Czech Republic v Scotland

[Binos]

1 minute ago, LiviLion said:

A good performance and 3 points (with a half decent formation/starting 11) and I'd be happy to forget about Friday's toothless display.

4 points from the first 2 games would have been a good start, so if we've got lucky enough that the new Czech squad are bad enough to lose to us then I'll take it all day long.

Knowing us very well a sqeaked 1-0 victory regardless of anything else will do just fine

[Marshmallo]

In the pantheon of dreadful opinions amongst Scotland fans, on here and at games, "Robertson is shite for Scotland" is the one that annoys me most.

[wastecoatwilly]

18 minutes ago, HuttonDressedAsLahm said:

You’re kicking off after he played CB? Complaining that a centre back played backwards passes? How is that even possible 

Taking him out of the midfield is an easy option until he develops into a defensive midfielder or he becomes a CB.
Hes not a problem just a working process in the Scotland team.

Edited September 7, 2020 by wastecoatwilly

[ScottishZizou]

5 minutes ago, Marshmallo said:

In the pantheon of dreadful opinions amongst Scotland fans, on here and at games, "Robertson is shite for Scotland" is the one that annoys me most.

Would you agree that he has been underwhelming? I really like Robertson but his use of the ball for Scotland has been suspect at times. I wouldn’t say he’s been shite but he’s clearly capable of performing much better than he has for Scotland  

[G51]

12 minutes ago, the snudge said:

Why can't Tierney play as one of 2 centre backs and the defensive mid drop in when the full backs get forward? 

It's  difficult to do that in transition because it places a lot of stress on the defensive mid - does he stay flat with the other CB's to make a back three? If a striker drops off to receive a pass to feet, does he follow him and leave the CB's isolated? Given that playing a pass into the strikers feet will be easier without someone there to screen it, it's a problem that could be exploited regularly.

If we expect to dominate a game like tonight, then the first thing we have to be is counter-proof. If we're not, then we'll lose.

[gannonball]

Just now, ScottishZizou said:

Would you agree that he has been underwhelming? I really like Robertson but his use of the ball for Scotland has been suspect at times. I wouldn’t say he’s been shite but he’s clearly capable of performing much better than he has for Scotland  

Underwhelming compared to his Liverpool performances yes but still puts in more of an acceptable performance than others. Giving him the captaincy was lazy by Mcleish though tbh, hes not that type of guy imo. 

[Savage Henry]

3 minutes ago, G51 said:

It's  difficult to do that in transition because it places a lot of stress on the defensive mid - does he stay flat with the other CB's to make a back three? If a striker drops off to receive a pass to feet, does he follow him and leave the CB's isolated? Given that playing a pass into the strikers feet will be easier without someone there to screen it, it's a problem that could be exploited regularly.

If we expect to dominate a game like tonight, then the first thing we have to be is counter-proof. If we're not, then we'll lose.

There’s no reason on Earth to expect Scotland to dominate tonight.  

[G51]

Just now, Savage Henry said:

There’s no reason on Earth to expect Scotland to dominate tonight.  

We're playing the Czechia B team, who have never played together under a manager who's had about 3 hours to put a gameplan together.

It's reasonable to expect us to dominate the ball in this match, particularly considering they've had almost no time to work on tactics, so they'll probably be going with something very basic.

[Savage Henry]

Just now, gannonball said:

Underwhelming compared to his Liverpool performances yes but still puts in more of an acceptable performance than others. Giving him the captaincy was lazy by Mcleish though tbh, hes not that type of guy imo. 

Being captain is 90% off the field.  If he can string a sentence together and use the present perfect correctly, he’ll do. 
 

Robertson seems relatively well spoken, so he’s captain   

 

[Savage Henry]

1 minute ago, G51 said:

We're playing the Czechia B team, who have never played together under a manager who's had about 3 hours to put a gameplan together.

It's reasonable to expect us to dominate the ball in this match, particularly considering they've had almost no time to work on tactics, so they'll probably be going with something very basic.

I’d imagine all of those Czech players are more comfortable on the ball than their direct opponent.  

[Beth Paige-Black]

I'd imagine their 'B' team will be technically better than us.   

[G51]

1 minute ago, Savage Henry said:

I’d imagine all of those Czech players are more comfortable on the ball than their direct opponent.  

I'd strongly disagree, we have plenty of good, technical players who are comfortable on the ball. In fact, I'd use that description for nearly all of our midfielders. We just don't have any at centre back.

[Donathan]

An early goal is crucial. Too many times when playing an opponent we should beat, especially away from home, we struggle to be clinical in front of goal and the opponent can start to build confidence leading to an inevitable 1-0 defeat or 0-0.

 

The 3-0 win in Lithuania in 2017 was one of our best performances I've seen in such a game. That should be the blueprint for tonight. 1-0 up by midway through the first half at least IMO.

[gannonball]

1 minute ago, Savage Henry said:

Being captain is 90% off the field.  If he can string a sentence together and use the present perfect correctly, he’ll do. 
 

Robertson seems relatively well spoken, so he’s captain   

 

Hes a consummate professional yes but not exactly a leader of men. Agree being well spoken does help though, the best idea of trying to get yourself motivated before a game and having Harry Kane slobbering all over you would put you off more than any crowd would.

[Lex]

We're playing the Czechia B team, who have never played together under a manager who's had about 3 hours to put a gameplan together.
It's reasonable to expect us to dominate the ball in this match, particularly considering they've had almost no time to work on tactics, so they'll probably be going with something very basic.

It’s more of a C team really. Their B team would have been the guys good enough to make the squad but not good enough to get in the team. They’re all out too.

If we win everyone will shrug their shoulders and disregard it. It’s not really an international team we are playing, just a bunch of average players and a coach thrown together with a few days notice. We should be winning comfortably. It’s guys who’ve never been capped before and will likely never be capped again.

If we don’t win it will be right up there at the top of a long list of humiliating results in the history of our national team. I don’t see how Clarke survives a defeat to be honest.

[HuttonDressedAsLahm]

13 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

There’s no reason on Earth to expect Scotland to dominate tonight.  

That opinion is exactly why we are where we are.

1. Not even a Czech third team

2. Have little-to-zero international/European experience

3. Have never played together

4. Have had <48 hours to get to know each other

5. This is perhaps the 4th or 5th best team of a very poorly performing European nation

In fact, short of a complete boycott by all professional footballers, you literally could not write a circumstance that would be more beneficial to us if you tried.

And despite this, you don’t expect us to dominate?? Please god, do tell us all of a circumstance when you would expect that to happen?

[Savage Henry]

5 minutes ago, Lex said:

 

It’s more of a C team really. Their B team would have been the guys good enough to make the squad but not good enough to get in the team. They’re all out too.

If we win everyone will shrug their shoulders and disregard it. It’s not really an international team we are playing, just a bunch of average players and a coach thrown together with a few days notice. We should be winning comfortably. It’s guys who’ve never been capped before and will likely never be capped again.

If we don’t win it will be right up there at the top of a long list of humiliating results in the history of our national team. I don’t see how Clarke survives a defeat to be honest.


 

 

If we win tonight, it’s going down as a get out jail free card for Clarke.  

[TheScarf]

They'll knock it about with ease and be far better technically.  I think we will win but I reckon they'll have spells where we're under the Steve Tosh.

[The Moonster]

16 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

I’d imagine all of those Czech players are more comfortable on the ball than their direct opponent.  

 

15 minutes ago, Beth Paige-Black said:

I'd imagine their 'B' team will be technically better than us.   

Why do the pair of you "imagine" that? Have you seen any of these players play, or is it just "we're shite so they must be better" mentality?

[Szamo's_Ammo]

A lot of people are saying it would be typical Scotland if the Czechs win tonight.