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It's not as if Fergie hasn't played deeper for Scotland. He came on for Gilmour against The Netherlands and earlier in his Scotland career and for Aberdeen prior to that. He was fine there, we know he can play there. Is he better than what we have there? I wouldn't say so. Motta doesn't play him deep. It's about shoe horning him into the team because he can't displace McGinn or McTominay. That's what this thread is all about.

I think a couple of extra younger players is most likely - similar to last summer. It would be quite brutal otherwise.

No offence taken SD. I don't have an issue with you using an alias or with wanting Ferguson in the team. I just think you're over egging him a bit. He's a good player, but you're talking about him as if he's Zidane. I don't think I know better than Steve Clarke or Thiago Motta. That's why i don't voice my opinions on this and that and I'm happy to defer to the people who have earned the right to pick the team.

@Butters Scotch This was your first post in this thread under your previous account. The thread title is all about this subject. I don't understand why you're so hell bent on getting Ferguson into the team at any cost. He's not Zidane. he's a good player, but f**k me are you related to him? where has this man crush developed from? I don't get it at all.

I feel like we're just going round in circles with this. We've already had the discussion where you suggested McGregor is the weak link in our midfield. Ferguson and yourself just have to be patient and I'm sure he'll find a way in.

We don't have a Kante. Maybe Ryan Jack then? Scott McTominay and Callum McGregor were decent as a pair against Spain and away in Norway. I assume what you're getting at is putting Christie there. I think whoever we have in there it's not going to be perfect. That's international football isn't it?- a jigsaw with pieces that don't quite fit. That's why we play the back-3. That's why the centre-backs step into midfield. To use the team as a whole to balance off the cons of playing a guy like Gilmour so we can get the benefit of what he's good at.

Scott McKenna is the only player with a game before the squad is announced on Wednesday. Bologna play tonight - a direct face off with Juventus in a battle for 3rd place, but Lewis Ferguson is unfortunately injured as we all know.

John Souttar has missed the last two games due to an injury picked up in the Old Firm. So he is maybe better placed in the 'Season Not Yet Over but Unfit As far As We Know' column. I don't how severe an injury it is. Apart from that I'd agree broadly with the rest.

I'm not saying what should happen, I'm not a manager. I'm more interested in what is happening. As I said previously our centre-backs provide defensive support to the midfielders. They step into midfield when we have the ball, but also when we don't. https://streamable.com/loy2lk

A lot of people think he's a crap pundit. I like when he does stuff around the Scotland team. Sometimes I'll listen back to a pre-match podcast a few days after the game has finished and to be fair to him he gets a lot right. He has a good insight into our National team as a lot of the players are still there from when he was the assistant to McLeish.

That's great for him. Champions League next season too! He didn't play loads, but still what an experience.

5 Years in charge. About to lead us into Euro 2024. Top man. https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/steve-clarke-appointed-scotland-national-team-head-coach/

Overall pretty happy Man City won the league this year rather than Arsenal. I just can't warm to Arteta, so for the season to pass as a bit of an anti climax given the 'most exciting premier league' for years chat a month or two ago is quite satisfying imo. Add to that the 3 teams that came up have gone straight back down and the whole thing has been a bit as you were.

It's a logical approach and so it makes sense it's adopted elsewhere. There may be options in better 'form', but not significantly better players. The upside to picking them isn't worth what you lose by being loyal. Gauld or Ryan Hardie might be marginally better fringe options than Stuart Armstrong or Jacob Brown at the time, but the trade-off for that swap isn't worth it. Similar when you get the odd shout for Liam Lindsay, Dom Hyam, Michael Rose or Murray Wallace to be drafted in. Other players have been brought in relatively quickly if it's clear they are significantly better than what we have. Adams, Gunn, Hickey, Gilmour and Anderson being examples of that. If you're significantly better than what we have then we're talking. Otherwise you have to wait for injuries and grab your opportunity when you get it. Ralston, Porteous or Shankland could fall into that category.

It doesn't have to be an additional central midfielder. We saw in the last Scotland camp extra defensive support can be provided by the outside centre-backs. If you have a copy of the Netherlands game you can see Gilmour sharing the responsibility with Ryan Porteous to track Georginio Wijnaldum.

We all know Gilmour is good with the ball, but I think he's made improvements to the other side of the game since he's left Chelsea. He wasn't bad defensively against The Netherlands, so he's one that can play that role. I still think McGregor is better rounded than Gilmour at the moment, but he's probably not too far off and would be a straightforward replacement when McGregor calls time. Ferguson? maybe - but isn't it similar to McGinn and McTominay? They can also play the deeper role, but it maybe takes away from the best part of their game. It feels a bit like just forcing him into the team.

No. He plays as a winger for Celtic. I don't think he's ever played RWB for Celtic to be honest. Might be wrong about that, but Celtic don't often play with three centre-backs. On a separate note, Ralston's assist for Celtic's winner today was a real peach. His crossing is way underrated. He also put the ball on a plate for McTominay against the Netherlands back in March. He's got excellent delivery if he can get into the zones that can hurt the opposition.

Thanks. I think it's undervalued by supporters. The loyalty scheme started off as pragmatism. A way to get the most of the limited time on the training pitch, but I think it's developed beyond that into a club atmosphere. I think the way Steve Clarke manages the squad is excellent. He walks the line between being ruthless and phasing players out, rewarding players who have performed for him even if they are going through a tough spell at club level and keeping things fresh by drip feeding the younger players into the squads.

Absolutely, why not? Dreaming big is all part of being a football fan. Miracles do happen like you've mentioned. That's the reason I'm not setting an expectation, positive or negative, for how we'll do at the tournament. I'm just going to take it as it comes rather than going down the route of 'we should be getting this far' or 'should have played him/picked them' and the rest of the success/failure chat.

Pleased to let you all know that I've been proven to be absolutely, 100% correct on the above suspicion.

Ryan Jack on the bench for Glasgow Sevco.

Down to Earth comments from yer man James Forrest. https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/24329062.reborn-celtic-star-forrest-ready-play-anywhere-scots/

A bit on the strikers adding more on the role that our strikers play for the team and backing up the previous discussion suggesting that their role isn't necessarily about scoring goals. Taken from the Sporting Life interview.

Hungry for goals? He did indeed - looked absolutely famished. He wants a plate of goals with a side of assists thank you very much. Get him on the plane, let us have a wee look at him. He's a goal scorer. Penalty box predator.