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How Many Years?


McExpat

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How many years do you think it will be before we make it to another finals?

So many years have now passed since Scotland last participtated at the Euros or the World Cup, with the future not looking as bright now as it did back then, imo.

*During Euro 96 - No way did I ever think it would be at least 24 years before we possibly made it to another European Championship.

*At the time of World Cup 98 - Never did I think it would be at least 20 years before we made it to another World Cup.

*At the 2003 Netherlands Play Off - Again, I didn't think it would be a minimum of 15 years before we may be in attendance at another finals.

And here we find ourselves in 2015 with another failed qualification bid just behind us and things not looking at all promising on the player development front and I find myself asking the question- how many years will it be from here?

Could it be another 15, 20, 24 years or more until we see Scotland at a major finals?

I really hope not and whilst I can't see us making it to the next World Cup I am hopeful we make it to Euro 2020 but I am less optimistic now than I was in 96, 98 & 2003.

Edited by McExpat
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We may get lucky and qualify for a one off tournament, but realistically it will be 4 or 5 years after we produce a decent U-21 team.

We might make Euro 2020 as the format is changing and even diddy teams are getting a chance.

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Who knows, we need to learn lessons from this group first and foremost. There has been progress in an attacking sense, 5th joint top dcores in all the groups. We need to learn to see games out 2 v Poland being the example. That would have clinched us 2nd or best 3rd place.

A lucky draw is also a major factor, see Northern Ireland for that example or catching teams on their way down from their peak, Greece, Bosnia for examole.. The 2 draws (2010 and 2012) we got 2 decent draws but had managers who made an arse of it.

I think we can often, as a nation tend to get carried away in our analyising of these situations. Demanding reports, solutions and all that. I'm not suggesting that doesn't need done, it does but from comparing this campaign to the last we progressed. This was in the end just to soon for us and we all probably got a bit carried away, escpecially after Dublin. But I believe we are on the right track

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How many years do you think it will be before we make it to another finals?

So many years have now passed since Scotland last participtated at the Euros or the World Cup, with the future not looking as bright now as it did back then, imo.

*During Euro 96 - No way did I ever think it would be at least 24 years before we possibly made it to another European Championship.

*At the time of World Cup 98 - Never did I think it would be at least 20 years before we made it to another World Cup.

*At the 2003 Netherlands Play Off - Again, I didn't think it would be a minimum of 15 years before we may be in attendance at another finals.

And here we find ourselves in 2015 with another failed qualification bid just behind us and things not looking at all promising on the player development front and I find myself asking the question- how many years will it be from here?

Could it be another 15, 20, 24 years or more until we see Scotland at a major finals?

I really hope not and whilst I can't see us making it to the next World Cup I am hopeful we make it to Euro 2020 but I am less optimistic now than I was in 96, 98 & 2003.

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Fed up with the hard luck stories. We need to invest heavily in sport, start off at grass route level to help reap any reward within 20 years. We seem to have a fairly decent u19 level sometimes even a half decent u21 side, but what can be helped is picking a decent coach. Why have we got tadgers like sbragia in charge? He is totally out his depth

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How many years do you think it will be before we make it to another finals?

Think of scotland as a family in a neighbourhood. Are we producing athletic high ambition children ready to 'make the team' or outshine the other kids in other sports? I think not. We are the ones who eat too much drink too much don't have a learning tradition (or at least not any more). All the excuses are running out... with what can be done like with Iceland.

It is us, our team reflects us. Germany has a 'team weight' that punches above their 'individual weights' combined. Scotland is a team weight that punches consistently and well below their individual weights combined.

The difference IMHO is a people who see (but actually feel) themselves as genuinely one people versus folk that pretend to be one people

edit: sorry pushed the button there by mistake, so to cut a long story short. we are getting worse not better...20 years optimistically.

Edited by thplinth
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Hoping for a "lucky draw" to give us a chance of qualifying says it all

This was the easiest chance we had (play off wise) and we couldnt do it

The signs were there 20 years ago - We went to a World Cup with players like Darren Jackson, Colin Calderwood, Tosh McKinlay and Craig Burley

We should have realised then that our quality of player was dropping and addressed it

Even if the SFA were to get their act together and implement what Iceland have done for example it's going to take another 15 years minimum to see the benefit but you dont need to worry about that - we will never replicate that ambition or investment

We are ####ed big time and there is going to be far more pain before there is even an inkling of qualifying again

Edited by Ally Bongo
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Euros were not considered major finals

Until arguably some point in 90s

Whit????

So no one considered it a major finals when the Dutch won in 88 or the French in 84? Aye right. Arguably prior to 96 it was a more prestigious tournament because it only had 8 teams in it.

And to the OP perhaps in 96 when you were considering how long it would be before we qualified again, you should have considered the fact that prior to 96 we had only qualified for one finals in the entire history of the tournament.

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We will need to rely on a major amount of luck to get us through a group in the near future. There will be no change of priority from the SFA or clubs to get us to where we need to be on the park.

There will be the usual handwringing from the likes of Henry McLeish, earlier tonight on Sportsound, and I am sure we will get empty platitudes from Regan and co whilst this is still raw in everyone's mind. After that................nothing.

Cheer up though guys, there will be a new strip out soon........

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Whit????

So no one considered it a major finals when the Dutch won in 88 or the French in 84? Aye right. Arguably prior to 96 it was a more prestigious tournament because it only had 8 teams in it.

We seen the World Cup as the prime target and used the Euro Qualifiers to get ready for WC qualifiers

Not qualifying for the Euros didnt bother us in the 70s and 80s

Edited by Ally Bongo
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Want some depressing statistics that I've just looked up ...

If Hungary win their playoff, then Scotland will be the nation with longest wait since their last Euro appearance.

Also, if Hungary win their playoff, then Scotland will be the European nation with longest wait since their last finals (world cup or Euros) appearance.

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Hoping for a "lucky draw" to give us a chance of qualifying says it all

This was the easiest chance we had (play off wise) and we couldnt do it

The signs were there 20 years ago - We went to a World Cup with players like Darren Jackson, Colin Calderwood, Tosh McKinlay and Craig Burley

We should have realised then that our quality of player was dropping and addressed it

Even if the SFA were to get their act together and implement what Iceland have done for example it's going to take another 15 years minimum to see the benefit but you dont need to worry about that - we will never replicate that ambition or investment

We are ####ed big time and there is going to be far more pain before there is even an inkling of qualifying again

Steady oan!! This is the Scottish all sugar or all shite mentality in full swing. The positives from this campaign outweigh the negatives despite the huge disapointment of not qualifying. It will not take much improvement to see us very competitive for the wc group. Of course, this is totally separate to the huge funding issue needing to be adressed to see us transform the game and national team for the long term.

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Whit????

So no one considered it a major finals when the Dutch won in 88 or the French in 84? Aye right. Arguably prior to 96 it was a more prestigious tournament because it only had 8 teams in it.

And to the OP perhaps in 96 when you were considering how long it would be before we qualified again, you should have considered the fact that prior to 96 we had only qualified for one finals in the entire history of the tournament.

I did say arguably

There was never same inquest in past for failure to qualify for euros

Euro 84 was a great tournament

But 8 teams and over in a flash

Don't think it even reached a full on one country/base location tourney status until Italy 80

; a new tournament compared to World Cup that think took a lot for folk to take seriously

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Steady oan!! This is the Scottish all sugar or all shite mentality in full swing. The positives from this campaign outweigh the negatives despite the huge disapointment of not qualifying. It will not take much improvement to see us very competitive for the wc group. Of course, this is totally separate to the huge funding issue needing to be adressed to see us transform the game and national team for the long term.

Im a realist whilst most are in denial particularly if you think it wont take much improvement for us to be "very" competitive

Unfortunately you will all get to where i am eventually.

Forget the England games - we wont be winning in Slovakia or Slovenia either

23 March 1982 was my first game - so thats almost 34 years it has taken me and for the last 20 i have been in denial too

Telling me where we are going to get a defence from in 11 months might help my mindstate

Edited by Ally Bongo
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At this moment in time it is difficult to see us qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. That is not defeatism but realism. England have just won 10 from 10 and have become extremely reliable in qualifying easily. That may aid us in competing for a play off place as I suspect there will not be a lot between us, Slovakia and Slovenia. However even if we perform really well and get 2nd place we are highly likely then to be up against a major nation, I just looked at the groups again and its daunting who will end up 2nd.

Euro 2020 will again provide us with an excellent chance of making a major tournament however it is hugely important that at a minimum we end up as the 3rd seed (instead of 4th) when the next draw for that is made. Therefore the numpties in the SFA hierarchy need to employ someone (there are guys on here who understand it better than them) who can explain what appropriate friendlies we should be taking on in terms of co-efficient. Mistakes have been made in recent times with regard this and God knows we need every assistance we can get.

Edited by Hendricks
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We may get lucky and qualify for a one off tournament, but realistically it will be 4 or 5 years after we produce a decent U-21 team.

We might make Euro 2020 as the format is changing and even diddy teams are getting a chance.

When was the last time we had a decent u-21 team?

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It might be a good idea to play Slovakia away early & hope they have a hangover from the Euros

5 of their 6 defenders in their squad are over 30 - including Skrtel

Their midfield however is dynamite - most young guys in their middle 20s including Hamsik of Napoli

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It might be a good idea to play Slovakia away early & hope they have a hangover from the Euros

5 of their 6 defenders in their squad are over 30 - including Skrtel

Their midfield however is dynamite - most young guys in their middle 20s including Hamsik of Napoli

The fixtures in order are, plus what we need to do to finish 2nd in the group:

Malta (A) - Win

Lithuania (H) - Win

Slovakia (A) - Draw

England (A) - Loss

Slovenia (H) - Win

England (H) - Loss

Lithuania (A) - Win

Malta (H) - Win

Slovakia (H) - Win

Slovenia (A) - Draw

I think having the "easiest teams" in the group first will help us - we do play Slovakia quite early though. If we win that, I think we'd be set to qualify (I'm getting ahead of myself...).

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I must be some kind of optimist

As I see it we nearly made it this time - yes I *know* that 'nearly' was not enough enough on this occasion - but halfway through the second half we probably had a 70-75% chance of going through. And maybe in one of the next couple of times it will be good enough.

Being in a group with England is a great opportunity to get a result ro two against a top seed - more so, I would say, than against France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands or Germany. and Slovakia can't be that good consistently forever.

But how many from group qualify for WC?

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I must be some kind of optimist

As I see it we nearly made it this time - yes I *know* that 'nearly' was not enough enough on this occasion - but halfway through the second half we probably had a 70-75% chance of going through. And maybe in one of the next couple of times it will be good enough.

Being in a group with England is a great opportunity to get a result ro two against a top seed - more so, I would say, than against France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands or Germany. and Slovakia can't be that good consistently forever.

But how many from group qualify for WC?

1st - Qualify

2nd - Play-Off (unless worst 2nd placed team)

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thanks.

I would say we can get 3 points off england over 2 games - as we did in the play-offs

I reckon we have a better chance in the away game than the home game - for some reason I can't explain. Maybe because we'll set up to smash and grab. I think we could beat every side in our group in a one-off game.

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Providing England scud, apart from ourselves we hope, the rest of the group then its a straight fight between ourselves, Slovakia and Slovenia for the play off spot. Slovakia are a decent side and have one or two individuals like Hamsik but given Belarus beat them at home the other day then why can't we do the same. They are nowhere near as good as Poland and we went there and took what was a decent point. Slovenia are beatable as well and don't possess a world-class player. Lithuania are not a Georgia either.

We are more than capable of competing in this group. And the fixture layout has been kind to us as well with the opportunity of having maximum points in the bag before the Slovakia away game.

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