Israel v Scotland

[TurbineTon]

15 minutes ago, forameus said:

 

He is right though, there is a particular apathy towards the tournament, and it's been a particular note of seethe from me since the thing was announced.  

The SFA had a big opportunity (and duty to be honest) to talk this up.  At the end of the day it's a new tournament, and given it's not a simple league format (although it's massively exaggerated how complex it is) there's obviously going to be people that don't really know what it is.  They should have been right out in front of it from the very beginning, talking up how amazing an opportunity this was for a country like us.  I know they can't come out and say "come on guys, our opponents will be shite." but it's easy to inform people how it works, and then put in big f**k-off 72 point text that this can mean qualification for the Euros.  And a far bigger chance of qualifying than through the traditional means.  

To be fair to them, they started doing it, but as the weeks wore on they seemed like they couldn't be arsed anymore, and in the final weeks before the game against Albania, you had the marketing materials sent out basically advertising it as a friendly.  A fucking huge own goal from the SFA.

Then you have the media, and a lot of the traditional sources just chuckle away at how confusing it is, compounding the ignorance they're supposed to be chasing away.  This is not a particularly complex format.  We play 4 games in a group, and if we win that group we go into a 4 team play-off.  That's it.  6 fucking games.  But no, it's much better to be willfully ignorant, and pass that on to the morons listening.

And finally, we have the fans themselves.  If they're not just refusing to understand the format - which I'd grudgingly say is fair enough if your only source of information is the chuckling media types above - then they're a far more worrying group.  The ones that do understand it, but still don't care.  It's baffling to think, but there really are people that know this gives us a chance to qualify for the Euros, but still see it as a sideshow.

 

3

No dispute from me that there is an apathy, but there's a more general apathy towards the Scottish National team that needs addressing. 

[charger29]

I was having a look at Israel's recent results, didn't realise Israel and Albania were in the same WCQ group (away team won 3-0 in both games). 

They don't seem to get better results at home. Lost 4/5 in WCQ with a 2-1 win over Lichtenstein as their only points. Stadium will likely be half full today too.

I don't know much about the Israel team but if we stick with a similar setup to Albania I think we'll get something from this. 2-1 Scotland

[Comrie]

Should be putting a couple past Israel, but knowing us we'll go 1-0 down.

Weird feeling we'll going to fluke this 2-1 after playing like shitebags.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Is magee going with his Palestine flag?

[Kyle]

McGregor

Souttar Mugrew Tierney

O'Donnell Armstrong McGinn Robertson

Russell McGregor

Naismith

A win please, Scotland.

[OSP]

3 minutes ago, Kyle said:

McGregor

Souttar Mugrew Tierney

O'Donnell Armstrong McGinn Robertson

Russell McGregor

Naismith

A win please, Scotland.

He'll play McDonald again in the "Barry 5 yards sideway passes Ferguson" role.

[Savage Henry]

40 minutes ago, killiefan27 said:

It Israeli important to win today

Jew have any idea how offensive that is?

[Miguel Sanchez]

PUNS ARE SHITE

[Savage Henry]

19 minutes ago, OSP said:

He'll play McDonald again in the "Barry 5 yards sideway passes Ferguson" role.

Barry Ferguson was an outstanding player.  A level above anyone currently in centra midfield for Scotland.  If McDonald could do what Ferguson did, he'd start every game.

[Steve_Wilkos]

0-0

"Naisy" to be shite again. 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

19 minutes ago, Tynierose said:

Bomber jacket on balaclava in pocket asking the locals what atrocities they condemn and don't condemn.

 

Should end well.

[Forest of Dean]

I think Scotland will win comfortably which will almost guarantee us a playoff place.

Almost their entire squad plays in the relatively poor Israeli league and they've only got one very good player in Dabour.

[LiviLion]

Really impressed with how we went about the Albania game, but I do have a feeling this'll be a frustrating game. 

Think we'll huff and puff and get a reward for it around the 75 minute mark. 1-0 Scotland. Naismith to score it and Griffiths to try and switch to Ireland.

[Suspect Device]

2 hours ago, TurbineTon said:

Let's hope the TA don't embarrass themselves like Celtic by waving Palestinian flags at the game

Did they wave the flags at a game in Israel?

If they did, I'd applaud their bravery/stupidity.

As for the game tonight, we should get at least a draw, surely. Going by their last results, Israel must be pish.

I'm beginning to like this nations league pish if it means we actually play teams we can beat.

[accies1874]

1-0 either way.

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, forameus said:

 

He is right though, there is a particular apathy towards the tournament, and it's been a particular note of seethe from me since the thing was announced.  

The SFA had a big opportunity (and duty to be honest) to talk this up.  At the end of the day it's a new tournament, and given it's not a simple league format (although it's massively exaggerated how complex it is) there's obviously going to be people that don't really know what it is.  They should have been right out in front of it from the very beginning, talking up how amazing an opportunity this was for a country like us.  I know they can't come out and say "come on guys, our opponents will be shite." but it's easy to inform people how it works, and then put in big f**k-off 72 point text that this can mean qualification for the Euros.  And a far bigger chance of qualifying than through the traditional means.  

To be fair to them, they started doing it, but as the weeks wore on they seemed like they couldn't be arsed anymore, and in the final weeks before the game against Albania, you had the marketing materials sent out basically advertising it as a friendly.  A fucking huge own goal from the SFA.

Then you have the media, and a lot of the traditional sources just chuckle away at how confusing it is, compounding the ignorance they're supposed to be chasing away.  This is not a particularly complex format.  We play 4 games in a group, and if we win that group we go into a 4 team play-off.  That's it.  6 fucking games.  But no, it's much better to be willfully ignorant, and pass that on to the morons listening.

And finally, we have the fans themselves.  If they're not just refusing to understand the format - which I'd grudgingly say is fair enough if your only source of information is the chuckling media types above - then they're a far more worrying group.  The ones that do understand it, but still don't care.  It's baffling to think, but there really are people that know this gives us a chance to qualify for the Euros, but still see it as a sideshow.

 

 

They did exactly I this - I know because I wrote it. They asked me to put together an article before the draw, and it was widely publicised by them online. They also put out a lengthy FAQ before the draw. I also know that they held a drinks reception style event for various media sources where they explained the tournament and its benefits, in an attempt to push the narrative about these being competitive fixtures.

They also put together a video explainer after the draw was made, and must have tweeted/Facebooked it at least once a day in the run up to the tournament.

In addition, their promotion of the Albania game was "Let's Get Down to Business", which definitely has an implication of it being an important competitive game. Note that even in the tweet for the squad announcement for both games, they prioritise Albania.

Obviously there are always plenty of faults that you can pick in terms of the way things are publicised, but I think it's unfair to suggest that they didn't make a reasonable and sustained effort to promote this as an big opportunity to qualify for the Euros.

 

[TurbineTon]

Hello, Daryll Broadfoot. 

[forameus]

6 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

 

They did exactly I this - I know because I wrote it. They asked me to put together an article before the draw, and it was widely publicised by them online. They also put out a lengthy FAQ before the draw. I also know that they held a drinks reception style event for various media sources where they explained the tournament and its benefits, in an attempt to push the narrative about these being competitive fixtures.

They also put together a video explainer after the draw was made, and must have tweeted/Facebooked it at least once a day in the run up to the tournament.

In addition, their promotion of the Albania game was "Let's Get Down to Business", which definitely has an implication of it being an important competitive game. Note that even in the tweet for the squad announcement for both games, they prioritise Albania.

Obviously there are always plenty of faults that you can pick in terms of the way things are publicised, but I think it's unfair to suggest that they didn't make a reasonable and sustained effort to promote this as an big opportunity to qualify for the Euros.

 

That's fair enough, and I was impressed early on by how they seemed to realise this needed marketing, but it seemed to fall off a cliff from their early efforts.  They paid to put an advert prior to a few podcasts I listen to, and that was the one that annoyed me most.  Probably just poorly worded, but the way it was put together wouldn't tell anyone who didn't know already that the Albania game was anything more than a friendly.

Being honest, I'd put the blame far more at the door of certain media sources.  There's plenty of more minor ones that have done a better job of explaining, but that's only going to reach the minority.

[DAFC.]

If Albania managed to beat this gang they must be seriously poor. I would be very disappointed if we didn't come away with all  3 points, even if it is Scotland we are talking about. 

[DA Baracus]

2 hours ago, TurbineTon said:

All the signs are there no matter what folk say. 

You have seen Scotland teams of the past? You know, where they play well at home and look like a good team, only to totally crumble simply because they game is in a different country?

2 hours ago, forameus said:

 

He is right though, there is a particular apathy towards the tournament, and it's been a particular note of seethe from me since the thing was announced.  

The SFA had a big opportunity (and duty to be honest) to talk this up.  At the end of the day it's a new tournament, and given it's not a simple league format (although it's massively exaggerated how complex it is) there's obviously going to be people that don't really know what it is.  They should have been right out in front of it from the very beginning, talking up how amazing an opportunity this was for a country like us.  I know they can't come out and say "come on guys, our opponents will be shite." but it's easy to inform people how it works, and then put in big f**k-off 72 point text that this can mean qualification for the Euros.  And a far bigger chance of qualifying than through the traditional means.  

To be fair to them, they started doing it, but as the weeks wore on they seemed like they couldn't be arsed anymore, and in the final weeks before the game against Albania, you had the marketing materials sent out basically advertising it as a friendly.  A fucking huge own goal from the SFA.

Then you have the media, and a lot of the traditional sources just chuckle away at how confusing it is, compounding the ignorance they're supposed to be chasing away.  This is not a particularly complex format.  We play 4 games in a group, and if we win that group we go into a 4 team play-off.  That's it.  6 fucking games.  But no, it's much better to be willfully ignorant, and pass that on to the morons listening.

And finally, we have the fans themselves.  If they're not just refusing to understand the format - which I'd grudgingly say is fair enough if your only source of information is the chuckling media types above - then they're a far more worrying group.  The ones that do understand it, but still don't care.  It's baffling to think, but there really are people that know this gives us a chance to qualify for the Euros, but still see it as a sideshow.

 

It hasn't helped that a lot of the advertising has grouped the Albania game with the Belgium game and this one with the Portugal game. It just seems to some that they're promoting a couple of double headers of friendlies. Folk are associating the important games with the friendlies.

Agree about the arseholes in the media crying about how complicated it is, when in fact it's not in the slightest complicated. Not even a bit. They seem to have made it in to some sort of a joke that must be mentioned every time they talk about the tournament, which just reinforces the entrenched views of the morons in the audience that it's hugely complex and hard to understand.