Scotland V England

[dogmc]

I would also start Martin. Griffiths' build is pretty slight for a lone-striker target man, plus he's the best part of a foot smaller than Gary Cahill. I think if we have any chance of taking points next week we'll need to go direct as England would pass us off the park on the big Hampden pitch. Martin has at least shown he can cut it and score goals at international level.

Martin has been consistently dire. We really gonna say Griffiths couldn't have scored those tap ins v Malta n Gibraltar? ? Let's not forget Martin missing an open goal v Malta when ref gifted as a pen. .....can cut it at international level [emoji38]

[Pearbuyerbell]

I think Gordon Strachan will play 4-5-1 instead of 4-2-3-1.   

Armstrong will play and will be asked to play centrally as opposed to being in behind the forward.   

GK Gordon. 

RB Tierney
CB Martin R 
CB Mulgrew 
LB Robertson.  

DM Brown
DM Morrison 
CM Armstrong 

AML  Forrest 
AMR Snodgrass 

CF Griffiths  

Will almost certainly be the team.    
 

[GeeJay]

Would Martin have missed Griffs open goal against Slovenia? It is obviously a very close call between the two, their goalscoring threat is equally good/bad and evens itself out. Martin is more of a unit so he shades it for me.

I'd go for

Gordon

 

Tierney

Martin

Mulgrew

Robertson

 

Armstrong

Cairney

Brown

Morrison

Snodgrass

 

Martin

[Pearbuyerbell]

1 minute ago, GeeJay said:

Would Martin have missed Griffs open goal against Slovenia?

1

We;ll never know as Martin wouldn't have been mobile enough to get into position.   

The rest of your team suggests a sound footballing brain.   

Scott Brown will play.   

[kenny131]

2 hours ago, GeeJay said:

I would also start Martin. Griffiths' build is pretty slight for a lone-striker target man, plus he's the best part of a foot smaller than Gary Cahill. I think if we have any chance of taking points next week we'll need to go direct as England would pass us off the park on the big Hampden pitch. Martin has at least shown he can cut it and score goals at international level.

This target man that you all think martin is I don't get,  he falls around over his own feet and holds up nothing he is dire, and nowhere near the best we can offer. He scored a goal last game everyone thinks he's the messiah. He will start against England and be dragged off at half time after about 6 touches he's honking

[sergie's no1 fan]

For me Griffiths has to start. Using his pace to get in behind on the counter attack is about the only chance we have. Bring Martin on with 20 to go so he can be the super sub hero again.

[skippy2015]

I would start Griffiths with Martin coming on. He has missed a load of chances in his 12 games especially Slovenia at home not to mention that great chance against England at Wembley where all he has to do was pass to Snodgrass who was clean through but instead he was to ball greedy. He desperately needs a goal for Scotland then I think we will see a different player. In saying that he is a pest for defenders is good in the air, a threat in behind, links well with the Celtic contingent and opens up space well for others to exploit so that's why I would play him.

[forameus]

9 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Has Griffiths played against a Gibraltar or Malta?

Gordon

Tierney
Martin
Berra
Robertson

Brown
Morrison

Snodgrass
Armstrong
Fraser

Griffiths

Get they front 4 moving about and causing them bother.

Playing Snodgrass and expecting him to move?  Brave after his last few attempts, particularly on the left.

[woof!]

2 hours ago, sergie's no1 fan said:

For me Griffiths has to start. Using his pace to get in behind on the counter attack is about the only chance we have. Bring Martin on with 20 to go so he can be the super sub hero again.

I'm not sure why people think Griffiths has pace. Maybe at SPFL level. I doubt if he could beat any of the England defenders in a foot race. He does have good movement though, and may create himself a head start.

[accies1874]

Gordon
Martin Mulgrew Tierney*
Anya Brown Morrison Robbo
Armstrong Fraser
Griffiths
* If he's fit
We're never, ever, ever gonna line up like this, but it gives us enough defensive solidity, with Brown and Morrison shielding the back three, and the wing-backs have plenty of energy to get up and down the wings. We could also counter attack very well with Griffiths and Fraser as part of the attacking trifecta.
I've watched Southgate's England a few times and they seems to love passing it around in no general direction, posing no threat. If we can set up with enough defensive rigidity, then they'll struggle. Win the ball back and launch it to expose the vacant full-back spots that whoever they play there will expose. The defensive rigidity part is the problem though

[sergie's no1 fan]

I'm not sure why people think Griffiths has pace. Maybe at SPFL level. I doubt if he could beat any of the England defenders in a foot race. He does have good movement though, and may create himself a head start.

Yeah i worded that wrong, his movement will cause them more problems than Martins. If we start Martin he needs support or he looks like a stranded cart horse, which isn't fair on him.

[dogmc]

I'm not sure why people think Griffiths has pace. Maybe at SPFL level. I doubt if he could beat any of the England defenders in a foot race. He does have good movement though, and may create himself a head start.

Compared to Martin continental drift has pace. Griffiths was a continual pest to the England defence at Wembley something Martin simply isn't capable of.

[wastecoatwilly]

England weakness is at the back strachan needs to change his tippy tappy possession possession football play 4-4-2 nae messing about and get the baw in england's last third in their faces football,play on the front foot with no respect given.

[Dullard Bluteau]

Apart from the obvious reason why he shouldn't play, Martin is useless and likely to be familiar to the England players. Start as many Celtic players as possible, they are our best players anyway. My own opinion is that even if we win, its too little ,too late. The campaign was lost after the second game. Home wins against small teams are essential and we often fail to do this. Strachan is a very lucky man that we have a bunch of even greater incompetents as his bosses. We get what we deserve unfortunately. Every other national team would have dispensed with the services of a dud like Strachan. Not us though. We give him a standing ovation in Gibraltar and allow him to choose if he stays or not. Serves us right.

[MarkoRaj]

I'm not sure why people think Griffiths has pace.

Because he does. It's painfully obvious that he's quick, you don't even have to know anything about football to see it.

[woof!]

10 minutes ago, MarkoRaj said:

 

Because he does. It's painfully obvious that he's quick, you don't even have to know anything about football to see it.

 

At international level? I don't think so.

[Gordopolis]

Griffiths isn't slow but he's not renowned for being fast like, say, Burke or Forrest. In FM terms Pace: 10 Acceleration: 12

I'd say he's nippy - quick to spot space and get to it. 

Unless we're going to play high up and press England, Martin will be a wasted jersey. Not being a hater - just being realistic about his strengths and weaknesses. Against England at Parkhead in 2014 we were pegged back and Martin just looked like a lost cause roaming around on the centre circle.

[forameus]

Yeah, Martin, like Fletcher, is often made to look far worse than he is either by the way we set up or how well the players around him play.  

Having said that, if we're not playing high up and pressing England, does Griffiths look any better?  Or will he just play the Kenny Miller role of just chasing after the endless square passes like a dog chasing a crisp packet?

ETA; and if we did play high up, does anyone think that wouldn't result in us getting absolutely torn to pieces?  

[Gordopolis]

3 minutes ago, forameus said:

Yeah, Martin, like Fletcher, is often made to look far worse than he is either by the way we set up or how well the players around him play.  

Having said that, if we're not playing high up and pressing England, does Griffiths look any better?  Or will he just play the Kenny Miller role of just chasing after the endless square passes like a dog chasing a crisp packet?

ETA; and if we did play high up, does anyone think that wouldn't result in us getting absolutely torn to pieces?  

I was trying to remember if we played high in the November game. I don't think we particularly did - though we were pressing IIRC. Griffiths, apart from his panicky shot, looked useful in that setup (but not a world beater).

[dogmc]

I was trying to remember if we played high in the November game. I don't think we particularly did - though we were pressing IIRC. Griffiths, apart from his panicky shot, looked useful in that setup (but not a world beater).

He looked a sight more impressive there than Martin ever has. The English would be delighted if we picked Martin and gave their centre halves a nice easy shift.