Squad for the finals

[Stellaboz]

Nisbet for Shankland please.

[Ro Sham Bo]

49 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Not sure I agree here. Karlan Grant or Che Adams would be tremendous additions to take to the Euros and if our performances under Clarke have turned their heads then they should absolutely be considered. If either of them are interested then leave a dumpling like Burke at home, or even Shankland who has barely played a minute for us.

I don't disagree that they wouldn't be big improvements on what we've got, especially the way Adams is playing just now, but if they weren't interested in doing the hard yards then they shouldn't be parachuted into the squad for the finals. I'm not convinced it would be great for squad morale either. 

Of course this is all said without knowing what sort of discussions have been had with these players previously. 

 

[ropy]

Can anyone confirm if there are any South American no hopers in our group?

Scarred.

[ewan14]

4 minutes ago, ropy said:

Can anyone confirm if there are any South American no hopers in our group?

Scarred.

or Central American ?

or African ?

[Mean Gene]

Players to come back in/ you will have to consider if they make an impact this season.

 

Ryan Fraser- definite.

James Forrest

John Fleck

Kevin Nesbit

Aaron Hickey (possible right back option if continues to make an impact at Bologna?) By all accounts he is comfy on both sides. 

Ryan Gauld ( great start to the season and now captain) 

Billy Gilmour 

Don’t know if anyone else can stake a claim? I bet a few people will start to crawl out the woodwork. 

 

[HibeeJibee]

4 hours ago, charger29 said:

When are the pre-tournament friendlies played? The squad has to be named by 1st June I believe.
Scottish Premiership is supposed to finish on 16th May, EPL on 23rd, EL final on 26th & CL final on 29th.
From what I remeber international friendlies overlap the European finals. 27th & 30th May maybe?

There are not any specified dates for warmup games.

For some reason SPFL Premiership finishes 1 week earlier than required... EPL ends May 23rd, EFL Championship playoffs don't end until May 31st. EL Final is May 26th and CL Final is May 29th.

Tournament begins June 11th.

Realistically my expectation is we'd play 2 or 3 warmup games. If it's 3 then you're probably talking weekend of May 29th (but missing players involved in EFL Championship playoff final or CL Final), then midweek, then weekend of June 5th.

Back in 2016 friendlies began May 27th (excluding 3 earlier in month). Most played 2 or 3 - some only 1.

There won't be the sort of long build-up you often get for an international tournament. Some players will arrive at their training camps less than a fortnight before their opening game.

[ArabFC]

13 hours ago, greenockraver said:

After watching Mcburnie toil last night, would it even be worth thinking about calling S. Fletcher up for the finals instead ? 

It's not the craziest idea in the world.

I think I'd have more confidence bringing on Fletcher for the last 15 minutes of the game for Dykes than I would McBurnie.

 

[charger29]

There are not any specified dates for warmup games.

For some reason SPFL Premiership finishes 1 week earlier than required... EPL ends May 23rd, EFL Championship playoffs don't end until May 31st. EL Final is May 26th and CL Final is May 29th.

Tournament begins June 11th.

Realistically my expectation is we'd play 2 or 3 warmup games. If it's 3 then you're probably talking weekend of May 29th (but missing players involved in EFL Championship playoff final or CL Final), then midweek, then weekend of June 5th.

Back in 2016 friendlies began May 27th (excluding 3 earlier in month). Most played 2 or 3 - some only 1.

There won't be the sort of long build-up you often get for an international tournament. Some players will arrive at their training camps less than a fortnight before their opening game.

I don't think they'll be allowed to play the same day as the CL final.
If the Euro squad has to be named for 1st June would they not try to get the friendlies in before that? From what I remember England (and presumably others) use those friendlies to fine tune the squad before naming the 23 the day after their last game.

[HibeeJibee]

1 minute ago, charger29 said:

If the Euro squad has to be named for 1st June would they not try to get the friendlies in before that? From what I remember England (and presumably others) use those friendlies to fine tune the squad before naming the 23 the day after their last game.

Well if June 1st cutoff is correct: good luck to make much fine-tuning when arrival of EPL players = 8 days beforehand, in EL Final = 5, in CL Final = 2, and in EFL Championship playoff final = 0.

[Donathan]

I don't think they'll be allowed to play the same day as the CL final.
If the Euro squad has to be named for 1st June would they not try to get the friendlies in before that? From what I remember England (and presumably others) use those friendlies to fine tune the squad before naming the 23 the day after their last game.

Yep - don’t teams normally bring 28-30 players into a camp before cutting a few unlucky players out or keeping them as injury replacements?

[charger29]

Yep - don’t teams normally bring 28-30 players into a camp before cutting a few unlucky players out or keeping them as injury replacements?

That's what I remember too.

Well if June 1st cutoff is correct: good luck to make much fine-tuning when arrival of EPL players = 8 days beforehand, in EL Final = 5, in CL Final = 2, and in EFL Championship playoff final = 0.

I dont see much of an issue tbh. We don't really have many English championship players at the moment. And only really McLean at Norwich currently with a chance of going to the playoffs. Those possibly reaching the CL & EL finals are guaranteed to be in the squad anyway.

[ArabFC]

25 minutes ago, charger29 said:

From what I remember England (and presumably others) use those friendlies to fine tune the squad before naming the 23 the day after their last game.

It's been so long none of us remember how this shit works anymore 

[JagsCG]

7 hours ago, KingRocketman II said:

More generally, I think with the performances of Gallagher and Comsidine in the last few matches we can finally consign the "but he plays for x in the x league" argument to bed. Naismith clearly has the skill, experience and the intelligence to play in the current set-up, regardless of where Hearts are. I question whether McBurnie has the same attributes but Clarke will have him in the squad.

I totally agree with that, I was more emphasising the point, that might go against him getting back into the set up. If he’s playing well enough, and there’s a space for him, I’d happily see him in the squad, many others would disagree though because he plays in Championship. 

[HibeeJibee]

2 hours ago, charger29 said:

That's what I remember too.I dont see much of an issue tbh. We don't really have many English championship players at the moment. And only really McLean at Norwich currently with a chance of going to the playoffs. Those possibly reaching the CL & EL finals are guaranteed to be in the squad anyway.

Suppose it is possible we might play a game with only SPFL Premiership and any available EFL Championship players - perhaps as Scotland XI or even Scotland B? - assuming there was a viable opponent. As noted back in 2016 there were only 3 warm-up games before May 27th (Hungary v Ivory Coast, England v Turkey and Romania v DR Congo).

Short of that approach the only way you can play 2 friendlies before June 1st would appear to be playing in the midweek you first bring the whole squad together.

Clarke won't be able to work with EPL players until Tuesday 25th May at the earliest... even that assumes they're given no time off: i.e. last club game on May 23rd, travel on May 24th, start next day. I doubt he'd play a friendly that night, day after, or similar.

I suppose you could squeeze a pair of games across CL Final weekend by playing Thursday/Friday + Sunday/Monday.


EDIT: Actually that point about getting an opponent earlier in May could be just as much of an issue.

Most major leagues finish May 23rd - not just EPL but Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc. They will account for a huge proportion of players.

Some others finish even later. Czech Rep top division ends just 16 days before their opening game at Hampden.

Edited November 14, 2020 by HibeeJibee

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

19 hours ago, Jacky1990 said:

Marshall, Gordon, McLaughlin 

ODonnell, Palmer, McTominay, Gallagher, Tierney, Cooper, McKenna, Robertson

McGregor, Jack, McGinn, McLean, Christie, Armstrong

Forrest, Fraser, Dykes, McBurnie, Griffiths, Paterson

Right now this is what I expect.

Paterson would be the one I'm not sure on. But if you do take him then maybe you don't need Palmer? Either way I think one of them drops out for a striker. Probably Shankland at this time.

[Gordopolis]

What are the international dates for the first half of next year? Three WC qualifiers I believe, but what months?

[HibeeJibee]

6 minutes ago, Gordopolis said:

What are the international dates for the first half of next year? Three WC qualifiers I believe, but what months?

They've shoehorned 3 qualifiers into March double-header. There is 50% chance we'll be drawn into odd-numbered group, and if so perhaps 60% chance we'll be the odd-team sometime in those opening 3 games, in which case we'd have to play a friendly. So perhaps 25-30% chance of playing 1 friendly.

No other international dates after that, except pre-tournament warm-ups, but as noted window for them is more compressed than is often the case.

Edited November 14, 2020 by HibeeJibee

[Donathan]

Could we play Thursday/Sunday or Friday/Monday to get two friendlies in?

[ewan14]

2 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

Right now this is what I expect.

Paterson would be the one I'm not sure on. But if you do take him then maybe you don't need Palmer? Either way I think one of them drops out for a striker. Probably Shankland at this time.

It has been shown Paterson is not a right wing back

ATM O'Donnell or Palmer

[Scotty Tunbridge]

I'd expect David Turnbull be involved.

I would not.