Scotland v Northern Ireland Match Thread

[vanderark14]

4 minutes ago, Malcolm said:

what’s wrong with them being Rangers fans and Northern Irish?  One of my friends was in the crowd last night and he is a massive Rangers fan and was wearing a Northern Irish scarf in their end.  He has lived in Scotland for 35 years.

absolutely nothing wrong with their fans behaviour last night and thought they backed their team well and looked like they were having a great time doing “the bouncy”

in contrast, I witnessed a hate crime from one of our own fans, who dressed in comedy fashion of a kilt, Scotland top, and one of these funny hats shouts “fuck off back to Ireland you proddy cu4ts”.  He continued with various other anti Protestant shouting.  What a charmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think anyone has a problem with them being Northern Irish and rangers fans, there are plenty of other teams fans in northern Ireland. 

I'm guessin the problem is with scottish rangers fans being in there.

I'm sure you are right, they looked to having a great time acting like plastic English fans, booing celtic players despite there likely being celtic fans from northern Ireland in their end. 

[vanderark14]

3 minutes ago, Malcolm said:

shankland may well be but I suspect he will be loyal to dykes and Adams unless shankland has a great game in the remaining friendlies.

 

 

I'm convinced shankland will start. I haven't been on board with the screams for him to start because I felt he was just a finisher and that type of player isn't suited to the way Clarke plays however he is winning me over with these last two performances. He needs a goal against but he didn't slightly better than dykes and adams

[Hertsscot]

1 hour ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

Well, we had at least three players that had more passes individually, than the whole N Ireland team

This is why stats are so misleading. Most of them were no more than 5 metres under minimal pressure.

 

[BryanBlessed]

9 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

What did we learn from this double header?

Shankland is our best option up front.

Patterson cannot start in the Euros if he is not playing for Everton. His confidence and self-belief which was low must now be rock bottom. If Hickey is not fit then, at present, has to be Ralston.

When forced into playing four at the back after Robertson's injury we did look marginally better so that should be our default formation going forward should Robertson or Tierney be unavailable.

Safe to say Taylor won't be on the plane or else it would have been a like-for-like substitution with Robertson and let Clarke have a look at him as everyone else (barring keepers) got some gametime in this double header.

We badly needed a win last night for confidence reasons. Was Dykes the man to start for that? I'd argue no and I doubt Clarke would have started him had it been a competitive match. If we needed Dykes to press and harry a top team, then that's another matter though I'd still play Shankland. Clarke's loyalty is positive to create a team spirit but it'll also be his downfall in my opinion.

I don't know about 4ATB. NI don't have much of an attacking threat so I don't think we can say it definitely worked.

Are there not any Scottish RB's at championship level in England?  I just can't believe our choice (if Hickey unavailable) is someone not getting a game for Celtic or Everton's third choice.

[Toepoke]

6 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:

I'm sure you are right, they looked to having a great time acting like plastic English fans, booing celtic players despite there likely being celtic fans from northern Ireland in their end. 

And in their team, eg. the matchwinner.

 

[Hertsscot]

31 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Steve Clarke & John Carver saying publicly they know their squad and there’s maybe 1 place to be decided prior to 4 warm up games with a chunk of the season left doesn’t help player motivation or enthusiasms for these games.

The squad is playing like a bunch of guys who know they are on the plane to Germany regardless of form or performance.

That thought crossed my mind about 30 minutes in.  It's the flip side of club mentality, loyalty and togetherness. It might yet cost us. 

[Caledonian Craig]

21 minutes ago, Malcolm said:

what’s wrong with them being Rangers fans and Northern Irish?  One of my friends was in the crowd last night and he is a massive Rangers fan and was wearing a Northern Irish scarf in their end.  He has lived in Scotland for 35 years.

absolutely nothing wrong with their fans behaviour last night and thought they backed their team well and looked like they were having a great time doing “the bouncy”

in contrast, I witnessed a hate crime from one of our own fans, who dressed in comedy fashion of a kilt, Scotland top, and one of these funny hats shouts “fuck off back to Ireland you proddy cu4ts”.  He continued with various other anti Protestant shouting.  What a charmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horse shit.

They are the only supporters I know (even England do not plunge to their depth) that were chants based around aggravating confrontations. I was right next to them and they were constantly glaring over with arms out wide in a confrontational manner. Their chants were only confrontational. I could count in one hand the songs they sung about their team or their players. Poisonous bunch of tossers. If they float your boat then it just sums you up.

[ceudmilefailte]

51 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

I had a bad feeling when this game was announced. Horrible opponent to play, always a horrible atmosphere and probably horrible weather. Turns out the last part wasn't as bad, but still I'm not too bothered I decided to save the 30 quid.

It was effing freezing!

[adamntg]

2 hours ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

Well, we had at least three players that had more passes individually, than the whole N Ireland team

There was a point in the second half where NI actually made four passes in a row, albeit they were really struggling by the fourth one and ended up shelling it away.

[adamntg]

1 hour ago, vanderark14 said:

I'm sure you are right, they looked to having a great time acting like plastic English fans, booing celtic players despite there likely being celtic fans from northern Ireland in their end. 

I wouldn’t be too sure about that.  It’s not exactly a unifying team is it?  Listen to the anthem for a start - where does that leave 50% of the country?

[LoganRoy]

44 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Horse shit.

They are the only supporters I know (even England do not plunge to their depth) that were chants based around aggravating confrontations. I was right next to them and they were constantly glaring over with arms out wide in a confrontational manner. Their chants were only confrontational. I could count in one hand the songs they sung about their team or their players. Poisonous bunch of tossers. If they float your boat then it just sums you up.

West Stand - B4; a lot of silly drunk men struggling to separate Rangers and Northern Ireland, orange bastards etc. Tbf on our fans, they were told to shut up of fuck off.

Funnily enough, that got more of a reaction than some weapon screaming at a wee lassie to shut up when she was having a rare time singing away, she was a highlight actually. Fortunately, the guy immediately realised his error and pissed off. 

[rOsCo2]

9 hours ago, Hertsscot said:

Looking for some small crumbs of comfort after tonight...At least the teams we're playing in the Euros will be less defensive than N.Ireland and hopefully more open matches will suit us.

Another positive was that the new ticket system seemed to be an improvement....

[Toepoke]

31 minutes ago, ceudmilefailte said:

It was effing freezing!

😄 True, and I only went outside from the couch to the bin last night.

Ordeals like yesterday certainly justify awarding SSC points for home games.

[Malcolm]

1 hour ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Horse shit.

They are the only supporters I know (even England do not plunge to their depth) that were chants based around aggravating confrontations. I was right next to them and they were constantly glaring over with arms out wide in a confrontational manner. Their chants were only confrontational. I could count in one hand the songs they sung about their team or their players. Poisonous bunch of tossers. If they float your boat then it just sums you up.

I was right next to them too in the west stand.  Nothing out of the ordinary at all and typical of the behaviour of an away support that Celtic and rangers would bring to a club match.

what confrontational songs? I didn’t hear any.

[Orraloon]

2 hours ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

Well, we had at least three players that had more passes individually, than the whole N Ireland team

Unfortunately most of the passes made by those 3 players were to each other. That sort of tippy tappy shyte does ma nut in. It's OK to do that if we are a couple of goals up and just trying to play out time. Or, if you want to give the rest of the team a breather but most of our players last night barely got past walking pace. All it did last night was to slow our game down which was pedestrian to start with.

Edited March 27 by Orraloon

[Saint4805]

It's a real shame about Patterson because there is a decent player in there somewhere. Hopefully he can rediscover his form with Everton although it sounds like Ginger gravel gob's style of play/coaching has sucked the life out of him.

Hopefully the source on the Brentford forum saying Hickey is back early-mid May is true because we need him. 

Lewis Ferguson looked bright and so hopefully he and Shankland start the next one. Maybe Dykes is the opposite of Samson as he seems to have gotten worse with longer hair. Shave it off again. 

Edited March 27 by Saint4805

[ProudScot]

Anyone not worried about our form or what’s coming out of Steve Clarke’s mouth is in denial.

He says he needed picked up by the players after Friday night & after last night he’s said it wasn’t our night and peaking now doesn’t matter it’s about peaking in June…

30 mins in last night we went 451 but we don’t have a single winger in the squad so we had no width or penetration. The ability to see issues and change things - I don’t see any of that in any of our last… 5-10 games.

The make up of the squad for June should have changed following these results; less Kenny McLeans & Greg Taylor’s & more Ryan Frasers & hopefully someone who can create, breakdown & be effective in the final 3rd ie Ryan Gauld potentially? Surely we try these guys in the next friendlies!

[Caledonian Craig]

1 hour ago, Malcolm said:

I was right next to them too in the west stand.  Nothing out of the ordinary at all and typical of the behaviour of an away support that Celtic and rangers would bring to a club match.

what confrontational songs? I didn’t hear any.

Yes and That analogy sums them up as Celtic and Rangers are renowned for the poison they bring to matches with bigotted and confrontational chants in a bid to solely aggravate people.

That sums up their support perfectly. They were more interested in aggravating. Their interest on the pitch was and is minimal given how much hope there is to be excited about on the pitch. 

What chants were aggravating:-

Everywhere they go Scotland get battered....confrontational

John McGinn what a w***er what a w***er....confrontational

Something along lines of Euros your having a laugh.....confrontational

Lots more today before we even get into the Rule Brittania and Dambusters pish. Wtf that has to do with Northern Ireland god knows.

They done a lot of singing but right now I cannot thing of one chant about their players or team even after they scored.

Detestable tossers. Worst bunch of nobody and no-hoper supporters to grace Hampden.

[Third Lanark]

I'm trying to be positive. Well, NI may have done us a favour by playing how they did. We should line up like that v Germany and hope to sneak a goal on the break. Everybody here would take a 1-0 right now. If they can do it with players from Preston, Huddersfield and Stevenage then we can with Hanley and Cooper etc. in the same formation. BTW, lot said about Patterson not playing for his club; Cooper has not had much game time at Leeds yet I didn't see him put a foot wrong.

[ceudmilefailte]

6 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

I'm trying to be positive. Well, NI may have done us a favour by playing how they did. We should line up like that v Germany and hope to sneak a goal on the break. Everybody here would take a 1-0 right now. If they can do it with players from Preston, Huddersfield and Stevenage then we can with Hanley and Cooper etc. in the same formation. BTW, lot said about Patterson not playing for his club; Cooper has not had much game time at Leeds yet I didn't see him put a foot wrong.

Think you have found the only positive in the game. Cooper has the experience to slot in if needed. 

[ceudmilefailte]

27 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

 

Everywhere they go Scotland get battered....confrontational

 

Honesty thought they were singing everywhere they go Scotland wear tartan. I really do look for the best in people. 

[Orraloon]

45 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Anyone not worried about our form or what’s coming out of Steve Clarke’s mouth is in denial.

He says he needed picked up by the players after Friday night & after last night he’s said it wasn’t our night and peaking now doesn’t matter it’s about peaking in June…

30 mins in last night we went 451 but we don’t have a single winger in the squad so we had no width or penetration. The ability to see issues and change things - I don’t see any of that in any of our last… 5-10 games.

The make up of the squad for June should have changed following these results; less Kenny McLeans & Greg Taylor’s & more Ryan Frasers & hopefully someone who can create, breakdown & be effective in the final 3rd ie Ryan Gauld potentially? Surely we try these guys in the next friendlies!

I think it's too late for that now. He has already selected his squad and it's now only going to change based on the injury situation.

[Toepoke]

49 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

The make up of the squad for June should have changed following these results; less Kenny McLeans & Greg Taylor’s & more Ryan Frasers & hopefully someone who can create, breakdown & be effective in the final 3rd ie Ryan Gauld potentially? Surely we try these guys in the next friendlies!

The next friendlies will be after the Euros squad is picked. This was the last chance to try anyone new.

 

[Caledonian Craig]

We do not go from being a good team that qualified to a shite team in a few months thst much I am sure. Clarke's job is to sort out what has gone wrong and rectify it. I think there are a few factors in.play here.

For some time we had a very settled line-up and we became a well-drilled compact side getting good results and confidence built up. But over the last few months we have missed key players through injuries and that knocked us out of our stride and we never worked out a fix.

We have also resorted to a dangerous trait. Still selecting players out of form or not getting games for their club and it has cost us. I look at Patterson, Dykes and Cooper (but to be fair to him he did fine last night).

Too many players have got comfortable with the idea they are going to the Euros and have let their standards slip. Clarke should call-up some fresh faces in the next squad even if just to worry some players into raising their standards again.

We have had a run of games where, as we qualified with a couple of games to spare then had friendlies the competitive edge has been lackibg too. That needs to change also.

At present our chances of getting out of the group stages have diminished a lot given these issues we have and a severe lack of confidence that we must have now diminishes our chances even more.

[Caledonian Craig]

5 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

The next friendlies will be after the Euros squad is picked. This was the last chance to try anyone new.

 

No as I understand it he will nameva squad for those friendlies and then trim.it down after the matches for the Euro squad.