THE SCOTLAND TEAM!

[sandy 952]

19 minutes ago, elevenone said:

As far as I can see @sandy Sky have the rights for this one although for a one off £9.99 you can purchase a NOW TV 24hr pass.

Ah nuts, forgot I’m going to see a live band in Edinburgh. Will just check on the score 

[CotterJag 164]

3 hours ago, elevenone said:

Ridiculous.

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/other-football/graeme-souness-wants-scotland-lose-24096167.amp

Sounds like he's lost the plot.

Complete tosh.

[sandy 952]

8 hours ago, elevenone said:

5 hours ago, CotterJag said:

[sandy 952]

6 hours ago, CotterJag said:

Sounds like he's lost the plot.

Complete tosh.

Oops, no idea what happened first there.

All I was going to say is that Souness has lost his moustache too

[Jaggernaut 1,627]

Always detested him.

No reason to change that opinion.

I bet he'd say that he wants England to beat Ukraine if they met in the finals.

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

Well, it’s arrived, the day of the Scotland v Ukraine WC qualifier, a match that may have a special chapter written about it-whatever the result-in future Scotland International football history books. One thing’s  for certain, it will not be forgotten by those who witness it. Millions of Ukrainian people-men, women and children- have become refugees-over seven million (more than Scotland’s population)-have left their home country and been welcomed in others  like Poland, Rumania, and Germany etc Thousands and thousands have been killed and injured. Homes and infrastructure have been destroyed, in cities and towns. It’s always civilians that come off worst in modern warfare. And, justified empathy, sympathy and sentiment cannot be forgotten, even when it comes down to a football match. It will be a highly emotional night. As the cliche goes, ‘It (certainly) puts football into perspective’ when your enemy is not just at the door, but has chased you out, some of the other occupants have been injured or killed and  the house has been left uninhabitable! 
 

As Scotland fans we want our team to win as we always do when our country takes the field in an important game v another nation. And the players, staff and management of the Scottish team want this too, which is what competitive sport is all about. Those connected to the Ukrainian team feel exactly the same. Yet, though we cannot truly   ‘know’ how they are really feeling., there must be an extra pressure and  desire that will drive those players and motivate them in the present circumstances. And, that knowledge and empathy for Ukraine will be in the minds of the Scotland players too, as human beings, which will make this particular game more difficult and different to any other, even for the most experienced players. The Scots will have to concentrate and do their jobs knowing all the background to this match and with awareness of the Ukrainian supporters, with their colours and support for their team whilst the match goes on. It would be very easy to become distracted or become emotional in such circumstances. No decent person wants to kick someone when they’re down. And Ukraine is ‘down’ right now.

But, I think it would be insulting to those Ukrainian footballers who are professionals and whose country has produced some great players eg Andrei Shevchenko, if Scotland was to do anything differently in terms of effort in this game, to previous competitive encounters. We can’t just go easy and step aside. It is what it is-a competitive match to be won, or lost with a lot at stake. I hope Scotland play to their best and end the game with a victory but, I also hope for an exciting sporting encounter  where the players of both sides play the game in good spirit and can end it with a strong heartfelt handshake or embrace. At that point, perhaps we can all applaud together our team, but also Ukraine and raise the Saltire along with the blue/yellow flag. No-one attending this game should be leaving early after this spectacle and they might have a positive story to tell about it too, in the future.

 

Edited June 1 by denismcquadeno.eleven

[lady-isobel-barnett 4,003]

38 minutes ago, denismcquadeno.eleven said:

But, I think it would be insulting to those Ukrainian footballers who are professionals and whose country has produced some great players eg Andrei Shevchenko, if Scotland was to do anything differently in terms of effort in this game, 

eg Andrei Shevchenko and of course from a decade and a half ago our very own, Dave.  

[sandy 952]

5 hours ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

eg Andrei Shevchenko and of course from a decade and a half ago our very own, Dave.  

Dave the Ukrainian 

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

5 hours ago, sandy said:

Dave the Ukrainian 

Scotland 1 v Ukraine 3

With Scotland already 0-2 down, two ‘pundits’ had this to say:

* Tom Smith-BBC Scotland Chief Sports Writer: “What’s the Ukrainian for ‘grubbed’? Steve Clarke picked the wrong team in the wrong system and a terrific Ukraine team made them pay.”

* Leanne Crichton-BBC Sportscene pundit: Scotland have not “laid a glove on Ukraine.”

With 10 minutes to go, Scotland got one back from Callum McGregor, which gave brief temporary hope of an equaliser. But, this was snuffed out by a third Ukrainian goal in added time.

Thus, we are not going to yet another World Cup Finals. But, the post-mortem, which is necessary should be for another day. 

Very well- played Ukraine, you deserved it for a brave, skilled and exciting performance. There will be plenty of celebrating for the blue/yellow supporters in Glasgow tonight!

 

Edited June 1 by denismcquadeno.eleven

[jaggy 361]

Watching Scotland is like watching Thistle. Pish for 60 minutes then a bit of hope but ultimately not good enough

Wales will beat them 

Edited June 1 by jaggy

[jags on tour 433]

Tierney and Patterson were a huge loss, can’t tell if Robbo was still hungover( looked like it) but he never made it over the halfway line. Hickey was worse than a man down and looked like Conor Murray starting for us. Pretty much everyone was dreadful.  I was happy with the starting lineup but I dunno what happened, they were pish aswell but we just didn’t look up for it, from about 10 mins in Dykes was signalling to the bench as he didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know whether to sit back or whether to press. What a bloody let down yet again.

[fenski 73]

Never have I been less interested in Scotland progressing in a football tournament than I was tonight. Holding the World Cup 2018 in Russia was bad enough, but then we got Qatar...

Congratulations to the Ukrainian team for managing to focus on something so inconsequential as football, while their home is being steadily raized to the ground by the fascists living next door.

[sandy 952]

Well done to Ukraine. 

[lady-isobel-barnett 4,003]

**** Ukraine. No doubt the better side won but I'm sure we made it easy for them. Wasn't at the game so I'll cede to anyone who was, but it looked to me that going with the same shape as we would had Tierney played was a huge error. Why so negative? Not changing that system till half time was almost as bad an error. We're always told that our strength is in midfield yet it wasn't till too late that we strengthened that area. The warning signs were obvious before they even opened the scoring. Don't believe it was the players that let us down tonight.

[Jimbo 11]

35 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

**** Ukraine. No doubt the better side won but I'm sure we made it easy for them. Wasn't at the game so I'll cede to anyone who was, but it looked to me that going with the same shape as we would had Tierney played was a huge error. Why so negative? Not changing that system till half time was almost as bad an error. We're always told that our strength is in midfield yet it wasn't till too late that we strengthened that area. The warning signs were obvious before they even opened the scoring. Don't believe it was the players that let us down tonight.

I was at the game. Very clear early on that:

1. Hickey was very uncomfortable at right (wing) back & seems unwilling to drive forward. I watched a couple of bologna games &, even at left back, his instinct was to go back rather than forward

2. Dykes was nowhere near match fit which only highlighted his limitations.

3. McTominay should not have been picked ahead of Souter. Hopefully tonight proved once & for all that he's a midfielder.

Easy to criticise the players but I'm afraid the manager is the most culpable. He got a lot wrong tonight & he'll know it

 

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

Poor Andy Robertson-two huge defeats in short order, v RM and now this. Will the squad be motivated v Armenia, next week? Will many fans go to the game?

[Jaggernaut 1,627]

 

As mentioned, the parallels between the Scotland team and Thistle are remarkable. Used to be up there regularly with  bigger and better teams, giving the odd occasional good account of ourselves, if never really sparkling. Boring, in fact. These days, we usually don't get far in any Cup competitions. This season we survived to somehow make it to a play-off, then again, failed with a whimper.

But we'll rise again!

Won't we?

[Garscube Road End 2 351]

1 hour ago, Jaggernaut said:

 

As mentioned, the parallels between the Scotland team and Thistle are remarkable. Used to be up there regularly with  bigger and better teams, giving the odd occasional good account of ourselves, if never really sparkling. Boring, in fact. These days, we usually don't get far in any Cup competitions. This season we survived to somehow make it to a play-off, then again, failed with a whimper.

But we'll rise again!

Won't we?

Not with the present incumbents of the club.

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

15 hours ago, fenski said:

Never have I been less interested in Scotland progressing in a football tournament than I was tonight. Holding the World Cup 2018 in Russia was bad enough, but then we got Qatar...

Congratulations to the Ukrainian team for managing to focus on something so inconsequential as football, while their home is being steadily raized to the ground by the fascists living next door.

Those two hosts should NEVER have been chosen, and the abiding suspicion has to be there were ‘reasons’ that have never been revealed. 

[Lambies Lost Doo 480]

Was at game.  Very disappointing performance by players and manager.  Callum Macgregor and Craig Gordon only pass marks.  From Denmark game to that.  Baffling.

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

14 hours ago, Lambies Lost Doo said:

Was at game.  Very disappointing performance by players and manager.  Callum Macgregor and Craig Gordon only pass marks.  From Denmark game to that.  Baffling.

The main points made on the radio commentary seemed to be the ‘three at the back’ was clearly not working yet nothing was done to change it for too long. Scott McTominey seems better suited to midfield but was given a defensive role because the manager likes him there, (when Souttar was left sitting on the bench.) And, Dykes up front was just nowhere. I wonder what the crowd will be for that Armenia game next week. I think some will feel a certain Scotland/international footballitis! 

Edited June 3 by denismcquadeno.eleven

[Lambies Lost Doo 480]

There were 2 up front.  Adams and Dykes.  The ball was getting lumped up as the midfield were smothered and there was no pass on.  The defence was not settled and I'd have Hendry on before Souttar.

At half time Clarke made logical changes.  Christie came in as a number 10 for Dykes and McGinn moved back into a flatter midfield three but Ukraine scored after 4 mins of 2nd half.

There should still be a good crowd for Armenia.  We were on a great run with Israel and Denmark games superb so one disappointing game should not ruin it.

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

I don’t blame Steve Clarke too much. The pundits said he should have played a straight back four with  4-3-3 or 4-4-2, but apart from that, Scotland managers these days aren’t exactly spoilt for choice in each position except more recently with goalkeeper and left back. And you can’t say, based on our present talent-pool we’re underachievers. I always thought the side of the mid-60s WERE underchievers and should certainly have at least gone to the WCs of 1962 and 1966. With solid competition for positions throughout the team plus world-class players like Jim Baxter (at his peak), Denis Law, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy Bremner (later), and other greats eg John White (until he died) Dave Mackay,  Pat Crerand, Alan Gilzean, Tommy Gemmell, Willie Henderson etc we could have even had an outside genuine chance of winning it in ‘66. So, I wouldn’t heap too much blame on SC. Just look at the number of foreign players in Old Firm squads nowadays. THAT is a huge reason for lack of choice. It is a sad end to this WC campaign, but I don’t think we should retreat into a depressed, self-accusing and condemnatory, defeatist,  wailing and gnashing of teeth mode. Rather, we have to just mourn (for a bit!) and then, as we usually do, pick ourselves up …and get on with it. Isn’t that something we Scots have learned to do (maybe best) over the years!

Edited June 3 by denismcquadeno.eleven

[denismcquadeno.eleven 105]

7 hours ago, Lambies Lost Doo said:

There were 2 up front.  Adams and Dykes.  The ball was getting lumped up as the midfield were smothered and there was no pass on.  The defence was not settled and I'd have Hendry on before Souttar.

At half time Clarke made logical changes.  Christie came in as a number 10 for Dykes and McGinn moved back into a flatter midfield three but Ukraine scored after 4 mins of 2nd half.

There should still be a good crowd for Armenia.  We were on a great run with Israel and Denmark games superb so one disappointing game should not ruin it.

That’s the spirit!

[Lambies Lost Doo 480]

Clarke did make mistakes.  Every manager does.  He'll learn from it.