Scotland Squad announce before September game

[Blootoon87]

I've only seen Cooper about three times but he had a nightmare every game.

[Ira Gaines]

Only seen playoff games and stuff. Seems like a solid defender who turns into a bombscare. Kinda like Bobo Balde back in the day.

[the snudge]

Midfield looks brilliant!! Backline is a concern though. Its not unfeasible for 2 centre halves to get injured in a game and we're fucked. Has Bates disappeared? 

I though Griffiths would have been in. It would've done his confidence good and he's an asset. Even if he's having a quiet game he can pop up with a wo dee goal from a set play. 

[Poet of the Macabre]

Hanley looked wildly out of his depth against Liverpool but that's the only time I've seen him recently.

Happy to see Snodgrass involved again.

[craigkillie]

Hopefully we can just draw a line under Fletcher now. He has put in some good performances (though more bad than good), but his ongoing lack of commitment going back over a decade means he's not worth bothering with. We need guys we can hang our hat on to actually turn up and play.

[charger29]

That's a shame, in my opinion.  He got a lot of undue criticism (along with some very much "due" criticism) in his time with us, but when he got that wonderful goal against Poland you could see how much it meant to him.  He gets filed under the large and still growing list of players that played well within themselves for us.

You'd have thought he would have come out and retired publicly by now.
I think he might still be interested in a playoff/Euro place. I doubt Clarke would allow that though.

[DAFC.]

Admittedly it was only a handful of times, but whenever I saw Liam Cooper he looked a total bomb-scare. Mulgrew seems like the only solid CB option out of that squad but we'll need someone to partner him. I'd rather go with Cooper tbh. 

Think the rest of the squad pretty much picks itself. 

[Scary Bear]

Goalkeepers: okay.

Defence: hands to face, cover eyes and peer through your fingers...and Andy Robertson.

Midfield: okay.

Forwards: lucky bag of spare human parts.

Can’t wait for the Belgium game! C’mon Scotland!

[Diamonds are Forever]

26 minutes ago, BB_Bino said:

So here it is, and I was right, recall for Hanley and I actually changed my post yesterday after I put Snodgrass but wondered if he was injured with not playing for West Ham.

Certainly a few left field call ups as well, although no Fredricks, Liam Cooper finally gets a chance to seal his Scottish allegiance. Delighted to see his name in the squad, he stood out every time I watched Leeds on Sky last season and I can’t believe he was overlooked by McLeish. MacGillivray won’t be known to many, making his way through the English non-leagues before becoming a regular at Portsmouth, and being uncapped at any level.

As always, the biggest talking points will probably be the omissions, no John Soutter or David Bates, despite being in the last few squads, no Oli Burke or Emmon Brophy, who were both starters in Clarke’s first double header, Greame Shinnie also missed out, as does John Fleck, a player that Clarke is on record as saying that he tried to call up last time but was having his stag doo in New York. Despite that, the biggest must be Leigh’s Griffiths. I think everyone imagined he would be an automatic inclusion now that he was back playing for Celtic and scoring a few goals in the bargain.

Certainly going to be an interesting double header, in more ways than one.

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None of those players add anything to the squad, except maybe Griffiths. Griffiths seems to be a favourite with Scotland fans despite having a very poor international record, I don't think he's the player that a lot of fans think he is and has barely played this year. He's a player that, if fit and in form, I'd have in the squad but I wouldn't ever be starting him. Given the lack of quality up front, and that our midfield is our strength, the primary role of our striker has to be to create opportunities and link play for the likes of Forrest, Fraser, Christie and Armstrong to get goals. McBurnie, and probably even Naismith, do that far better than Griffiths.

For the first time in a long time we have a squad where I can't really argue with any of the inclusions or exclusions. 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.

[BB_Bino]

 
None of those players add anything to the squad, except maybe Griffiths. Griffiths seems to be a favourite with Scotland fans despite having a very poor international record, I don't think he's the player that a lot of fans think he is and has barely played this year. He's a player that, if fit and in form, I'd have in the squad but I wouldn't ever be starting him. Given the lack of quality up front, and that our midfield is our strength, the primary role of our striker has to be to create opportunities and link play for the likes of Forrest, Fraser, Christie and Armstrong to get goals. McBurnie, and probably even Naismith, do that far better than Griffiths.
For the first time in a long time we have a squad where I can't really argue with any of the inclusions or exclusions. 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.

Totally agree with everything you have said [emoji1319]

[Richey Edwards]

I don't think I've ever witnessed Hanley having a good game. He looks like someone who has never played centre back before and is just winging it.

Why he's playing in the Premiership is one of football's great mysteries. 

[craigkillie]

7 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

Goalkeepers: okay.

Defence: hands to face, cover eyes and peer through your fingers...and Andy Robertson.

Midfield: okay.

Forwards: lucky bag of spare human parts.

Can’t wait for the Belgium game! C’mon Scotland!

The midfield is strong, particularly in the attacking positions.

[Scumjob]

Keeper looks weak although the Portsmouth laddie is promising.

No Fredericks is a disappointment at right back. Left back fine as usual. At centre back we've Mulgrew who can be ok, an uncapped Cooper who can be solid but has mistakes in him and Hanley who announced his return to the Premier league with a characteristic bombscare OG. Really think Clark has dropped a bollock by at least not calling up Kerr or Lindsay just for a look whilst we're short of some others through injury.

 

Midfield full of plenty of options.

 

Attack maybe reliant on McBurnie completing the step up but Lennon clearly not having Griifiths called up.

Made an effort with my typing so hope it's better.

[LondonHMFC]

5 minutes ago, Poet of the Macabre said:

Happy to see Snodgrass involved again.

He has done brilliantly to get back into the West Ham set up, especially given the shite he had to put up with from Brady and Sullivan. 

Doesn't have the pace (not sure he ever did) to play on the wing anymore, so is usually stuck beside the likes of Rice and helps out massively with the defensive side of things now. 

Managed to get himself 10 assists last year and a couple of goals, without doubt he is a massive asset from any dead ball situation. 

[Savage Henry]

I don't think I've ever witnessed Hanley having a good game. He looks like someone who has never played centre back before and is just winging it.
Why he's playing in the Premiership is one of football's great mysteries. 

Grant Hanley was fine when he first came into the Scotland squad, as I recall. He just happened to go on a three year dip in form after that.

[Richey Edwards]

8 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

 

Grant Hanley was fine when he first came into the Scotland squad, as I recall. He just happened to go on a three year dip in form after that.

 

After you've witnessed Stephen McManus playing for Scotland, anyone would look fine coming in.

[gannonball]

1 hour ago, ilostmyself said:

3 centre halves in the squad seems a bit mental. I'm assuming McKenna and Souttar are injured?  I'd have called up one of Lindsay/Halkett/Findlay/Kerr just to make up the numbers.

 

1 hour ago, Ocular Patdown Required said:

McKenna, Souttar and Findlay are all injured. Kerr could've been a decent option though 

Ive seen some horrific stuff on this forum but genuinely advocating a St.Johnstone player for a scotland cap is frankly disgusting. Reported.

[harry94]

27 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

 

Grant Hanley was fine when he first came into the Scotland squad, as I recall. He just happened to go on a three year dip in form after that.

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.

[MeadowArab]

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

[parxyz]

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

Neither. Fanny.