Gordon Strachan

[Boynze]

On ‎02‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 2:44 AM, Sempre said:

The thing that annoys me about Strachan is he talks a good game but doesn't put his own words into practice.

He says we can't just throw in kids. He's right, you can't throw in the U21 team. He has to play the odd one or two and gradually blend them in. That's fine, but when the qualifiers starts will we really see McGinn, Tierney, McLean, Paterson or anyone else there, or the "safe" options?

He says the players coming in have to be an improvement on what he has at the moment. Again, he's right.

However, he's picking players that don't fall into either category. They're not young players with big futures, and they're not better than what we have.

I'm talking about Craig Bryson coming off the bench v Italy. What was that for - is he going to be a big player for us in the next campaign? If so who is Bryson an improvement on? Same goes for Steven Whittaker, Gordon Greer and Charlie Mulgrew.

He relies stubbornly on Steven Fletcher when we're crying out for new ideas, and I don't mean Ross McCormack or Chris Martin who, from what I've seen so far, offer exactly the same.

He needs to be braver. Just show a bit of ambition, name a line-up with a mix of youth and experience. Trust Robertson, Tierney or Shinnie for a big game. So often even Robertson is dropped when we play bigger opposition and he goes with Whittaker or, as in Ireland away, Craig Forsyth. Give Griffiths or Rhodes a start. Start them both away to Malta. They could compliment each other and between the two of them make something happen. They're the best two strikers we have. 

But at the moment I struggle to think what Strachan is doing that every other manager since Vogts hasn't done either. Our whole approach is the same as Levein or Burley. Supporting Scotland is tiring. It's predictable. It's the same old story on repeat.

We need someone to actually shake us up. I thought Strachan would be that man but so far he's not done it.

what are these new ideas?

[JECK]

9 minutes ago, Boynze said:

what are these new ideas?

Playing Griffiths and Rhodes up front and one of our new young left backs. can't you read? We will get results under strachan if we do this.

[Boynze]

2 hours ago, JECK said:

Playing Griffiths and Rhodes up front and one of our new young left backs. can't you read? We will get results under strachan if we do this.

if you think the answer is personnel then you are deluded I'm afraid

[JECK]

45 minutes ago, Boynze said:

if you think the answer is personnel then you are deluded I'm afraid

Haha It was total sarcasm fella. I know this, others don't 

[ParisInAKilt]

The honeymoon period is well and truly over. Needs to get off to a good start next campaign or will be under a lot of pressure, if he isn't already. 

Definitely relies on the same system and players probably more than he should. There's no easy solution, as a squad we are a bit behind even the above average teams in terms of technique. We really struggle not having that 1 player who can make a difference at international level. 

In saying all that if he pursues with certain players and we don't win in Malta then he'll struggle to get much sympathy from fans. 

[PapofGlencoe]

im amazed Strachan's future is being talked about.  We had one bad game in the group that's scuppered us plus Ireland doing a roy of the rovers over the World Champions.

Some folk need a reality check.  He's the best we're going to get.  We have a decent, if not spectacular team.  Hard to beat and can cause an upset.  

I couldn't understand the unbridled joy half way through the last group and I don't understand the doomongering for the next one.  I think us Scots always have to be at the extremities of emotion.

Edited June 3, 2016 by PapofGlencoe

[ParisInAKilt]

2 minutes ago, PapofGlencoe said:

im amazed Strachan's future is being talked about.  We had one bad game in the group that's scuppered us plus Ireland doing a roy of the rovers over the World Champions.

Some folk need a reality check.  He's the best we're going to get.  We have a decent, if not spectacular team.  Hard to beat and can cause an upset.  

I couldn't understand the unbridled joy half way through the last group and I don't understand the doomongering for the next one.  I think us Scots always have to be at the extremities of emotion.

Seem's to be a recurring theme . . .

In terms of 1 bad game, that may be true, but we also has several average games that could have went against us even further. Probably in the minority but I thought we were lucky to get a draw in Poland and although Ireland were poor in Glasgow, they nearly sneaked a point. Not forgetting the great chance Georgia had at Hampden. 

[scottishedgar]

We basically finished bottom of a 4 team group. Not good enough 

[deecie]

If anything we had 1 good game the last campaign.

[thplinth]

2 minutes ago, deecie said:

If anything we had 1 good game the last campaign.

Sure. Now just keep repeating it over and over like a broken record.

[thplinth]

Strachan was the perfect guy to transition us out of the Levein loser mentality but he is a one campaign guy.

He has run out of steam. He is a good man but old school in his thinking.

Fukk knows who we will have any chance of getting who is better.

[ErsatzThistle]

3 minutes ago, thplinth said:

Strachan was the perfect guy to transition us out of the Levein loser mentality but he is a one campaign guy.

He has run out of steam. He is a good man but old school in his thinking.

Fukk knows who we will have any chance of getting who is better.

I'm backing Strachan but were he to go then I'd rather we got a foreigner in as opposed to a Scot. 

The problem is many people just think about Scottish managers only.

[slasher]

I think familiarity breeds contempt in this job very quickly and a lot of what is at work here could be described as that.

My one issue with Strachan is his ignorance of one or two players who would offer us something different/better from what we have. It seems to be, its the best players to fit his system rather than picking your your best 22 and finding a system that suits them best. For me you should always pick your best 22 players.

The most striking examples are Rhodes and Shinnie (although I was shocked at how bad he was against Celtic - 1 off?) and before them McCormack. He's a stubborn monkey wgs right enough.....I well remember him ignoring Balde at times when we were crying out for physique despite the fact the one game he played, he was excellent and we were paying the fecker 29k a week.

But, all in all I still trust him and if we get off to a good start which I think we will....the belief will come again!?

[fraz65]

15 minutes ago, slasher said:

I think familiarity breeds contempt in this job very quickly and a lot of what is at work here could be described as that.

My one issue with Strachan is his ignorance of one or two players who would offer us something different/better from what we have. It seems to be, its the best players to fit his system rather than picking your your best 22 and finding a system that suits them best. For me you should always pick your best 22 players.

The most striking examples are Rhodes and Shinnie (although I was shocked at how bad he was against Celtic - 1 off?) and before them McCormack. He's a stubborn monkey wgs right enough.....I well remember him ignoring Balde at times when we were crying out for physique despite the fact the one game he played, he was excellent and we were paying the fecker 29k a week.

But, all in all I still trust him and if we get off to a good start which I think we will....the belief will come again!?

If Shinnie is as good as people say, then why is he playing for Aberdeen rather than an English Championship side with a much higher budget?

I've seen him play before for ICT and he was the best player on the park but would he really make much difference in comparison to our other left-sided options?

[slasher]

9 minutes ago, fraz65 said:

If Shinnie is as good as people say, then why is he playing for Aberdeen rather than an English Championship side with a much higher budget?

I've seen him play before for ICT and he was the best player on the park but would he really make much difference in comparison to our other left-sided options?

No, but he's  a better player than Wallace, Forsyth and Whittaker IMO. All of whom have been picked ahead of him. As I said earlier, I think you should pick your best 22/25 players.

Edited June 3, 2016 by slasher

[JECK]

39 minutes ago, slasher said:

No, but he's  a better player than Wallace, Forsyth and Whittaker IMO. All of whom have been picked ahead of him. As I said earlier, I think you should pick your best 22/25 players.

I've just watched one of those questionable pishy YouTube videos of Kieran Tierney highlights of the past season and ok, hastily erected highlights but I didn't realise just how good he was this season. Loads of assists, beating players and plenty blocks and tackles. Robertson got a real fight on his hands I'd say although you could imagine him pushed further on cause he looks a real threat going forward.

[slasher]

2 hours ago, JECK said:

I've just watched one of those questionable pishy YouTube videos of Kieran Tierney highlights of the past season and ok, hastily erected highlights but I didn't realise just how good he was this season. Loads of assists, beating players and plenty blocks and tackles. Robertson got a real fight on his hands I'd say although you could imagine him pushed further on cause he looks a real threat going forward.

Yip, he's potentially very good, loves a tackle as well?

[HIGHTOWER 1314]

I want the wee man to be a success which if that happens then we will qualify for russia.However we have to start taking games to the opponents and i am no talking about the minnows i am talking about the big boys.Start playing more attacking football and get wired into them more than ever.Otherwise we will forever miss out.

[COLT NY]

I was massively disappointed by the way we played against the Italians, but I do think Strachan has generally had us playing better football than the shi'ite we've witnessed under Levein and Burley (and you can add Smith & Vogts to that too). 

What gives me hope for the future is that when the camera flashed to Strachan in the last couple of minutes, he looked as exasperated with the performance as I was. His comments after the game didn't hide from the fact that things need to change going forward.

[vanderark14]

Nice of him to try out the younger players in these of experimental matches

get te eff Strachan

[mariokempes56]

We had one crackihg game in Dortmund,  we've gone backwards since. Time for change.

 

Martin,Greer  , Ritchie,  Fletchers aĺl pst it or not good enough , then  mcginn on bench and the rangers lad only gets 5 minutes...

 

First time in years I've missed 2 away games. Silver lining etc?.

[Guest allyc]

Quit now please...

[exile]

On 03/06/2016 at 5:40 PM, scottishedgar said:

We basically finished bottom of a 4 team group. 

But it was very finely balanced between the teams - we were in the running till the last 20? minutes of the campaign, - and it could easily have gone the other way - which is more than can be said for the previous ones.

Do we need additional assistant coaches? A defensive coach?

[wheres the pies]

22 minutes ago, mariokempes56 said:

We had one crackihg game in Dortmund,  we've gone backwards since. Time for change.

 

Martin,Greer  , Ritchie,  Fletchers aĺl pst it or not good enough , then  mcginn on bench and the rangers lad only gets 5 minutes...

 

First time in years I've missed 2 away games. Silver lining etc?.

silver lining indeed like many on here and beyond never felt so fed up with Scotland in the 40 odd years of following them could have easily went to the France game but choose not to where do we go from here to put us into context we are a bit like a drunk man trying to get  home after a night oot two steps forward four backwards type thing the game in Dortmund and in Warsaw gave us hope but it has been well backwards since then 

 

 

[Malcolm]

Sigh..... Yet again everyone calling for strachan to go.   We are just not good enough.   The players are not good enough.  You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.   Our level is somewhere around Lithuania, Georgia.... Pot 4/pot5.... Occasionally trouble third spot... Once in a life time qualify for a major competition. That's where we are.