Squad face Slovenia and Slovakia

[Greenlantern]

WGS is too stubborn to start McGregor, who is flying right now.

In the absence of key players, as per usual Strachan will set up too defensively and at home we'll miss a glorious opportunity.

I'm hoping he gets the balance just right and we score early on.

[ilostmyself]

He's had a great start to the season ala McGinn and McGregor. It's just gone unnoticed as many Scots don't pay attention to the Championship.
Would happily start MacArthur, Bannan and McGinn in a midfield three.

Presumably because of McArthurs amazing start to the season?

[Lyle Lanley]

4 hours ago, JakeSAFC said:

Hope Forrest is nowhere near the starting 11, he is utter shite.

This. 

[AyrshireOwl]

4 hours ago, ilostmyself said:

 

Presumably because of McArthurs amazing start to the season?

 

More along the lines of his recent performances for Scotland and the fact we'll need someone to protect the back four.

Morrison was incredibly poor in the first half against England, We looked a different team when McArthur replaced him and he kicked on from there with good performances against Lithuania and Malta. 

Not to mention the experience he brings and for some reason he's a goal threat, got 3 in his last 10 caps!

[skippy2015]

Fletcher to play to stifle hamsik is a no brainier

[No_Problemo]

More along the lines of his recent performances for Scotland and the fact we'll need someone to protect the back four.

Morrison was incredibly poor in the first half against England, We looked a different team when McArthur replaced him and he kicked on from there with good performances against Lithuania and Malta. 

Not to mention the experience he brings and for some reason he's a goal threat, got 3 in his last 10 caps!

 

To be fair Morrison was injured pretty early on in that match.

 

McArthur also played two suicidal passes against Lithuania.

[AyrshireOwl]

46 minutes ago, No_Problemo said:

 

To be fair Morrison was injured pretty early on in that match.

 

McArthur also played two suicidal passes against Lithuania.

With Brown missing we'll need McArthur's tenacity and fight in the middle of the park.

Also i've seen Brown give the ball away in dangerous areas during this campaign, still wouldn't drop him for it if he was fit. Same goes for McArthur.

[JakeSAFC]

Would rather not play Fletcher. He's past it now and only passes to the side or backwards. Get McGinn in the starting 11.

[kenny131]

Lots of different options we can have in midfield, but for me strachan will absolutely shite it with his team selection and set up, and go with a defensive slow hold up formation the same shite that has seen us fail everytime. He was backs to the wall and went for it to get back us in as he had nothing to lose. Now we have something to lose the scottish mentality will be back with a bang.

[skippy2015]

Would rather not play Fletcher. He's past it now and only passes to the side or backwards. Get McGinn in the starting 11.

If Fletcher was past it he wouldn't be playing for stoke in the Premiership he still has something to offer although isn't in his prime- to put McGinn up against hamsik in his first competitive start would be a disaster.

[JakeSAFC]

If Fletcher was past it he wouldn't be playing for stoke in the Premiership he still has something to offer although isn't in his prime- to put McGinn up against hamsik in his first competitive start would be a disaster.

He's far too slow and is unable to pass the ball forward. I think Fletcher up against Hamsik would be a disaster.

[1320Lichtie]

MacArthur and Morrison for me. Did we not do this for the two big games at the end of the last campaign?

Gordon

Tierney
Berra
Mulgrew
Robertson

Morrison
MacArthur

Fraser
McGregor
Phillips

Griffiths

[skippy2015]

Who's the best player John McGinn has ever played against on a competitive game? Probably scott brown or Stuart Armstrong and you want to put him in on his full competitive debut against one of the worlds best midfielders? Fletcher plays against the best players in the world week in week out and has been playing well this season in the holding roll. I like mcginn good player but not the time to start experimenting- wouldn't mind him so much in an advanced roll with say Fletcher MacArthur or Morrison behind him. Ps nothing wrong with passing the ball sideways in the holding midfield position - win the ball and pass it of to more creative members of the team

[1320Lichtie]

Any time I've seen McGinn on the park for Scotland (know he's had very limited minutes) I've thought he's looked out of his depth.

[Guest DAVIDB69]

If Fletcher was past it he wouldn't be playing for stoke in the Premiership he still has something to offer although isn't in his prime- to put McGinn up against hamsik in his first competitive start would be a disaster.

That's exactly why is playing for stoke he is very much many years past his best

[RandomGuy.]

He's far too slow and is unable to pass the ball forward. I think Fletcher up against Hamsik would be a disaster.

When did this "pass the ball sideways" become the motto for folk who don't realise you need a player like that. It's literally the exact role Brown plays for Celtic and Scotland.

I'd rather play Fletcher in the "patrol midfield and stunt the opposition, pass it on to better players to start attacks", as that's exactly the role he had for Man U for years and has continued to have in the EPL. Seems a better option that having three midfielders with either no defensive sense (McArthur/Morrison) or who spend their time running about the entire midfield trying to do everything (McGinn). You then have McGregor who seems to have been called up in the back of scoring goals and not actual performances.

[forameus]

7 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

When did this "pass the ball sideways" become the motto for folk who don't realise you need a player like that. It's literally the exact role Brown plays for Celtic and Scotland.

I'd rather play Fletcher in the "patrol midfield and stunt the opposition, pass it on to better players to start attacks", as that's exactly the role he had for Man U for years and has continued to have in the EPL. Seems a better option that having three midfielders with either no defensive sense (McArthur/Morrison) or who spend their time running about the entire midfield trying to do everything (McGinn). You then have McGregor who seems to have been called up in the back of scoring goals and not actual performances.

 

One of my pet hates, and something I hear a lot of at Thistle.   It's usually pretty obvious to anyone with just a passing knowledge of the game that you can't just play a reverse rugby and play the ball forward all the time.  Almost every team is going to need a player who can play the simple ball when the simple ball is the correct decision.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with a player who sits in front of the defence, breaks up play, and then gives it to a player that can do more.  Seems that it's the new thing to hate though.

[Paco]

Fletcher will almost definitely start, and rightly so. He's the obvious one to come in for Brown, despite how poor he's been in his last few Scotland performances.

The real choice is who to play in place of Armstrong. I'd play McGregor, I think Strachan will play Morrison. Which is understandable, this is a massive game so I don't think you can blame him for playing experienced players - I just can't see a midfield of Fletcher, McArthur and Morrison being good enough though.

If Forrest is on one of the wings, we're basically praying Phillips (assuming he gets the nod) or Griffiths comes up with something from nowhere. Nightmare scenario is a midfield of Forrest-McArthur-Fletcher-Morrison-Snodgrass.

[Dunning1874]

58 minutes ago, forameus said:

One of my pet hates, and something I hear a lot of at Thistle.   It's usually pretty obvious to anyone with just a passing knowledge of the game that you can't just play a reverse rugby and play the ball forward all the time.  Almost every team is going to need a player who can play the simple ball when the simple ball is the correct decision.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with a player who sits in front of the defence, breaks up play, and then gives it to a player that can do more.  Seems that it's the new thing to hate though.

I agree in the vast majority of cases, including Fletcher,  but there are examples of players who routinely go for the safe pass every time even when there's a better option. I fully appreciate a holding midfielder who's there to do the simple thing in possession, but when it's a player who'll go as far as turning back when there's a simple forward pass available their presence completely neuters any chance of attacking at pace, which is particularly damaging in a counter-attacking team. Kyle Hutton is an obvious example from players in Scotland just now, though of course he's not helped by just being absolutely shite in general.

[tartanbrush]

Am I mistaken in saying John McGinn made his debut for Scotland against one of 'the worlds best midfielders' in Christian Eriksen and got Man of the Match? The only thing that has held McGinn back is playing for Hibs and Scotland fans only need to look as far as Andy Robertson to judge the player not the club he plays for.