Reality Check

[Caledonian Craig]

A heck of a lot of OTT reaction to last night's result/performance and a lot is off the mark.

We were outclassed by the world champions who man for man across the pitch have better players for us playing at a higher level. They played some superb football as well where we were largely chasing shadows. To our credit we hung in there with a chance to get something from the game until the last kick of the match so why all these calls for Strachan to go on here?

If we were going to get something last night it needed Germany to not turn up or be below par which never happened and for us to get a big rub of the green and that never happened either as evident by their deflected first goal.

At least we competed last night and with a little better tightness at the back V Poland I am sure we will get more chances against them as their defence is more leaky/less well-organised than Germany. Like I posted here yesterday we must stay with the team and give them our backing. This is not done yet.

[braveheart_lynch]

[jock strap]

True dat

Edited September 8, 2015 by jock strap

[Pete Gas]

72% possession is being polite to Germany.

[munro7]

I'm not remotely calling for Strachan to go but that was no way a good performance. Good players will destroy you if you sit off them and give them time & space and that's exactly what happened.

It was effectively a training game for them.

[Caledonian Craig]

I'm not remotely calling for Strachan to go but that was no way a good performance. Good players will destroy you if you sit off them and give them time & space and that's exactly what happened.

Perhaps that is what happened to Brazil then?

I don't think anywhere did I say it was a good performance but it wasn't as bad as people on here are painting it. Like I said they are world champions with better players across the pitch in every area. They came into this match after a confidence-boosting 3-1 win over Poland whilst we came in on the back of a morale-crushing 1-0 defeat against Georgia. A bit of reality is needed.

[saintlyscot]

The team hasn't really evolved and improved through the group. If we had been tighter in possession and passed and controlled the games better from good positions in Warsaw and Dortmund we would and should have had four points from those two away games. There were warning signs in Dublin with lack of intensity and the front four not contributing enough. I think he has been too loyal to certain players(Morrison Anya Fletcher) and we seem to have become passive and one dimensional. We are always at our best when we play high tempo. Strachan seemed to have married that perfectly with a passing style but it seems to have reverted in recent games.

[Potted Heid]

I thought Anya did ok when he came on, at least taking his man on and beating him on a couple of occasions. I agree with the original poster, we remained competitive against the world champs (and favourites for this competition) right up to the end of both Germany games, with corners in the last seconds. We need to be realistic as well about our chances of getting third which are far from remote if we play with high intensity against Poland (and drop Fletcher for Griffiths). The other home nations would have struggled in this tough group.