'Huge mistake to play France friendly', says Scotland's Go

[Officer Barbrady]

They have more star players, no question.  As a collective unit, they're no better than Scotland.  We're seeing against Northern Ireland that they have some not-very-good-players and aren't a terribly incisive team.    Scotland are substantially better than Northern Ireland, would you not agree?

 

There's no point running Scotland down.  They've got talent in that squad.  And frankly, they're going to have to play above themselves if they are ever going to qualify for anything ever again.

I've battered my head against many a brick wa', trying to explain to delinquent morons who cling to 'wee man syndrome' when it comes to competing internationally, that man for man, Scotland certainly have a deeper, more readily available squad from reasonably higher standards of league than at least half a dozen teams in the competition. This, however begs the question, as individuals they have carved out some succesful careers, what exactly goes wrong when they turn up for Scotland squads? Downbeat, uninspiring management seemed obviously responsible under Burling, Avril and Bertie, so why the f**k are we blindly making the same exact mistake for the fourth time in little over a decade??

I'd have more respect for players who decided to be open in criticism, like Adam, a lot more if they did so when the problems first came up. No one ever held Weir responsible for his three-year exile over Vogts' washing his durty linen, and any fear of future 'exclusion' from the current mess ought to be incentive enough to grow a pair instead of hiding behind Uncle Gord.

[invergowrie arab]

I thought early on, particular away games - Croatia or Serbia I think, we kept possession of the ball and tried to play football in a way I hadn't seen for years. We seems to move away from a big striker holding it up or playing down channels

Of course fast forward a few years and that's exactly where we are playing some clubless diddy who can only score against the Mediterranean dumbarton but can "link the play up."

[Rob1885]

David Moyes

Alex McLeish

Dougie Freedman

Malky Mackay

Billy Davies

Derek McInnes

Stuart McCall

 

Strachan's time is up and it's time he was moved on. Someone's inability to name one hundred possible replacements doesn't negate that fact.

 

Hahaha you're fucking at it

[invergowrie arab]

Do you know why Gibraltar are in the northern section, though?

I wouldn't rule out Gibraltar being brought into the challenge cup.

[Only one David Marsh]

Strachan is here for a wee while more they'll be a media outcry if he is sacked. David Moyes might be a decent appointment but he'll probably want to go back to club football.

[Thumper]

Strachan has vastly more of a pedigree than Moyes. That would be an absolutely pointless change.

 

The fact is that we had a really tough group, and having shat it against a random former USSR vassal as usual has given the less cerebral fans an excuse. We've an extraordinarily weak pool to choose from right at this moment. On balance we've performed to expectations, as opposed to under Burley and Levein where we capitulated under vastly less challenging circumstances.

 

On the other hand, once the entire leadership of the SFA is eventually rightly executed and replaced by some competent body, I expect Strachan's contract to be rewritten to include a Trappist vow of silence.

[Distant Doonhamer]

I wouldn't rule out Gibraltar winning the challenge cup.

Fixed 

[Officer Barbrady]

Strachan has vastly more of a pedigree than Moyes. That would be an absolutely pointless change.

 

The fact is that we had a really tough group, and having shat it against a random former USSR vassal as usual has given the less cerebral fans an excuse. We've an extraordinarily weak pool to choose from right at this moment. On balance we've performed to expectations, as opposed to under Burley and Levein where we capitulated under vastly less challenging circumstances.

 

On the other hand, once the entire leadership of the SFA is eventually rightly executed and replaced by some competent body, I expect Strachan's contract to be rewritten to include a Trappist vow of silence.

Would be fair enough, but only if the manager exuded anything more than meaningless anecdotes and smarmy, bitter murmurings at the hand he was dealt after the event. It would be very fair to say it was always Scotland v southern ireland for third, behind Germany and Poland. Are you seriously suggesting there's an adequate gap between us and the south, to be positive in finishing beneath them, despite an aggregate victory? They don't have anything like their former stars either, indeed several of their players are often kept OUT of their club teams by Scots, and by and large play the same level.

It's quite simlply unnacceptable to finish beneath they, or any other similar team (for Burley, his was Norway. For Levein, the Czechs). These year-long gaps between failed campaigns have given far too many clueless hardons even more spare time to f**k things up than before. Look for all the comfort you like, if the SFA paying this dick and his pals is what 'the fans' want, then who am i to argue. But they're still failures.

[Poet of the Macabre]

Honestly think serious consideration should be given to punting him prior to the qualifiers. Saves us waiting until we draw with Lithuania and get fucked off England.

[Thumper]

Are you seriously suggesting there's an adequate gap between us and the south, to be positive in finishing beneath them, despite an aggregate victory?

 

The implication here is that this is entirely ours to decide. It isn't. We can't magically make ROI not get four points off Germany. I'm generally loathe to give Martin O'Neill credit for anything, but he plainly got them to overperform when it counted, and then didn't fucking lose in Tbilisi.

 

If you think Strachan should be punted because he failed to match ROI's results against the sitting world champions, then your judgement is suspect.

[ScotSquid]

The implication here is that this is entirely ours to decide. It isn't. We can't magically make ROI not get four points off Germany. I'm generally loathe to give Martin O'Neill credit for anything, but he plainly got them to overperform when it counted, and then didn't fucking lose in Tbilisi.

If you think Strachan should be punted because he failed to match ROI's results against the sitting world champions, then your judgement is suspect.

This is an idiotic point I've seen made several times. It becomes no less stupid with each telling.

You do realise we were allowed to take points from Germany don't you? Like the Poles and Irish did with ease. Germany were poor in qualification. Coming off the high of a WC win and with several retirements and motivation problems getting back 'up' for playing shite like us and roi.

Its almost that its seen as cheating for roi to have 'extra' points in the group by seeing off Germany.

Our utter failure to secure anything from both Germany games despite being in prime position to do so twice was just as abject as the Georgia debacle.

[TheScarf]

The implication here is that this is entirely ours to decide. It isn't. We can't magically make ROI not get four points off Germany. I'm generally loathe to give Martin O'Neill credit for anything, but he plainly got them to overperform when it counted, and then didn't fucking lose in Tbilisi.

 

If you think Strachan should be punted because he failed to match ROI's results against the sitting world champions, then your judgement is suspect.

 

He should be punted because he failed to get Scotland to Euro 2016.  Something I have absolutely no doubt was his primary objective set to him by the SFA, given half the fucking continent could qualify for it.  Also for the fact that our seed is no better than when he took over, and there's been zero progression, and he continues to refuse to blood young players,  instead relying on ones who have failed the last 3 or 4 qualifying campaigns.

[George Parr]

As others have pointed out, nothing less than 6 points will do from the first two matches of the World Cup qualifiers. If Strachan doesn't achieve that, he should, and probably will, walk away.

[Officer Barbrady]

The South's success against Germany is not, whatever some think, an act of God. They were patently there to be gotten at, not subjected to players bursting into tears at netting an equaliser or fawned over by inept managers (Strachan) claiming his team had 'the game of their lives' against a side going at roughly 60% throughout the group. If my judgement is suspect, it's only because so many people in this backward nation look for excuses which simply don't exist to justify shite outcomes.

The article in the OP doesn't just highlight his ineptitude as a manager, but reveals a horribly, self-important little shit in his element, trying to reaasure the public he won't enjoy a minute of the action. What a waste of a ticket for the poor c***s kept out of the ground by arseholes who don't want to be there, even though its his fucking job. What a c**t.

[invergowrie arab]

As others have pointed out, nothing less than 6 points will do from the first two matches of the World Cup qualifiers. If Strachan doesn't achieve that, he should, and probably will, walk away.

and we will already be out.

[Monkey Tennis]

The South's success against Germany is not, whatever some think, an act of God. They were patently there to be gotten at, not subjected to players bursting into tears at netting an equaliser or fawned over by inept managers (Strachan) claiming his team had 'the game of their lives' against a side going at roughly 60% throughout the group. If my judgement is suspect, it's only because so many people in this backward nation look for excuses which simply don't exist to justify shite outcomes.

The article in the OP doesn't just highlight his ineptitude as a manager, but reveals a horribly, self-important little shit in his element, trying to reaasure the public he won't enjoy a minute of the action. What a waste of a ticket for the poor c***s kept out of the ground by arseholes who don't want to be there, even though its his fucking job. What a c**t.

I was going to say pretty much exactly that.

It is indeed the done thing to regard the points Germany dropped as "acts of God", and it's ludicrous.

It's actually fairly rare for the big gun not to drop points in these qualifying groups, yet we've got into the habit of writing off these games, or treating them absurdly as "free hits", while other sides strive to genuinely compete.

[Officer Barbrady]

The real, bitter irony MT is that for years, we rambled on about upsetting world and European champions on their next visits to Hampden. The reality is that the last few games against those (Spain and Germany most recent) provided a safety net for those involved. The Italy defeats in 2007 less so, as it would be a tad unfair to criticise the last worthwhile campaign in light of the four fucking disasters we have endured which are of far greater concern.

[Thumper]

If my judgement is suspect, it's only because so many people in this backward nation look for excuses which simply don't exist to justify shite outcomes.

 

Or because you're a fairly obvious alias - to wit, unfailingly ratcheting up the Cringe in every post while referring to Ireland as "the south".

 

and there's been zero progression, and he continues to refuse to blood young players,  instead relying on ones who have failed the last 3 or 4 qualifying campaigns.

 

This argument falls apart fairly rapidly when one looks at the available options. Empirically, Strachan has fewer choices available to him - across any age group - than any of the last decade's managers. Were he to be bold, set a squad age limit of 23 and pick players from part-time leagues simply to blood people, then how would you expect the glory-hunters who want him sacked for the crime of not beating Germany to react?

[Lex]

His position has been untenable since the Georgia disgrace IMO.

He's clearly lost the plot since. Bizarre squad selections, saying in the media that ' we should do all we can to get teams like Hibs in the top flight ', taking the team to play in strange pointless friendlies then admitting afterwards he was wrong to do so. Well duh.

I hope he's sacked ASAP so we can get a proper manager in. Michael O'Neill or Lars Lagerback please.

[Officer Barbrady]

Or because you're a fairly obvious alias - to wit, unfailingly ratcheting up the Cringe in every post while referring to Ireland as "the south".

 

 

This argument falls apart fairly rapidly when one looks at the available options. Empirically, Strachan has fewer choices available to him - across any age group - than any of the last decade's managers. Were he to be bold, set a squad age limit of 23 and pick players from part-time leagues simply to blood people, then how would you expect the glory-hunters who want him sacked for the crime of not beating Germany to react?

Fairly obvious alias?? Wind your self-righteous neck in, every fucking poster is an alias. And i'll call the South what i like, frankly. To answer your one, valid question, well of course not....people can look and see where our players play their football, and match them with opponents as they see fit. Why is your argument, now ridiculously bringing young part-timers into the debate as ANY sort of alternative?

Setting any sort of limit would be absolutely criminal, yet would probably garner support from the failure addicts we've become. However, if it was all we were left with, and organised in a fashion which would resemble a manager knowing what he's doing, i'd imagine a lot more slack being cut for both players and management. Would you be so keen to continue paying extortionate prices if/when we actually get to that stage? Because it's a lot closer than you think.