Caledonian Craig Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Those two are being used as examples because they are the most glaringly obvious examples of players who are repeatedly called up, should get a chance, then dont. They were then cited as being 'at it' when withdrawing from the Gibraltar match, which led to some people defending them saying who can blame them as they never get a chance anyway. There you go. But who was doing the citing of them being 'at it'? Fans and not from management or even the press - which I am sure they'd have been onto it quicker than anybody if there was a fraction of truth to it. And it depends on people's own view points on who deserves chances does it not? Craig Gordon has went more than six games recently without getting a game for a start and many feel he should have got a chance but we don't hear talk of him about to walk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudScot Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 But who was doing the citing of them being 'at it'? Fans and not from management or even the press - which I am sure they'd have been onto it quicker than anybody if there was a fraction of truth to it. And it depends on people's own view points on who deserves chances does it not? Craig Gordon has went more than six games recently without getting a game for a start and many feel he should have got a chance but we don't hear talk of him about to walk. Second/Third choice goalies know the script though. It's different with strikers. anyway I think the main point is that we need to see other players being given a chance - If it all stays the same we wont qualify and will be saying exactly the same things in 2 years time. Its likely we wont qualify anyway even if we do change things around but atleast we have tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I'd say over the last two games that Strachan's decision to play Fletcher was wholly vindicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitch Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Fletcher should and did play the Poland game as it was to late to try something new. He should not of started the Gibraltar game and Strachan should of given someone else a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudScot Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Fletcher should and did play the Poland game as it was to late to try something new. He should not of started the Gibraltar game and Strachan should of given someone else a chance. Exactly the point that is being made regarding the Gibraltar game. Troubled times are ahead... Which is depressing considering we are hardly in the midst of good times currently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Fletcher should and did play the Poland game as it was to late to try something new. He should not of started the Gibraltar game and Strachan should of given someone else a chance. Chris Martin also started against Gibraltar. Difficult to see what else he could have done given that Griffiths and Rhodes had withdrawn from the squad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 aaid, on 21 Oct 2015 - 10:24 AM, said: Chris Martin also started against Gibraltar. Difficult to see what else he could have done given that Griffiths and Rhodes had withdrawn from the squad. Played Johnny Russell? Called up Tony Watt? Let's be honest, the Gibraltar game was a joke. Strachan could have called up a 3 or 4 uncapped players and given them a run out. We'd still have won comfortably and we'd have learned something from the game. As it was, we learned nothing from seeing the usual suspects all playing. Even at the end, why bring on D. Fletcher when he could've gave Shinnie his first cap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Played Johnny Russell? Called up Tony Watt? Hid did play Russell, he got half an hour in the second half. Tony Watt hasn't scored since the middle of August, if he'd continued his form from the end of last season then by all means give him a call up, but he hasn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 aaid, on 21 Oct 2015 - 10:39 AM, said: Hid did play Russell, he got half an hour in the second half. Tony Watt hasn't scored since the middle of August, if he'd continued his form from the end of last season then by all means give him a call up, but he hasn't. I don't know if you're being deliberately obtuse... The Gibraltar game was a missed opportunity to try out new players, safe in the knowledge that we'd still win the game comfortably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I don't know if you're being deliberately obtuse... The Gibraltar game was a missed opportunity to try out new players, safe in the knowledge that we'd still win the game comfortably. If - if - Griffiths and/or Rhodes had been available then they should have been given some game time. Griffiths should probably have started in place of Fletcher and Rhodes come on as a second half sub. I don't see what the point is in calling up players who are a million miles away from the squad purely to make up the numbers. As for Shinnie, well maybe if he'd taken the match seriously and did his warm up at half time rather than jumping into the crowd for selfies with his mates, he might have had a better chance of getting on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 aaid, on 21 Oct 2015 - 10:50 AM, said: If - if - Griffiths and/or Rhodes had been available then they should have been given some game time. Griffiths should probably have started in place of Fletcher and Rhodes come on as a second half sub. I don't see what the point is in calling up players who are a million miles away from the squad purely to make up the numbers. Johnny Russel is in the squad and could easily have started. Stevie May was in the squad 12 months ago. Russel could've started with Martin and May could've been on the bench. Ryan Fraser could've been added to the squad. Shinnie could've played. Jack could've been called up. I'm sure there's plenty more players who others could name that they think should be given game time/squad places. We get very few opportunities to give players a chance in games we know we'll win comfortably anyway. Strachan is completely ignoring everyone but his select band of 18 players, players who've already shown themselves to be not good enough. To see Steven Fletcher try so hard to get a hat-tick against part-timers was hilarious. What is the value in it to us? There's none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Stevie May is another off-form striker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudScot Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Stevie May is another off-form striker. Surely you aren't suggesting that the Gibraltar matchday squad was correct? Rarely do we play the worst team in world football in a dead rubber qualifier. New & Fringe players should have been given a run out definitely. It's concerning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 You arguably learn less by playing players who aren't good enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 You arguably learn less by playing players who aren't good enough Exactly, and also by playing lesser players against lesser opposition, what does it tell you about their ability to play against better opposition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 aaid, on 21 Oct 2015 - 11:06 AM, said: Stevie May is another off-form striker. Yup, obtuse. To we just jetison every "off-form" player? That's Scott Brown, Allan Hutton & Steven Fletcher fvcked then... ProudScot, on 21 Oct 2015 - 11:12 AM, said: Rarely do we play the worst team in world football in a dead rubber qualifier. New & Fringe players should have been given a run out definitely. It's concerning. Exactly. It was a chance to try out new things/players. Instead we went with same old, same old. ParisInAKilt, on 21 Oct 2015 - 11:14 AM, said: You arguably learn less by playing players who aren't good enough Who are you suggesting out of the players i have suggested aren't good enough? I'm intrigued. Stevie May played for us vs England and done okay. Johnny Russell is definitely good enough and deserves more chances than he's had. Shinnie is in excellent form. Ryan Jack has been one of the best players in our league for a couple of years now. While Ryan Fraser looks to be starting to fulfil his vast potential. So, who out of these players is not good enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Who are you suggesting out of the players i have suggested aren't good enough? I'm intrigued. Stevie May played for us vs England and done okay. Johnny Russell is definitely good enough and deserves more chances than he's had. Shinnie is in excellent form. Ryan Jack has been one of the best players in our league for a couple of years now. While Ryan Fraser looks to be starting to fulfil his vast potential. So, who out of these players is not good enough? I didn't really have anyone in mind when I made that post, but I don't think May or Russell are good enough. The others mentioned I would have been happy if they played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al2014 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Anyone know much about Botti Biabi? "Because of parentage and birthplace, Biabi had a three-way choice to make between Ivory Coast, England and Scotland but elected to represent Scotland, the country of his upbringing" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox tassels Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I really hope Lewis Mcleod can overcome his injury troubles. With him, Gauld, Jack, Christie,Harper and Fraser we do have some very talented young players , that are all capable in my opinion of breaking into the squad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slide tackle Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I was dissapointed johnny russel didnt start the game, also agree that it was the perfect chance to give a new striker a chance to show what they can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamntg Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Anyone know much about Botti Biabi? "Because of parentage and birthplace, Biabi had a three-way choice to make between Ivory Coast, England and Scotland but elected to represent Scotland, the country of his upbringing" Aye, he's in the Swansea reserves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitch Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I think the biggest problem for the whole of the campaign was we stuck with the same formation and the same players. We didn't try and change it even when we were getting beat in Georgia we stuck with the same formation. The defence was leaking stupid goals and doing the same thing all the time. Pumping the ball up to 1 player hoping for a knock on then no one being there to get it. There corner we had every player in our box defending. no outlet when the ball is cleared. except the Poland home game when we were 1 down. No width with the fullbacks (when they have the ball) giving the opposition an easy pass and we ended up chasing shadows. This happened every game and not once did we try to do it a bit different. Makes us very easy to play against. Rant over next time midfield and forwards.lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EIFA10 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Aye, he's in the Swansea reserves. He scored double the amount of goals (4) for Falkirk, compared to the number of Dunfermline players he headbutted in the Petrofac Cup last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapperone Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Anyone know much about Botti Biabi? "Because of parentage and birthplace, Biabi had a three-way choice to make between Ivory Coast, England and Scotland but elected to represent Scotland, the country of his upbringing" Saw him play maybe 50-70 times, most of which were for Falkirk U20s. Medium height, stockily-built lad who had a bit of pace and a bit of skill. He scored frequently, though that's not hard to do at U20 level. He played around 20 games for us at first team level, mostly coming on as a sub. In the majority of those he struggled to make any sort of impact on the game, though he played a blinder when he came on at East End Park. At least until he lost the heid and got sent off for retaliation following an off-the-ball stamp from some dirty Fifer. You kind of expect that sort of behaviour from Dunfermline folk. Sorry, I'm letting my club allegiances get in the way here. Botti also had a great game when he came on as a sub in the Cup Final against Inverness. He won the freekick that set up our equaliser. Swansea bought him a few months later for a rumoured 150K. The general consensus amongst Falkirk fans was that he had the potential to become a decent footballer but getting that sort of money for him was a steal. At the time of his departure he wasn't good enough to be a regular in our first team squad, so he's a long, long long way from ever getting anywhere near a full Scotland squad. I think he was called up once or twice for the U19s / U21s but didn't get a game. Jay Fulton and Steven Kingsley - who we also sold to Swansea - are better prospects IMO. As is Connor McGrandles at Norwich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) Exactly, and also by playing lesser players against lesser opposition, what does it tell you about their ability to play against better opposition? Well those still foaming at the mouth about Rhodes not getting a chance well he got a good half an hour against Gibraltar at Hampden and failed to score. Fletcher scores two hat-tricks against them and our own fans scoff saying it is only part-timers. Well what the hell does that say about Rhodes then? Even the much-maligned Chris Martin netted against them. I genuinely believe a lot of the time our fans (and I include myself in this) put too much faith or hope in our players seeing relatively untried players as saviours (Rhodes and Griffiths) to give ourselves some hope. We do the same with upcoming youngsters and they generally sink without trace - look at Robbie Foy, Stephen Smith, Danny Wilson, Islam Feruz and such-like. The hard, cold truth is in desperation we'll convince ourselves of anything. Edited October 21, 2015 by Caledonian Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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