Scotland v Israel

[G51]

Well, fair to say that didn’t work.

[Dunning1874]

A draw at home to the worst team in the group gets somewhat cancelled out by winning 3-0 away to the best team in the group, redefining tonight's experiment as genius.

[MarkoRaj]

I keep seeing everyone slaughtering the formation but is no one remembering how lacklustre we have been looking recently?

Even though we are unbeaten, the football has been abysmal to watch and we have been playing teams worse than Israel for the most part.

I don't think it's the formation, we are just shite

[Rob1885]

What's the alternative to Dykes though? Burke or Paterson? No thanks

[John Lambies Doos]

Formation doesn't suit our better players. On 87mins Robertson finally ran an overlap and good cross in. Also in last min they just knocked the ball in defence and midfield instead of launching it forward. If Clarke plays that formation it only suits a long ball game. If he wants to play a penetrating attacking game he needs to play a formation that suits our best players. One shot all night, penalty.. enough said

[8MileBU]

2 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

They ran a giveaway for a watch at home pack, contents shown below.

 

I see absolutely zero negatives in having a big bag of crisps to munch on and a book to read whilst the game was on.

2 hours ago, Rscot said:

Thought Jack was poor, he rarely played a forward pass, and even on the tv you could see options ahead of him. Clarke needs to have a word with him. The boy McRorie looks a better option at this moment in time  and he’s in the under 21’s

I thought Jack was actually one of the better performers tonight, albeit in the simplest of ways. You could hear Clarke having a word with Jack when he got the ball. The word was either “Andy” or “Jamesy” hence the lack of forward passes. McGregor, (the more offensive of the two central midfielders) made zero effort to make the angles for Jack to put him on the ball and attempt to go forward  through the middle either. Our two best centre midfielders that started the game were both played out of position.

2 hours ago, RobbieD said:

Scott McTominay is the better option.  Get him in his position and get a centre half playing at centre half!

Correct. I think McTominay will eventually end up being a centre back in years to come, but for now he’s our best holding player by a mile. 

2 hours ago, Rscot said:

I’d play McTominay in Forests position, If it was the same formation 

You’re at it or just plain fucking mental.

2 hours ago, SouthLanarkshireWhite said:

That'll be Forrest and McGregor. Abject in almost every international.

McGregor is a total waste of a shirt every time. I sometimes wonder if he just plays for Scotland because he feels he has to or something because he never looks remotely interested.

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

The best you can say about Dykes is that he didn't rule himself out of further squads by being absolutely shite (McNulty).

Anyone claiming any player played well tonight is at it.

Dykes did what was asked of him and did it fairly well to some extent. Fair play to him. 

I channel hopped a lot in the second half but a couple of players did alright from what I watched. Overall it was the typical (generous) 6/10 Scotland performance  I think we’ve grown to expect for a long time now.

Edited September 5, 2020 by 8MileBU

[coprolite]

I admit to having allowed myself a small amount of optimism before that. I should know better. 

I thought McTominay and Forrest looked like an accident waiting to happen on the right of defence. No, really i did and that's not just hindsight. 

I actually thought our three in the middle of midfield worked quite well but never had an outball out wide. 

Thought Dykes was fantastic with his back to goal. He had one real opportunity to get in a goalscoring position (when marciano went for a wee wander) and hid right behind a defender. 

Thought the israelis were well organised and knew what they were supposed to be doing, very much unlike us. 

Another shitey slog  of trying and failing to catch up awaits. 

[Steve_Wilkos]

Presuambly we bring McLeish back in now?

[Theroadlesstravelled]

Clarke needs to take some of the blame but he isn't Rumpelstiltskin. He can't keep spinning gold out of this shite.

[coprolite]

15 minutes ago, Theroadlesstravelled said:

Clarke needs to take some of the blame but he isn't Rumpelstiltskin. He can't keep spinning gold out of this shite.

Fairly sure it was straw, not shite. 

[pawpar]

So it looks now that the Czech game has been postponed our next game will be Israel again -

 

[Stellaboz]

Apologies if it's been explained already but didn't we move up a group by being first last time? How did we get Israel again if that's the case, or have I got it completely wrong.

Hopefully Nisbet will be fit come the next game and take 7 off them...

[Guest bernardblack]

Apologies if it's been explained already but didn't we move up a group by being first last time? How did we get Israel again if that's the case, or have I got it completely wrong.

Hopefully Nisbet will be fit come the next game and take 7 off them...

It might be due to the groups now being made of four teams?

Unsure tbh

[Binos]

Robertson is the new Gary Mac

Undropable but never performs

[Binos]

McGregor is the new Scot gemmill

Just utter shit

[Binos]

Forrest is the new James Forrest

Even more shit

[Rjc-1988]

The reality is that at International level even modest opponents on paper ........don’t give the ball away cheaply. Players like McGregor,Jack and Forrest are used to getting the ball back from weak opponents who are invariably “beaten before they start” in the SPL.

International football is absolutely turgid to watch (not just Scotland) - loads of ball retention in deep areas and very few crosses, shots, goalmouth action. I only watched last night to see how Lyndon performed and I thought he did very well despite almost non existent service.

[Guest Rscot]

6 hours ago, 8MileBU said:

I see absolutely zero negatives in having a big bag of crisps to munch on and a book to read whilst the game was on.

I thought Jack was actually one of the better performers tonight, albeit in the simplest of ways. You could hear Clarke having a word with Jack when he got the ball. The word was either “Andy” or “Jamesy” hence the lack of forward passes. McGregor, (the more offensive of the two central midfielders) made zero effort to make the angles for Jack to put him on the ball and attempt to go forward  through the middle either. Our two best centre midfielders that started the game were both played out of position.

Correct. I think McTominay will eventually end up being a centre back in years to come, but for now he’s our best holding player by a mile. 

You’re at it or just plain fucking mental.

McGregor is a total waste of a shirt every time. I sometimes wonder if he just plays for Scotland because he feels he has to or something because he never looks remotely interested.

Dykes did what was asked of him and did it fairly well to some extent. Fair play to him. 

I channel hopped a lot in the second half but a couple of players did alright from what I watched. Overall it was the typical (generous) 6/10 Scotland performance  I think we’ve grown to expect for a long time now.

Ok dimwit, go and look at some of the most successful British teams and I think you’ll find quite a lot of them played with  “central” midfielders at left midfield and/or right midfield. A lot of teams played with a midfield 4 consisting of 3 “central” midfielders and 1 winger. Some even played with 4 “central” midfielders and 0 outright wingers. 

[peasy23]

I've always thought that at international level you either devise a system then pick the best players to fit that system, or you pick your best players and devise a system to get the best out of them. We don't seem to do either. I can't fathom why we consistently shoehorn players in to positions other than their natural one.

[Guest Rscot]

8 minutes ago, peasy23 said:

I've always thought that at international level you either devise a system then pick the best players to fit that system, or you pick your best players and devise a system to get the best out of them. We don't seem to do either. I can't fathom why we consistently shoehorn players in to positions other than their natural one.

I just don’t rate Clarke, he has neither the football brain or the personality for the job. Clarke is an assistant manager, a coach to take training sessions etc, not a manager.