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Often when Sportsound descends into screaming matches it is at least entertaining but that horror show last night was simply a painful to listen to.

Michael Stewart is generally an excellent pundit but he gets so carried away if someone misspeaks. I remember listening to the build up to the Israel game and when the line-up was announced Tom English absolutely did say “ you can’t argue it”. Of course he was picked up on it at the time, as what he really meant was if Alex McLeish was questioned on it he could always fall back on the fact the same team won against Albania (which is exactly what he did).

It was a simple argument that could be settled inside 2 minutes but it’s bizarre professional journalists/pundits sit seething on these points for weeks. It’s been quite clear before now that Stewart and English don’t get on.

Tom English used to be Sportsound’s best pundit but he is dire more often than not now – as G-Man said he definitely believes his own hype. He is still preferable to the majority of the woeful ex-players they have on but it is time he was used more sparingly. I’ve said before that his best points are when discussing football off the pitch. During Rangers liquidation or any of umpteen SFA/SPFL messes he is probably the best there is, but his actual game and player analysis is weak.

We all know Kenny Macintyre is a shockingly bad host, but just sitting back letting the show dissolve into utter chaos shows how little he understands radio. I can’t even say he doesn’t care, it’s more that he probably thinks last night made for a great show.

That brings us to James McFadden. I wouldn’t care if he’d scored 100 goals for Scotland, he is as thick as mince and it genuinely pains me that he is involved with coaching  our national side. He must have been delighted to get away with so little criticism last night, despite saying so many ridiculous things.

I’m going to ignore the fact he clearly couldn’t accept any criticism or tactical analysis and focus on the one, most ridiculous/alarming/saddening thing he said. He doesn’t know what Kieran Tierney thinks about playing at right back (he barely seemed to know what he thought about playing centreback) and assumes he’d play there if asked.

I personally am not keen on Tierney at right back, but for the coaching staff and player not to have even discussed the possibility is simply negligent. Even for the simple fact that Stephen O’Donnell is the only right back in the squad, if he got injured you have to be prepared with other options. It is indicative of the complete lack of foresight and planning that surrounds the national side.

Anyway, that was a lot more thought than that s*** show deserved.

Edited by Jaggy Snake
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Am still listening and Stewart just gets worse....he can't contain his anger and is accusing English of butting in whilst he's trying to answer [which is what Stewart's done all show].

I think all pundits [including English] have a shelf life beforethey start to become boring or predictable or make arguments just for the sake of being involved but Michael Stewart is coming across as a narcissist who can't accept he's ever wrong about anything (maybe that's a necessary qualification for that role) but being pedantic and shouting in a "am I the only sane one in the room" fashion is just becoming embarrassing.

McFadden's not an eloquent speaker like Stewart but he doesn't try to pretend he's a genius and in my opinion is capable of showing humility.

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I just listened to this.

Wow, what a bloody nonsense.  I generally like both English and Stewart, but that just descended to chaos that reflected well on neither of them.  

It really called for a more interventionist chairing, but as already observed, letting them get on with it was probably a deliberate decision, under the mistaken belief that it makes for good listening.  That would certainly tie in with the unmistakable descent into the tabloid, which has been evident for some time.

Two of the more intelligent and articulate observers shouldn't be playing that witless game though.

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8 minutes ago, accies1874 said:
34 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:
Gave this a listen as well.
McFadden let slip a lot of things very easily. Not the brightest.

Anything interesting?

He and the rest of the management team seemingly don't take the Nations League all that seriously.

They've not spoken to certain players about playing in different positions.

Griffiths actually did snub McLeish.

Sure there was some other stuff but I can't recall it.

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9 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

I surely cant be alone in thinking the Nations League is by some distance a better chance to qualify to the Euros than the standard groups?

Probably a safer bet, but a lot depends on the draw if you were to pull out weaker teams from pots 1 and 2.

Given our current form though not much can be hoped from via either route.

 

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16 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

I surely cant be alone in thinking the Nations League is by some distance a better chance to qualify to the Euros than the standard groups?

Not sure how much easier it is, but it's certainly easier. We should be treating these games as the most important we've had in a long time, as that's what they are.

There's probably even fans that don't buy into this.

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33 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

I surely cant be alone in thinking the Nations League is by some distance a better chance to qualify to the Euros than the standard groups?

No you aren't. It definitely is because we only have to play teams of similar quality to us, and play less games overall than a qualifying group.

The media spin of it being some massively complicated format that we don't understand that is hugely convoluted and far too complex for our wee brains to handle means that some folk have been turned off by it. Sadly it seems like the management have been too if McFadden's comments are accurate.

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18 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

Shocked that a Rangers fan doesn't like Tom English tbh.

I don't but he's obviously not actually a very good pundit. Far more interested in talking about the usual controversies and sideshows that Scottish pundits love talking about rather than actually analysing football.

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11 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

Or the ‘wannabe politician’ who supports Scottish independence.

Something of a cliche is our FoD.

When did I criticise his views on Scottish independence?

He is a wannabe politician as he was turned down as a candidate. It was that which I was laughing at.

If anything you're the one being cliched here.

Edited by Forest of Dean
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