Slaughtering

[er yir macaroon]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/gordon-parks-under-21s-outclassed-7634114#6SMTJIQKZT6GOYmO.97

Justified? Gauld and Patterson laughing it off on Twitter. Not their fault and a bit out of order, but rings true I'm afraid.

[ErsatzThistle]

Way over the top from Parks.

Then again it is the Daily Record. Building up young players profiles and then knocking them down is something they excel in. They actually enjoy it when we fail at things.

[Bannannan]

20 minutes ago, ErsatzThistle said:

Way over the top from Parks.

Then again it is the Daily Record. Building up young players profiles and then knocking them down is something they excel in. They actually enjoy it when we fail at things.

exactly

[Third Lanark]

He's right about the physique thing though. A team of Messis will win nothing. We need big skilful attackers like Thomas Mueller. I don't think Jimmy Johnstone or Willie Henderson would make much headway in the modern game; things are much different now.

[sbcmfc]

I wonder if the lack of diversity in Scotland is a factor?

The pace, explosive power etc. he claims we were lacking are qualities you tend to find in guys who have roots back to west Africa or the Caribbean.

Athletisism is very important in modern football, and culturally and (perhaps to a lesser extent) genetically it's not something Scottish players seem blessed with.

[er yir macaroon]

14 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

He's right about the physique thing though. A team of Messis will win nothing. We need big skilful attackers like Thomas Mueller. I don't think Jimmy Johnstone or Willie Henderson would make much headway in the modern game; things are much different now.

Wee players are fine if they have both skill and real pace. We have very few with both. I suppose Ryan Fraser has promise in that department, as does McKay. Forrest had the potential but it looks like his body isn't up to it. 

[er yir macaroon]

14 minutes ago, sbcmfc said:

I wonder if the lack of diversity in Scotland is a factor?

The pace, explosive power etc. he claims we were lacking are qualities you tend to find in guys who have roots back to west Africa or the Caribbean.

Athletisism is very important in modern football, and culturally and (perhaps to a lesser extent) genetically it's not something Scottish players seem blessed with.

That's why we need Tony Watt to become a dedicated athlete. He's quick, powerful and skilful and outmuscled the big Belgians with the roots you describe.

[Bannannan]

22 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

He's right about the physique thing though. A team of Messis will win nothing. We need big skilful attackers like Thomas Mueller. I don't think Jimmy Johnstone or Willie Henderson would make much headway in the modern game; things are much different now.

Jimmy Johnstone spent his entire career skinning people twice his size,and Anya if i'm not mistaken ran past the entire German defence to score in Dortmund.Nothing wrong with wee fast wingers.

[sbcmfc]

7 minutes ago, er yir macaroon said:

That's why we need Tony Watt to become a dedicated athlete. He's quick, powerful and skilful and outmuscled the big Belgians with the roots you describe.

Yeah, Tony Watt falls into the "cultural" category.

[aaid]

I'd have to say that I pretty much agree with most of what he says especially the part about if you aren't good enough to be pushing for a first team place by the time you are 20 there is a problem.

To be successful at the highest level - and that's what we should be aspiring to for internationalists - players need to be physically strong enough to be able to compete and have the skill and ability.  That doesn't mean you need to be a clogger, it means you need to be prepared to do the work to build up your physique and fitness.   Crucially it means you have to have a professional attitude and mentality that I don't think is that prevalent in our young players, ie no alcohol, proper diet and plenty of rest.

Someone mentioned Messi earlier.  He's not the biggest player but he's built up his strength.  You don't see him shoved off the ball too often and that's not all down to him being two steps ahead of the opposition  

 

[er yir macaroon]

12 minutes ago, sbcmfc said:

Yeah, Tony Watt falls into the "cultural" category.

What's your point caller?

[sbcmfc]

31 minutes ago, er yir macaroon said:

What's your point caller?

I mean there's question marks over his attitude. Which is a cultural thing in Scotland.

Physically he has the attributes.

I was actually pretty impressed with him the other night.

[Duncan Blackheart]

53 minutes ago, aaid said:

Someone mentioned Messi earlier.  He's not the biggest player but he's built up his strength.  You don't see him shoved off the ball too often and that's not all down to him being two steps ahead of the opposition  

 

Can we prescribe our players what he had?

[Toepoke]

3 hours ago, Bannannan said:

Jimmy Johnstone spent his entire career skinning people twice his size,and Anya if i'm not mistaken ran past the entire German defence to score in Dortmund.Nothing wrong with wee fast wingers.

There used to be a lot of big slow defenders to play against, not so much now...

 

[Third Lanark]

10 hours ago, Toepoke said:

There used to be a lot of big slow defenders to play against, not so much now...

 

Yes, that's the point I was making, not deriding your Barry Bannan. I'm a Bannan fan too Bannanaman!

[Dave78]

12 hours ago, Duncan Blackheart said:

Can we prescribe our players what he had?

Testosterone and growth hormones from age 13.

We need to copy the Russian training methods from Rocky V.

[Third Lanark]

14 hours ago, sbcmfc said:

I wonder if the lack of diversity in Scotland is a factor?

The pace, explosive power etc. he claims we were lacking are qualities you tend to find in guys who have roots back to west Africa or the Caribbean.

Athletisism is very important in modern football, and culturally and (perhaps to a lesser extent) genetically it's not something Scottish players seem blessed with.

Y'know I was going to start a thread on this very factor. It's surprising to me that that we have very few players of Caribbean heritage, given Glasgow's links to the sugar trade in the West Indies. Even Wales and Ire. have had more black players than us. Wouldn't it be great to have a Scottish Lukaku? (even if he has African roots rather than Carib.) Anya and the Paisley guy who missed that famous sitter are both African in origin. his name escapes me. Was it v Norway, the open goal?

[86glebestreet]

7 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Y'know I was going to start a thread on this very factor. It's surprising to me that that we have very few players of Caribbean heritage, given Glasgow's links to the sugar trade in the West Indies. Even Wales and Ire. have had more black players than us. Wouldn't it be great to have a Scottish Lukaku? (even if he has African roots rather than Carib.) Anya and the Paisley guy who missed that famous sitter are both African in origin. his name escapes me. Was it v Norway, the open goal?

Iwelumo ,or something like that

[aaid]

34 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Y'know I was going to start a thread on this very factor. It's surprising to me that that we have very few players of Caribbean heritage, given Glasgow's links to the sugar trade in the West Indies. Even Wales and Ire. have had more black players than us. Wouldn't it be great to have a Scottish Lukaku? (even if he has African roots rather than Carib.) Anya and the Paisley guy who missed that famous sitter are both African in origin. his name escapes me. Was it v Norway, the open goal?

 

It think when you say Glasgow's links to the sugar trade its really another five letter word beginning with 's' that you mean.   Maybe if the Darien scheme had succeeded we'd have had a wee colony to call our own and exploit.

There are relatively few blacks in Scotland of Afro-Caribbean origin compared to England.  Anya and Iwelomu are both mixed race with Nigerian fathers who were first generation immigrants whose fathers were a scientist and a doctor respectively.

Wales has a very old established black community in Cardiff that goes back generations.  Most, if not all, Irish players who are "black" are actually mixed race with a black father, who will be a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant and an Irish - either by birth or parentage - mother and a lot of them will have been born and brought up in England.  There are eligible Scots players of similar backgrounds, Matt Phillips being one.  

[dandydunn]

56 minutes ago, Dave78 said:

Testosterone and growth hormones from age 13.

We need to copy the Russian training methods from Rocky V.

Ridiculous post. 

 

It it was Rocky iv 

[Duncan Blackheart]

36 minutes ago, dandydunn said:

Ridiculous post. 

 

It it was Rocky iv 

Got there first. 

I wonder if Mark McGhee could be replaced in the coaching set-up by Paulie's robot. Would boost morale at birthdays and would arguably be in front of Gordon Greer in the centre back pecking order.

[henry george]

And just to cap off a poor week for the youth squads the U17's are currently being pumped 4-0 by Denmark in their Euro qualifiers.

[DoonTheSlope]

2 hours ago, Third Lanark said:

Wouldn't it be great to have a Scottish Lukaku? (even if he has African roots rather than Carib.)

What it does it matter where a players family origins come from or what his skin colour is?

[Third Lanark]

20 minutes ago, DoonTheSlope said:

What it does it matter where a players family origins come from or what his skin colour is?

Of course it doesn't matter a jot; was just making the point that these players tend to be bigger and stronger physically.

[bookerman]

49 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Of course it doesn't matter a jot; was just making the point that these players tend to be bigger and stronger physically.

 

I agree wiith this, Just have a look at england, there team is mixed with players from differnt backgrounds. While we pretty limited on who we can pick.

http://www.celticfc.net/team/academy

Saying that i've noticed Celtic youth teams have quite a lot of african background kids. So hope this changes in the next 10 years.