Zazu

Some of these are proper gold. Absolutely horrendous takes, his quality was always there so see and combined with his attitude he was always going to go far. Meanwhile now you've got Arsenal fans all over twitter and their main forum saying he's the most likeable player in the squad, should be captain, the most important player in the starting 11 etc.

I'm a massive hibs fan and absolutely despise Allan McGregor but wouldn't be opposed to him coming out of retirement for the Euros. Has been immense the past couple of seasons. Our GK options are really poor IMO, after right back its maybe our biggest problem area? Marshall is obviously a hero for his penalty saves, but his career the past few years hasn't been anything special.

Love McGinn, but think he could do with a rest. Would like to see Palmer again, as apart from skinning Alaba once O'donnel hasn't impressed me at all going forward recently. Marshall Palmer-Hanley-Tierney-Roberston Armstrong-McTominay-McGregor-Fraser Adams-Nisbet

You're 100% right, but I think a lot of people have an issue with Clarke's 3-5-2 as even when we are playing against 'weaker' teams, it is setup very defensively with a flat back 5 in most phases of play, and 2 centre mids sitting very deep, even when we're in possession. I've never seen us play the 3-5-2/3-4-3 under Clarke without it being like that, so understand why people are apprehensive about us playing the same system against the faroes.

That could be a good shout. Our standard 3-5-2/3-4-3 has looked solid against teams slightly better than us on paper (Austria, Czech republic, Serbia), and helped us get results against them. But when playing it against Israel recently we haven't made anywhere near enough chances.

Marshall McTominay-McKenna/Hanley-Tierney Palmer-McGinn-McGregor-Robertson Armstrong any 2 of Adams Dykes Fraser up top. Is what I'd personally like to see. Think Clarke will stick with O'donnel and potentially not play Armstrong.

Probably very close to what the actual line up will be, however I don't think both McLean and McGregor will start. I may be wrong, but I can't remember Clarke ever using them both in the pitch at the same time? It seems to me that McLean is backup to McGregor for the 'deep lying playmaker' role in midfield, with Jack doing more running and pressing (Fleck has seemed to be the backup for this role). Don't think Fleck will start, so think it will either be McTominay moving into midfield, or McGinn moving a bit deeper to play Jack's role, with Armstrong going in at 10. Don't think It would work as well with McLean playing as the more combative pressing ball winner and don't think Clarke would fancy that either. But McGinn or McTominay could both play Jack's role very well imo.

Was just about to post saying that. The system in recent games has relied on McTominay being able to effectively progress the ball from deep on our right hand side. No way is Gallagher technically good enough to play this role for us. If Gallagher plays in the back 3 it has to be in the middle. Think that's why Hendry is in the squad, as he will be able to do that if McTominay goes into midfield for any of the games.

Get what you're saying, but in the last few games Jack was a bit further forward up the pitch than McGregor a lot of the time. For all he was still playing quite a defensive role, he was pressing quite high when we didn't have the ball and pushing forward at times to support O'donnel when we were in possession. If we put McGinn or McTominay in there next to McGregor to play that role I don't think the team loses too much defensive stability. And it also provides us with more technical ability in midfield.

Can see why he's there, but personally I'd like to see McGinn deeper playing in Jacks role (which Fleck is backup for), which lets us get two out of Armstrong, Christie, Fraser into the starting XI.

Not saying he should be in the squad, but Porteous has massively improved that side of his game this season. In previous years I'd have agreed with you but his tendency for poor decision making and silly fouls in dangerous areas has reduced a lot this year. If he can keep improving that mental aspect of his game I could see him being a regular in the squad in a year or two. He's one of the better CBs in the league this season in terms of not giving away fouls, with a a fouls per game of 0.7 which is equal to Jason Kerr and much less than Considine and Gallagher who will both be in the squad. I don't have the stats for previous seasons but would imagine that it would have been much higher - there were times when he first broke through that he seemed to be giving away several silly fouls per game.

Did Brian Kerr get a full cap!? The thought of that gives me the fear.

I wouldn't personally have Gallagher or O'donnell as nailed on picks after their form for Motherwell this season. However they both played well in getting us to the finals so understand why many folk would.

Think Gilmour should definitely start getting into the squad, even if only as back-up/rotation option to MacGregor in the deep lying playmaker role. Love watching Gilmour play, always appreciate players like him who can take the ball from the defense and beat opposition midfielders 1 on 1 easily in tight central areas without losing the ball (similiar to thiago, Cazorla, Moussa dembele at spurs). In terms of the midfield balance in the short term, I would still like to see McGinn moved into Jack's position as a deeper ball winning box to box midfielder, which would let us play Armstrong or Christie at number 10. Maybe not against Austria or Denmark but in all the other qualifying matches I think this would be our best option - McGinn is better offensively than Jack but is still a great tackler and can put a good shift in. Think McTominay should stay in the back 3 for now, he has had some great performances for Man U but he often looks clumsy on the half turn when he is pressed. Isn't the most agile at getting his big frame turned 180 degrees when receiving the ball. In the back 3 this isn't an issue as he is facing play the whole time allowing us to better utilise his passing ability and his athleticism to carry the ball into space during the transition.

Tierney definitely won't play at right wing back, he'll slot back in on the left of the back 3 where he's been excelling for Arsenal and is becoming a real fan favourite. Think the back 5 picks itself apart from at RWB which could be O'Donnell, Palmer or a more offensive player in Forrest or Fraser. And maybe the middle centre back where there could be an argument for starting Cooper over Gallagher. I know Gallagher has looked really solid these past few games but Cooper is higher quality imo, and captain of one of the best teams in the EPL so far this season. I keep having nightmares of Gallagher having a 5 minutes against Serbia similar to his mad spell that put Motherwell out of the Europe league. To make those two mistakes in the same few minutes is unforgivable, some terrible decision making that cost Motherwell the chance of a great result in Europe. Never seen Cooper do anything like that when watching Championship highlights.

Cooper and Tierney are better options than Gallagher and Considine for the back 3. I don't really see how that can be disputed tbh.

I could see Clarke moving McGinn into a deeper box-to-box role and putting Armstrong or Christie at 10. Kinda hope that's what he does as well tbh.

Tierney, Armstrong and Christie are three of our best players and only missed out due to unluckiness with COVID. All three will be back in the squad.

I think he'll keep McTominay in the back 3, he's looked good there the last two games, is much more comfortable with the ball at his feet than any of our centre-backs and we have a bunch of good central midfielders already anyway. I get the logic of moving him into midfield and wouldn't be opposed to it but I can't see Clarke changing that now. I like Ryan Fraser but he's not really a striker and Griffiths is much more likely to get us a goal out of nothing. I did say "fitness dependent" in my original post so if he keeps on not getting game time for Celtic and isn't 100% match fit then I'd obviously still have Fraser in. Forrest has played right wing back several times for Celtic and done well there. He played there in a few qualifying games this season and has also done it effectively against stronger teams with Celtic as the underdog, playing excellently there when they won away to Lazio. If he can do it there then he can do it for Scotland, I really don't rate Palmer.

Serbia just lost 1-0 at home to Hungary, the underdog mentality might work in our favour but I don't think we should be fearing them too much. Assuming Clarke stays with the same system then fitness depending this is the team I'd like to see: Marshall McTominay-Cooper-Tierney Forrest-McGregor-McGinn-Robertson Armstrong Dykes-Griffiths. As much as I love him, I don't like McGinn in the number 10 role that much, and think he is better suited to playing a bit deeper where it is easier for him to win the ball back and he has more space to progress the ball by running at the opposition. Feel like Armstrong or Christie would provide a bit more finesse and creativity in that position than McGinn. Forrest at RWB is maybe a bit too attacking for such an important fixture against a decent side away from home, but he's played the role well in Europe for Celtic and would be infinitely better going forward the O'Donnel.

You'd start considine who doesn't always get a game for Aberdeen over Tierney who has been playing excellently for arsenal in the exact same position?

I'm obviously biased as a Hibs fan, but for me on current form porteous should be starting over Gallagher. He looks like he's really matured this season, stopped being as needlessly aggressive the whole time, looks more comfortable with the ball at his feet and receiving less cards. His performances were the key factor in our excellent defensive run where we didn't concede in open play til we played the old firm. Gallagher on the other hand has looked ropey every time I've seen him this year. That five minutes in the Europa League was utterly shambolic. Night and day when you compare it to his performances last season.