Best uncapped player in Scotland

[TeeMan]

22 hours ago, GordonS said:

Here's Dobbie's entire record in England. It's nothing special at all, the only season that's in any way good is 2011-12. Was he in front of Kenny Miller or Steven Naismith? Even the likes of Mackail-Smith were scoring more goals at that time.

 

Mackail-Smith and Dobbie had remarkably similar career arcs and Dobbie was undoubtedly more successful in the Championship. The difference was that Dobbie was a ball-playing second striker or number ten and Mackail-Smith was someone Levein thought would run the channels all day long.  I think Dobbie was unlucky never to have been in a squad but Ross McCormack should probably me more aggrieved than anyone about that time.

[Rabinho]

Hamish McAlpine and Billy Thomson never being capped was tragic

Thomson was capped 7 times.

[John Lambies Doos]

Thomson was capped 7 times.

I don't disbelieve you as I thought he was but according to the wee red book, no caps

[thisal]

This topic is quite depressing as it highlights how far we've slipped. All the names being mentioned have never been serious performers in any top league. But John McGovern was never capped despite having won the English league with  two different teams plus won the European cup twice as captain. The Villa team that won the European cup had 3 Scots who had 4 caps between them.

 

[Arch Stanton]

I don't disbelieve you as I thought he was but according to the wee red book, no caps

He's actually St. Mirren's joint highest Scottish capped player with 7 appearances.

[German Jag]

8 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

8 hours ago, Rabinho said:

Thomson was capped 7 times.

I don't disbelieve you as I thought he was but according to the wee red book, no caps

https://scotlandepistles.com/2018/01/24/happy-birthday-billy-thomson-february-10th/amp/

 

[Frankie S]

I suspect Dobbie didn’t really have the pace or physique to really prosper at the top level in England. He looks fitter, better-conditioned, and even more effective, in his second spell at Palmerston than he did during most of his first (which was still phenomenal). I imagine, despite his astonishing record in the second tier in Scotland, and his achievements in helping Blackpool and Swansea get to play off finals down south, that he might look back over his career with a few regrets. He looks sharper and in better condition at 35 than he did when he was 25. If he’d been in this shape at 25 we’d never have seen him in a Queens jersey.

I’ve watched Scotland for as long as I’ve watched Queens, and in terms of talent and technique, I’ve seen numerous Scotland players that couldn’t lace Dobbie’s boots. Jason Cummings’ record was no better than Dobbie’s in the Scottish Championship, and he was playing for a much better side who were dominating games and creating many more chances. Given the choice of the two of them, it would have been Dobbie every time for me, yet Cummings is the one with the Scotland caps. There’s no doubt that Dobbie looks a class above in the Championship in a way that other much more lauded players haven’t (including the likes of Boyd and Miller).

Dobbie is a real technician. I’ve never seen anyone quite so precise in his finishing. He scores many different types of goals, but he does have a trademark finish : low early strikes into the bottom corner from the edge of the box taking the keeper by surprise. He rarely scores a tap in. As his interviews suggest, he’s honed his finishing with years of practice on the training ground. It’s a shame that such a talented player has been overlooked by the national side in an era where talent has been in short supply, and comparative carthorses have been preferred, but pace and physique have trumped talent in the modern game for years, so it’s no great surprise. Given some of the no marks that have played for Scotland, it’s a shame Dobbie never got a look in, and never will now.

[craigkillie]

38 minutes ago, Frankie S said:

I suspect Dobbie didn’t really have the pace or physique to really prosper at the top level in England. He looks fitter, better-conditioned, and even more effective, in his second spell at Palmerston than he did during most of his first (which was still phenomenal). I imagine, despite his astonishing record in the second tier in Scotland, and his achievements in helping Blackpool and Swansea get to play off finals down south, that he might look back over his career with a few regrets. He looks sharper and in better condition at 35 than he did when he was 25. If he’d been in this shape at 25 we’d never have seen him in a Queens jersey.

I’ve watched Scotland for as long as I’ve watched Queens, and in terms of talent and technique, I’ve seen numerous Scotland players that couldn’t lace Dobbie’s boots. Jason Cummings’ record was no better than Dobbie’s in the Scottish Championship, and he was playing for a much better side who were dominating games and creating many more chances. Given the choice of the two of them, it would have been Dobbie every time for me, yet Cummings is the one with the Scotland caps. There’s no doubt that Dobbie looks a class above in the Championship in a way that other much more lauded players haven’t (including the likes of Boyd and Miller).

Dobbie is a real technician. I’ve never seen anyone quite so precise in his finishing. He scores many different types of goals, but he does have a trademark finish : low early strikes into the bottom corner from the edge of the box taking the keeper by surprise. He rarely scores a tap in. As his interviews suggest, he’s honed his finishing with years of practice on the training ground. It’s a shame that such a talented player has been overlooked by the national side in an era where talent has been in short supply, and comparative carthorses have been preferred, but pace and physique have trumped talent in the modern game for years, so it’s no great surprise. Given some of the no marks that have played for Scotland, it’s a shame Dobbie never got a look in, and never will now.

Boyd and Miller have looked a class above in the Premiership though, so that's not really the best comparison to make.

[Frankie S]

9 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

Boyd and Miller have looked a class above in the Premiership though, so that's not really the best comparison to make.

The implication being that Dobbie could almost certainly do a good job for someone in the Premiership at the moment. The fact that he chooses to see out his career at Queens is our gain.

[Bing.McCrosby]

Chic Charnley

[kilMARKnock]

Alan McCulloch

[The-coo-shed]

Distinctly remember Levein being asked about Dobbie not being in the squad when he was Scotland manager.

He saw him as a luxury player and didn't think he would fit in to the system. He then proceed to play a 4-6-0 or some shite like that. Was raging.

[Toby]

The best uncapped active player at the moment is John Fleck, who’s been outstanding for Sheffield United for a good couple of years now without getting a sniff.

[Lurkst]

On Sunday, October 07, 2018 at 02:55, John Lambies Doos said:

On Sunday, October 07, 2018 at 02:33, Rabinho said:

Thomson was capped 7 times.

I don't disbelieve you as I thought he was but according to the wee red book, no caps

From the Wee Red Book...

"THOMSON, W (St Mirren) (7) 1980 ...84"

 

Interesting spot when I consulted the WRB there, 17 Thomsons have been capped but only 1 Thompson, the current Sportscene pundit Stevie

[TheScarf]

Craig Brewster for me.  His hold up play and his ability to bring other players into the play was tremendous.  Built up great partnerships with Crawford at Dunfermline then with Dargo at ICT.  His age was probably the stumbling block.  Was well into his 30's when he was forming said partnerships.

[Skyline Drifter]

16 hours ago, The-coo-shed said:

Distinctly remember Levein being asked about Dobbie not being in the squad when he was Scotland manager.

He saw him as a luxury player and didn't think he would fit in to the system. He then proceed to play a 4-6-0 or some shite like that. Was raging.

He also at one point said he was going to select him for the squad for the Setanta Shield tournament in Dublin in 2011 when we played Ireland and Wales but that was the year he reached the playoff final with Swansea and was therefore unavailable for the squads as the game was the the same week.

He was certainly very unlucky in his timing. His best spell saw him still behind the likes of McFadden and McCormack who also couldn't get games under a manager who doesn't favour that style of player. Under the likes of Vogts for sure or possibly even Strachan he might have got caps. He's aged much better than both McFadden and McCormack, though both peaked higher than him. Having watched both McFadden and Dobbie play for us in the last year, McFadden was a shadow of his former self whilst Dobbie is better than ever.

[Estragon]

7 hours ago, TheScarf said:

Craig Brewster for me.  His hold up play and his ability to bring other players into the play was tremendous.  Built up great partnerships with Crawford at Dunfermline then with Dargo at ICT.  His age was probably the stumbling block.  Was well into his 30's when he was forming said partnerships.

Absolutely this.

A guy who's game intelligence and vision made a very average Steven Crawford an international, but was ignored himself.  A great shame.

[DA Baracus]

Nah not having that. Crawford had a cracking spell and was much better than 'very average'. Brewster and he made a sublime pairing though.

[Suspect Device]

Surprised no-one's mentioned Antti Niemi. 

[JamesM82]

The best player in Scotland to never be capped at international level is probably from one of the bigger countries, and hasn't got near their national team, e.g. Edouard, Ntcham, Tavernier (to give a few examples).

Joe Lewis would be in the Scotland squad easily.  I had to check his Wiki to make sure that he hadn't been capped once by England earlier in his career. He did play for their under-21s, rather bizarrely he played outfield once because they ran out of players.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8090460.stm