the moment he is. Rightly or wrongly, most of the striker debate is surrounding who would be our 3rd choice to take. 

With a 26 man squad, I was confident Doak would be the wildcard choice. But with the depth of talent we now have, it's going to be tough to find a place for him. However, he might make it an impossible task for Clarke not to have him on the plane. Possibly as the 3rd striker?

I'm a big fan of both Fraser and Turnbull, but you couldn't justify their inclusion in a 23 man squad right now either.

[Squirrelhumper]

On 10/17/2023 at 12:34 PM, BryanBlessed said:

It would be great but I'm not buying it. 41.5 years old by the time the tournament comes round.  Having said that, we're not exactly blessed with keepers

He's kept himself in good shape. Not many 40/41 year olds would even be able to attempt to come back to what he has this past year.