Malta v Scotland

[troopio]

I was at the game last night.

Happy with team selection and the overall result although would hope that we don't fall into the same old trap of having too high expectations off the back of this result, we need to take it game by game and ensure we cut out the silly mistakes in the coming games. Centre of Defence is a major concern if Hanley and Martin cant start playing at Club level as better teams will rip them apart.

A lot has been said in some quarters about the Red Cards and Penalities. IMO very harsh but how many times has a similar thing happened to us and we have come off worst?

For the benefit of Forameus here I will actually say I thought 4231 looked good last night, I think it helped having a 3 which was very mobile as in the past I do not think we have had that.

We all know Strachan speaks rubbish in Interviews but I did smile when I read earlier today that he was thinking about how rotten the next month would be if we didn't get a result, perhaps he views this forum ha!

 

[ICTChris]

As has been said, Ritchie, Snodgrass and Bannan were positives.  Burke showed some promise, definitely one for the future.  Defence was shaky and I think that'll be what counts against us most in terms of qualifying.  On the other hand, perhaps the back four used last night will grow together during qualifying and improve, and we have a good goalkeeper behind them.

I'd certainly have Griffiths ahead of Martin as well.

[NathanQP]

That's if Griffiths bothers to stay around for the game

[Rugster]

10 hours ago, pandarilla said:

 

 

Scoring a hat trick, do you really think he'll not get coverage?

f**k sake people. Strachan isn't being honest with the media. Managers really are. He's taking that chance to praise someone else that he might need later.

The idea that snodgrass will be sitting with a petted lip on the flight home because he never got thrown a public biscuit? Give me strength.

 

Simmer down petal. Who said Snodgrass wouldn't get coverage or would be on the flight home with a petted lip? You've totally missed the point there.

10 hours ago, Davie Bhoy said:

 

 

You should know by now that Strachan's interviews are never straight forward. Don't know why you're surprised by this.

 

I'm not in the least surprised.

[Gaz]

1 hour ago, sergie's no1 fan said:

Was seething listening to Talksport earlier. The coral PR guy giving it big licks, England are 5/4 or something like that to go through the group unbeaten. We have been totally written off.

Just need to keep within touching distance of them till the Wembley game then I hope we f'ck them rotten.

#undertheradar

He's probably right tbf. England will win this group at a canter. Our best chance is for them to win each and every game (apart from against us, natch) to minimise the points attained by other teams.

[forameus]

So, thoughts on last night...

Certainly an interesting choice to start with Martin up top, and he didn't really cover himself in glory.  He did get the goal though, doesn't matter if it was an easy one, as we saw him f**k up an easier one later on.  Put in a decent shift, but Fletcher looked a better option when he came on.

Fletcher himself may have benefited from Malta absolutely chucking it by the time he arrived, but he looked a bit more dangerous.  Quite why the keeper decided to give him so long to take it round him I don't know, but unlucky not to get a second with that chip.  

Snodgrass is so, so important for us.  If we'd had him the last campaign I think we might have made it to France.  

I see Burke isn't quite the messiah just yet.  Not that he was ever going to be.  He's going to be big for us in future, but hopefully last night gets people to calm down a bit about him and take the pressure off.  Can't say we didn't play to his strengths either - it looked like the whole tactic in the early parts of the game was to get the ball to Burke.  Against teams playing a high line I could see him getting a lot of joy, but Malta were far too deep for him to be effective.  His running out of play several times wasn't good, but the boy's young.  He'll have a bright future.

The first half was absolutely dire.  We looked every inch the team that played in Tbilisi.  Quality wise we were better, but we were just passing it around in front of them and lofting hopeless balls towards Martin.  He's not the best striker at the best of times, but when you're giving him little chance with balls like that, it's even worse.  Darren Fletcher was particularly guilty.

From the moment that Matt Ritchie played that absolutely indecent ball onto Chris Martin's foot, we stepped it up.  I cannot say just how good that was.  

Then the referee...oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  To give him a slight benefit of the doubt, from his angle you could maybe see why he gave it, but I bet as soon as he saw the replays from other angles, he felt like quite the tool.  Clear space between the poor defender and Martin, who must've breathed a sigh of relief after he ballsed up the chance.  Again to be slightly fair to him this time, the first defender managed to get enough on it to put him off, but he made an absolute arse of the finish, and got saved by the referee making an even bigger arse of it.

Malta completely lost it after that, and we got a couple more, but I'd say 5 flattered us a little.  Who gives a f**k though?  Top of the table by some distance, and unless England absolutely scud Malta next month (which they very well could) and we get a decent win against Lithuania, we could still be top after two games with a healthy goal difference.  No getting the bunting out just yet, but there were definitely points yesterday which we can draw a lot of optimism from.  Could all crash down at Hampen, or in Slovakia, but for now, it's all good.

[BrigtonClyde]

With the players coming through, maybe it's time we changed our mentality & approach

Our defence is what it is, and has been for years and years. No the worst, but liable to lose goals. Some of the best international teams ever had the same, but weren't obsessed or paranoid about it

For years we've tried to counter that with 2 holding midfielders. Result being we automatically give away 60% of the pitch, sit too deep and have a lone striker isolated. And it's clearly no worked, we've no qualified - what's the point in repeating something that doesn't work?!

Our strength now is in an attack, and you're meant to play to your strengths. Creative looking midfield but need options in front of them with better movement, guys like Griffiths, McCormack, Rhodes etc

Having watched the Euros, there's not one team there stood out particularly or would fancy it against a team who just went for the jugular. England rely on teams sitting back, they don't look so clever against sides who go at them

So yeah, we'll lose goals, but not when we have the ball and we're much more likely to score a few ourselves. What's the worst that could happen, we might no qualify? We're guaranteed no to qualify using a system that's repeatedly failed !

 

 

[forameus]

1 minute ago, BrigtonClyde said:

With the players coming through, maybe it's time we changed our mentality & approach

Our defence is what it is, and has been for years and years. No the worst, but liable to lose goals. Some of the best international teams ever had the same, but weren't obsessed or paranoid about it

For years we've tried to counter that with 2 holding midfielders. Result being we automatically give away 60% of the pitch, sit too deep and have a lone striker isolated. And it's clearly no worked, we've no qualified - what's the point in repeating something that doesn't work?!

Our strength now is in an attack, and you're meant to play to your strengths. Creative looking midfield but need options in front of them with better movement, guys like Griffiths, McCormack, Rhodes etc

Having watched the Euros, there's not one team there stood out particularly or would fancy it against a team who just went for the jugular. England rely on teams sitting back, they don't look so clever against sides who go at them

So yeah, we'll lose goals, but not when we have the ball and we're much more likely to score a few ourselves. What's the worst that could happen, we might no qualify? We're guaranteed no to qualify using a system that's repeatedly failed !

I don't really agree with most of that.  We do try 2 holding midfielders to shield a relatively poor defence, but in the system we play most of the time, the striker isn't isolated.  He's often playing pretty closely with the three behind him.  If anything, it's the gap between those 3 and the 2 holders, or the holders and the defence that is the issue (depending on phase of play).  

Also wouldn't agree we have a particularly creative midfield.  Not the sort that dictates the play or picks out that sort of movement.

I also hate the bolded argument.  The "what's the worst that could happen?" one.  It's not a binary decision.  Yes, we either qualify, or we don't, but the latter option has several shades of how shite it can get.  We could just miss out, which isn't too bad.  Or we could get gubbed against the better teams and get caught out by better set out diddies.  Plummeting our rankings and seedings to the point where we're in pot 5.  That's the worst that could happen, and that would set us back even further than we already are.

[sergie's no1 fan]

#undertheradar

He's probably right tbf. England will win this group at a canter. Our best chance is for them to win each and every game (apart from against us, natch) to minimise the points attained by other teams.

Yeah they probably will, they have just won one of the toughest games they'll have.

Realistically we were always aiming for 2nd place but imagine the scenes if we give them a bloody nose.

Must admit I haven't been that impressed with the few games I've seen Slovakia in recently but Hamsik is the kind of player who can make the difference in tight games.

[sergie's no1 fan]

Ooft Harry Redknapp on Talksport slating Slovakia saying they brought on a guy on loan at Ross County .

[Doonhamer doon south]

Was any Scotland player booked last night??

[Bully Wee Villa]

Nope.

[Doonhamer doon south]

Good good thank you

[Slacker]

We were decent last night. Started the match strongly and the second half was more comfortable than I expected. 

Shouldn't be many changes for the Lithuania match - Griffiths for Martin and maybe Anya for Burke.

Looking back for a sec, I do find it strange that we didn't try Liam Cooper out in one of the four friendlies, considering we know what Martin/Hanley/Berra/Greer are capable of for Scotland. Would've been nice to have a look at him as last night reinforced that we're screaming out for a new central defender. 

[BrigtonClyde]

24 minutes ago, forameus said:

I don't really agree with most of that.  We do try 2 holding midfielders to shield a relatively poor defence, but in the system we play most of the time, the striker isn't isolated.  He's often playing pretty closely with the three behind him.  If anything, it's the gap between those 3 and the 2 holders, or the holders and the defence that is the issue (depending on phase of play).  

Also wouldn't agree we have a particularly creative midfield.  Not the sort that dictates the play or picks out that sort of movement.

I also hate the bolded argument.  The "what's the worst that could happen?" one.  It's not a binary decision.  Yes, we either qualify, or we don't, but the latter option has several shades of how shite it can get.  We could just miss out, which isn't too bad.  Or we could get gubbed against the better teams and get caught out by better set out diddies.  Plummeting our rankings and seedings to the point where we're in pot 5.  That's the worst that could happen, and that would set us back even further than we already are.

Understand the points you're making, but here's where I have a problem with them

Yes, a team playing holding midfielders is a straight admission there's a weak defence. We agree on that. I understand the system that's "supposed" to work, the problem being it starts off ok, but when you give the opposition that much possession for that much of the game, you start to be pushed back, and back and back...the forward ends up isolated and fewer options appear in front of a guy with the ball

Word's then out on us. Our only danger is hitting on the break with the pace of Anya, possibly Burke. One trick pony

The other problem to date having been the central midfield options - McArthur, Morrison, Dorrans, Fletcher, Brown etc, decent enough but slightly different versions of the same thing - work horses

Whereas, now with guys like Bannen, Snodgrass, Ritchie and a few others coming through, there is more being offered creatively

If we keep the same system as before, it hasn't worked, we haven't qualified, and we give teams far more respect than they warrant, going by the evidence of the Euros alone

That links to what you were saying about ending up in different "pots". That's only relevant depending how on how highly you rate the opposition. That's what I meant about changing the mentality

Madness is defined by repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome

[Dons_1988]

England aren't very good at all but they will win the group quite easily.  Slovakia were probably our best hope of teams taking points off them.  

Having watched them both I don't think either are anything to greatly fear, although please don't mistake that for me saying we'll beat them both, I just think we can approach them with relative confidence.

Like others our defence concerns me, we really are missing a strong centre half like we've had in the past.

Don't think we can read too much into last night though, Malta are dire.  It's a lose lose match for them really, drop points and they would be pilloried for weeks win 5-1 and it's just a bit meh, and certainly doesn't have me thinking that's us ready to go and have a serious tilt at this group.  

[forameus]

 

7 minutes ago, BrigtonClyde said:

If we keep the same system as before, it hasn't worked, we haven't qualified, and we give teams far more respect than they warrant, going by the evidence of the Euros alone

That links to what you were saying about ending up in different "pots". That's only relevant depending how on how highly you rate the opposition. That's what I meant about changing the mentality

Madness is defined by repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome

I've cut down a lot of what you post, as I don't inherently disagree, but would take an issue with the above.  How long have we been playing this current system for?  As far as I know it was purely under Strachan.  So it's "failed" once.  Not that a particular system can inherently fail, but I guess that means every system we've played since 1998 has failed.  I imagine at least one of those would be similar to whatever you suggest.  4-4-1-1 was popular, that failed too going by your metrics.

There is no dependencies on ending up in different pots.  It's an absolute fact that if we are in a lower pot, we are going to be playing better teams.  I don't need to think about how highly I rate the opposition for it to be relevant.  I'd rather be in pot 3 and facing Lithuania this year than be in pot 5 and potentially facing Poland again.  Can you not see how that is the very definition of things getting worse?

[Talbot Bing]

You did piss on our party though by your negative comments.

The thing is your observations only highlighted the obvious which all supporters of the National team are aware of.

Why cant people just enjoy the result. It was more than decent.

By the way, let me tell you...im a great admirer of everything Auchinlek Talbot and in many ways you guys are holding the moral high ground. Good luck next Saturday in the replay.

Appreciate your honest reply Conley. I was remarking not to get too corksure until the team has built up points. We are all Scotland fans at the end of the day.

Thank you for your support for Talbot as well [emoji4]????

[Ivo den Bieman]

We're awful quick to jump on poor results and performances so credit where credit's due; a fine result and a decent performance at a venue where teams better than us have struggled a little bit, lately.

Given the negativity on Radio Scotland on Saturday and some of the pessimistic predictions pre kick-off I'd almost convinced myself that I'dve been happy with a point. But the team did really well here.

Follow it up with a home win against Lithuania and we can look forward to bigger challenges with a bit more confidence. England and Slovakia both looked desperately average.

[Talbot Bing]

We're awful quick to jump on poor results and performances so credit where credit's due; a fine result and a decent performance at a venue where teams better than us have struggled a little bit, lately.

Given the negativity on Radio Scotland on Saturday and some of the pessimistic predictions pre kick-off I'd almost convinced myself that I'dve been happy with a point. But the team did really well here.

Fair comment thought Mr English was a bit harsh before the game toward the management and squad