Scotland Squad announce before September game

[Savage Henry]

I think his move to Newcastle was a big problem as his game time dried up. Injured pretty much all of last season but was great the year before.
I always think it's funny when he seems to be picked out as being especially bad when considering our other defensive options. Match fit, he's probably an upper Championship defender who is a bit clumsy but hoofs everything away. The sort of player that looks hopeful when you have a defensive unit that's all over the place but ends up thriving in certain systems.
We don't really have a wealth of options and if he does end up playing regularly over the course of this season, he won't be far away from our 11 I'd imagine.

Grant Hanley will be starting most likely both games, unless they get hammered in game one and he’s the fall guy, or he gets sent off. Let’s just hope for the least worst outcome.

[Enigma]

I think his move to Newcastle was a big problem as his game time dried up. Injured pretty much all of last season but was great the year before.
I always think it's funny when he seems to be picked out as being especially bad when considering our other defensive options. Match fit, he's probably an upper Championship defender who is a bit clumsy but hoofs everything away. The sort of player that looks hopeful when you have a defensive unit that's all over the place but ends up thriving in certain systems.
We don't really have a wealth of options and if he does end up playing regularly over the course of this season, he won't be far away from our 11 I'd imagine.

Always thought he was the lesser of to evils, or more accurately was made to look worse for Scotland but the ineptitude of Russell Martin, who he was forced to partner up with most of the time. That defence, Robertson aside, gives me the fear though. Lindsay should have got a look in as he’s been playing well by all accounts. Worryingly the goalkeeping options seem to get worse each squad, although admittedly I know little about the Portsmouth lad. Have to hope somebody decent comes through there soon or we should be back to the ‘Scottish ‘keeper’ stereotype!

[Savage Henry]

Always thought he was the lesser of to evils, or more accurately was made to look worse for Scotland but the ineptitude of Russell Martin, who he was forced to partner up with most of the time. That defence, Robertson aside, gives me the fear though. Lindsay should have got a look in as he’s been playing well by all accounts. Worryingly the goalkeeping options seem to get worse each squad, although admittedly I know little about the Portsmouth lad. Have to hope somebody decent comes through there soon or we should be back to the ‘Scottish ‘keeper’ stereotype!

Not having that. Russell Martin did a decent job for Scotland, on the whole. He was also our dreamiest player for a while.

[craigkillie]

Troll or deluded? I'm going for the latter.

Is "CallumAUFC" a troll or a deluded Rangers fan? A puzzle for the ages.

[George Parr]

4 minutes ago, Enigma said:

 

Always thought he was the lesser of to evils, or more accurately was made to look worse for Scotland but the ineptitude of Russell Martin, who he was forced to partner up with most of the time. That defence, Robertson aside, gives me the fear though. Lindsay should have got a look in as he’s been playing well by all accounts. Worryingly the goalkeeping options seem to get worse each squad, although admittedly I know little about the Portsmouth lad. Have to hope somebody decent comes through there soon or we should be back to the ‘Scottish ‘keeper’ stereotype!

 

The keeper stereotype must be from decades ago.

Throughout the period I've followed Scotland (30 years), goalkeeper is one of the few positions in which we've been reasonably well covered.

[Savage Henry]

The keeper stereotype must be from decades ago.
Throughout the period I've followed Scotland (30 years), goalkeeper is one of the few positions in which we've been reasonably well covered.

To be fair, Alan Rough was utterly honking. It was only Saint and Greavsie who kept banging that drum during the Goram/Leighton and even Neil Sullivan years.

[Gordopolis]

My first impression was 'hmmm'. Scanning the squad list, I thought it looked like CLarke had dropped most of the younger players and pulled in older guys from the cold.  In reality, some of the better young players (McKenna and, erm, that's it) are injured.

GKs

Thank feck for Marshall. Not really a fan of waiting eagerly for Gunn to deign to play for us

DFs

Hanley is fine - clumsy but overall no worse than our other CB options.

Cooper I'm unsure about.  I would have thought Lindsay would be a decent fourth option for this one?

MFs

For some reason it feels as if there is someone missing from this area, but looking at the player pool available I think this is actually our strongest possible midfield selection. Also, looking at the clubs they play at it's all OF/EPL. Totally different class from defence and strikers.

FWDs

Griffiths: I'm not hugely bothered as tbh he's not exactly on fire for Celtic just now, and we can't be sure he ever will get back to that level again.

Getting bored of hoping Burke will come good and the fact he's vanished into the WBA ether again (not even in their squad since the first day of the season) just makes me think it's futile to consider him until he actually starts making headlines at club level.

Russell and Phillips still seem very 'meh' to me, but as usual, there are spaces in the squad to be filled...

Snodgrass is a decent addition to the squad but I hope we don't sacrifice one of our speedy wingers for him just to keep him happy. 

In essence, McBurnie is the only exciting choice here for me (but not that exciting). Hope Clarke can find a good way of getting the best out of Forrest McSocks Fraser, and that we'll quickly forget about Steven Fletcher.

 

Anyway, my preferred XI would be:

 

Marshall

Jack Hanley Mulgrew Robertson

McTominay McGregor

Forrest  McGinn Fraser

McBurnie

[RobbieD]

That should be an end to the Che Adams/Angus Gunn talk now. They clearly don’t want it. If they did, this was the perfect time to start. 

[eez-eh]

1 hour ago, Diamonds are Forever said:

Grant Hanley gets a lot of stick but he is rightly included, we have no-one else playing at that level and had a good season last year. He's an experienced Premier League and International player, something we severely lack and need at centre back. He's not the answer long term but is the best we have at the moment, however terrifying that may be.

Hanley played 9 games for Norwich last season and many of them were from the bench. He’s only played for them this season because they have injuries and it’s fair to say he’s looked fairly pish - just because he’s playing in the Premier League doesn’t mean he should be playing for Scotland.

[GordonS]

Scotland... two left backs, 800 midfielders and not much else.

The role Fletcher occupied recently was perfect for bringing our busy little attacking midfielders into the game, holding it up and playing it off to any of 3-4 of them running on. It was hard to defend against and it's why we're in our Nations League final. I was never a Fletcher fan before, but I was converted. I love Naismith but I worry about having no height or strength in the front 4, so for me it would have to be McBurnie.

Angus Gunn - I've long thought players should have to declare a nationality when they first sign a full-time professional contract, and that's it done. I'm fine with the granny rule and I'm fine with the residency rule, but what bothers me is when players hedge their bets. That's not cool. International football isn't just an adjunct to your career.

[The Moonster]

22 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

Hanley played 9 games for Norwich last season and many of them were from the bench. He’s only played for them this season because they have injuries and it’s fair to say he’s looked fairly pish - just because he’s playing in the Premier League doesn’t mean he should be playing for Scotland.

Who are you picking over him here?

[The Moonster]

5 minutes ago, GordonS said:

International football isn't just an adjunct to your career.

From a fans point of view, maybe.

[Marshmallo]

45 minutes ago, Enigma said:

Lindsay should have got a look in as he’s been playing well by all accounts. 

 

So you aren't watching him but will pontificate about his performances?

[eez-eh]

12 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Who are you picking over him here?

f**k knows, I was just responding to someone saying he had a good season last year - which is clearly a load of shite considering he hardly played.

I don’t watch enough of Scottish centre backs in the Championship or League 1 so I’m not going to pretend to have a list of alternatives. It’s just a bit sad that Hanley is suddenly seen by so many as a shoe-in all because he’s now played 3 games in the Premier League - despite the fact that he’d barely played in a year until now, is only playing just now because Norwich have 2 CBs injured, and has been a bombscare in all 3 games.

Edited August 27, 2019 by eez-eh

[The Moonster]

Just now, eez-eh said:

f**k knows, I was just responding to someone saying he had a good season last year - which is clearly a load of shite considering he hardly played.

I don’t watch enough of Scottish centre backs in the Championship or League 1 so I’m not going to pretend to have a list of alternatives. It’s just a bit sad that Hanley is suddenly seen by so many as a shoe-in all because he’s now played 3 games in the Premier League - despite the fact that he’d barely played in a year until now, is only playing just now because Norwich have 2 CBs injured, and has by all accounts been a bombscare in all 3 games.

You said he shouldn't be playing for Scotland, if he's not in this squad we need someone else to fill his boots. The fact that when posed with that question, the best folk can reply with is "Jason Kerr/Liam Lindsay/f**k knows" shows that calling up Hanley is probably about right.

[eez-eh]

Just now, The Moonster said:

You said he shouldn't be playing for Scotland, if he's not in this squad we need someone else to fill his boots. The fact that when posed with that question, the best folk can reply with is "Jason Kerr/Liam Lindsay/f**k knows" shows that calling up Hanley is probably about right.

I said that him playing the Premier League doesn’t mean he should be an automatic pick.

[The Moonster]

1 minute ago, eez-eh said:

I said that him playing the Premier League doesn’t mean he should be an automatic pick.

Okay. Does the fact we've got injuries to most of our first choices, and the fact we don't have a lot of depth in this area, give grounds for calling up Hanley here? Because that's all I can see people suggesting.

[eez-eh]

1 minute ago, The Moonster said:

Okay. Does the fact we've got injuries to most of our first choices, and the fact we don't have a lot of depth in this area, give grounds for calling up Hanley here? Because that's all I can see people suggesting.

Probably yes for calling him up to the squad, but I think it’s more concerning that he’s 1 of only 3 called up as it makes it more likely that he’ll be starting.

There’s definitely a fair number of people who seem to think that the second someone plays a few minutes in the Premier League they must be an automatic pick - regardless of how shite they’ve been playing.

[accies1874]

The squad doesn't tell us much that we didn't already know (meh GKs, poor CBs and RBs, excellent midfielders and, aside from Forrest and Fraser, a substandard attack).

Clarke must not rate Halkett if he'd rather go into these games with just three CBs rather than have him as backup.

[gannonball]

I know its league one but I was just reading that Lindsay was part of defence last season that broke defensive records last year and is now back playing in the championship. Surprised with so many centre backs out he hasn’t still been called up.