Twist And Turns

[vienna2008]

We all know results won't ALL go to plan in the next four matchdays in this group. Will they?

So where will we get the shocks and who will benefit? Can Ireland still qualify? Could Germany somehow be forced into a play-off? Could Poland capitulate? Or could we - please no - have horror shows v Georgia or Gilbraltar?

[wanderer]

Was trying a number of simulations, and I feel that we have a play off spot all but in our own hands just now (we would have to drop 3 points in Tbilisi I feel and Ireland would need to pick up a point against Poland or Germany to over take us due to the head to head coming first).

At the moment I am taking it one game at a time.... get Georgia out the way and that will secure us a play off spot, then one game at a time.

For finishing 2nd I think the 2 vital games for us are Germany v Poland and our own game v Poland..... for finishing 2nd ideally for us would be a Germany win over Poland and a win for us v Poland at Hampden (put us level on points with them, but we are ahead on the head to head, as Poland have a massive goal advantage over us..... and with us going to Gibraltar and Poland playing Ireland, it would take a complete shocker on the cards for us to chuck 2nd place away!)

[thewelk]

This Georgia match has typical Scottish football disaster written all over it. I honestly think it'll be very tight over there.

I just hope that the character of this regenerated team can get them through it.

[John_B81]

Priority number one for us is look after our own games. Results haven't gone our way in other matches (only exception is Ireland and Poland drawing) so we need to focus on what we do first and foremost. Win at least three of the remaining four matches and we'll be finishing second. Georgia is going to be tough, from what I saw on the highlights against Poland the scoreline flattered the Poles so we're not going to have it all our own way. However, if we play to our capabilities, then there's no reason we can't win.

[Rossy]

We all know results won't ALL go to plan in the next four matchdays in this group. Will they?

So where will we get the shocks and who will benefit? Can Ireland still qualify? Could Germany somehow be forced into a play-off? Could Poland capitulate? Or could we - please no - have horror shows v Georgia or Gilbraltar?

Ireland are guff and won't qualify, but if I was looking for a 'shock' (and I'm not including Georgia beating us in this), I'd say their last game away to Poland could be a draw.

Which of course would suit us down to the ground.

[vienna2008]

You make it all sound so simple!

I do really worry about Georgia. I remember the complacency the last time we went there, from a very similar campaign.

I also worry that almost every Ireland fan I met in Dublin was congratulating us on reaching France. I wondered how much of that was lack of knowledge on our ability to mess things up, lack of belief in their own team or just sheer kidology?

Sadly, 17 years of failure has made me less optimistic than I was in France 1998 when I rejected the chance to go to the World Cup as a skint student, believing I'd get there 'next time.'

[aaid]

Since the double headers were introduced we don't have a very good record in the second match, especially where that's an away match. With that in mind it's good that we have the Georgia match first followed by the Germany game.

[girvanTA]

Im sure Strachan wont let complacency set in within our squad.

[aaid]

I don't think the problems were to do with complacency in Georgia the last time. We'd just had a tough game against Ukraine on the Saturday and I reckon it was a combination of fatigue, players missing after picking up suspensions/injuries and McLeish setting up negatively that was to blame. That and the maroon strip.

[John_B81]

I don't think the problems were to do with complacency in Georgia the last time. We'd just had a tough game against Ukraine on the Saturday and I reckon it was a combination of fatigue, players missing after picking up suspensions/injuries and McLeish setting up negatively that was to blame. That and the maroon strip.

Gary O'Connor picked up his intentionally. Never forgiven him for that!

[Orraloon]

Ireland are guff and won't qualify, but if I was looking for a 'shock' (and I'm not including Georgia beating us in this), I'd say their last game away to Poland could be a draw.

Which of course would suit us down to the ground.

Why would you think that would be a "shock" ? They drew away to Germany, drew at home to Poland and us. They might not be very good but the don't lose that often.

[SMcoolJ]

You make it all sound so simple!

I do really worry about Georgia. I remember the complacency the last time we went there, from a very similar campaign.

I also worry that almost every Ireland fan I met in Dublin was congratulating us on reaching France. I wondered how much of that was lack of knowledge on our ability to mess things up, lack of belief in their own team or just sheer kidology?

Sadly, 17 years of failure has made me less optimistic than I was in France 1998 when I rejected the chance to go to the World Cup as a skint student, believing I'd get there 'next time.'

Me too, albeit not long graduated!

[Orraloon]

I am very happy with that draw in Dublin. Qualification is in our own hands. Having had a chance to recover and look at the various permutations, I think the Georgia game is really crucial (they all are, but this one is even more crucial). If we win in Georgia I think we should get one of the automatic qualifying spots. If we lose that game Ireland could yet recover and knock us out by pushing us down to 4th. A draw in Tbilisi and we should be 3rd. I haven't had a chance to look at the other groups yet to try to judge our chances of being the best placed 3rd team.

We need a win in Georgia. It wont be easy but we have to go for it.

[Jagtag]

McLeish setting up negatively that was to blame.

Not sure where you got that from. My abiding memory is that we had played 4-5-1 in every away game up till then and everyone I spoke to in Tbilisi said we needed to go 4-4-2 and attack them.

McLeish actually went 4-3-1-2 with Miller and Faddy up top and Maloney in behind. He then took off a midfielder and brought Boyd on with about half hour to go. It was anything but negative.

After the game everyone said it was too attacking and we should have stuck to the 4-5-1. Hindsight.

[John_B81]

Not sure where you got that from. My abiding memory is that we had played 4-5-1 in every away game up till then and everyone I spoke to in Tbilisi said we needed to go 4-4-2 and attack them.

McLeish actually went 4-3-1-2 with Miller and Faddy up top and Maloney in behind. He then took off a midfielder and brought Boyd on with about half hour to go. It was anything but negative.

After the game everyone said it was too attacking and we should have stuck to the 4-5-1. Hindsight.

McLeish himself said he should've went 4-5-1. If memory serves me right, we had both full backs (Hutton, at his best, and Naysmith) injured in the Ukraine game with our wide men (Brown and McCulloch) also injured and suspended from the same game.

[Rossy]

Why would you think that would be a "shock" ? They drew away to Germany, drew at home to Poland and us. They might not be very good but the don't lose that often.

Hence the inverted commas.

I agree it wouldn't be much of a 'shock', it just wouldn't be the 'expected' result....(there are these pesky inverted commas again... )

[giblet]

Not sure where you got that from. My abiding memory is that we had played 4-5-1 in every away game up till then and everyone I spoke to in Tbilisi said we needed to go 4-4-2 and attack them.

McLeish actually went 4-3-1-2 with Miller and Faddy up top and Maloney in behind. He then took off a midfielder and brought Boyd on with about half hour to go. It was anything but negative.

After the game everyone said it was too attacking and we should have stuck to the 4-5-1. Hindsight.

Faddy should have been given a stonewaller of a penalty as I remember.

[Jagtag]

McLeish himself said he should've went 4-5-1. If memory serves me right, we had both full backs (Hutton, at his best, and Naysmith) injured in the Ukraine game with our wide men (Brown and McCulloch) also injured and suspended from the same game.

I think we are a much better team and definitely a better squad than 2007. We have better back up players to come in and do a job without changing the system too much.

[Orraloon]

Hence the inverted commas.

I agree it wouldn't be much of a 'shock', it just wouldn't be the 'expected' result....(there are these pesky inverted commas again... )

Ah OK. I see what you mean noo.

As soon as the fixtures were announced I thought that it might come down to us hoping for the right result in Poland for that last game.

[Toepoke]

[aaid]

Not sure where you got that from. My abiding memory is that we had played 4-5-1 in every away game up till then and everyone I spoke to in Tbilisi said we needed to go 4-4-2 and attack them.

McLeish actually went 4-3-1-2 with Miller and Faddy up top and Maloney in behind. He then took off a midfielder and brought Boyd on with about half hour to go. It was anything but negative.

After the game everyone said it was too attacking and we should have stuck to the 4-5-1. Hindsight.

From what I recall, Georgia had an 18yr old goalkeeper making his debut and it was something like 80 minutes in before we put him under any pressure. We certainly didn't attack.

[bossman4]

I'm a lot more confident about the Georgia game now than I would have been at the start. The fact it's the first of the double header, it's early in the season and Strachan has hoepfully learned from his 'overthinking' on Saturday would suggest he'll have the squad right up for it and fully focused. I'd be more worried if it was the second game of a double header (Ireland/England example). Will be a tough game, no doubt but just think there is something about this squad profesionalism to get the job done.

Germany should hopefully be a bonus game providing they do the business at home to Poland.

[Toepoke]

Even with only 4 games to go the permutations are mental. The Irish could do us big favours in the games against Poland & Germany but by doing so (especially if they pull off a shock victory) they could jeopardise the 3rd place safety net.

Bit of a balancing act...

[Robbo `81]

Faddy should have been given a stonewaller of a penalty as I remember.

He also missed an absolute sitter it has to be said...

[Return of Yermaw]

I'm a lot more confident about the Georgia game now than I would have been at the start. The fact it's the first of the double header, it's early in the season and Strachan has hoepfully learned from his 'overthinking' on Saturday would suggest he'll have the squad right up for it and fully focused. I'd be more worried if it was the second game of a double header (Ireland/England example). Will be a tough game, no doubt but just think there is something about this squad profesionalism to get the job done.

Germany should hopefully be a bonus game providing they do the business at home to Poland.

I am less confident of the Georgia game and the other qualifiers than at any other point in Strachan's tenure. Our performances this year against NI, Gib, Qatar and Ireland have all been poor and whilst the odd game can be written off, four bad performances in a row show a clear pattern. We don't seem capable of playing the football we played at the end of the last campaign and played in (longer ) patches last year. Fortunately the results have been positive but I am quite worried..........