Slovakia v Scotland - 15/11

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

25 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Just for the sake of it, qualifiers and playoff teams if the last European Championship/Nations League had the same qualifying process as the upcoming World Cup, just so you can get an idea what sort of team you might expect to face if you made the playoffs:

Qualify automatically as Group Winners:

England, Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Spain, Poland, France, Belgium, Italy

Qualify for Playoffs as Group Runners-Up:

Czech Republic, Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Wales, Sweden, Austria, Turkey, Russia, Finland.

Qualify for Playoff as best Nations League teams not already qualified/in playoffs:

Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Iceland were 12th and Bosnia 13th best team in the Nations League... so judging by that unlikely that any League B team (best possible ranking this time of 17th) will get a WC qualifying spot.

only group winners can qualify for the playoffs. Iceland etc are out of it.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

34 minutes ago, the_bully_wee said:

I'm just very intrigued to know who these fans want to see playing instead of McBurnie, and why they feel said player would fare much better or improve us. If Dykes turned in a similar performance today then I'm willing to bet there'd be a lot less negative sensationalism regarding the overall quality of it. 

Shankland, Griffiths. Tony fucking Watt. Anybody that has a bit of ability.

McBurnie can't play as a lone striker. He just isn't good enough.

[Bully Wee Villa]

Has that been confirmed? Haven't heard that anywhere?

[tree house tam]

39 minutes ago, GordonS said:

He didn't say they were drinking throughout. People do party without getting leathered.

f**k right off with that pish, they partied well into the morning and were drinking. 

Would other nations do that when they had important games coming up?  Not likely imo. Sure enjoy it, have a beer or two but remember you're a professional with a game 2 days later. Clarke should know better too.

[Gordopolis]

The point I'm making is that today's performance, alone, would be viewed and described differently if it was one by Dykes. Take it in isolation and I would say McBurnie was actually fine on the whole today, but any mistakes he makes are obviously going to be viewed differently when folk have completely written him off already. He should've scored at least one, but his all-round performance wasn't anywhere as near as poor as is being made out. As I said, there are parallels with the Steven Fletcher scenario where some people's ultimate judgement depended on his goalscoring, when doing so isn't his main role within the system. He struggled badly on Thursday night too, but the entire team was blowing out of its arse when he came on and were shelling the ball up to him with no support, which isn't something he has ever thrived on. Even then, he went on to tuck away a crucial penalty.

I didn't see enough today to feel that he was "fine". He looked by and large ineffective at the non-scoring parts of his role - until the last 5 mins or so when to be fair he did his bit in creating a chance for Griffiths.

 

I should say that I wasn't wanting him to fail today. Not at all. I was hoping a clear 90 mins run in a side on an undefeated streak could be the perfect opportunity for him to break his duck or even just link nicely with Christie and Armstrong and give us all a sense of having a bit more than just Dykes to rely upon as an attacking threat.

 

It feels like the pressure is going to be immense on him now. I expect SC will continue to give him chances as he's shown not one to cave in to popular opinion. I just don't think McBurnie has the kind of game/performance we need from him in his locker - certainly not in the Dykes role.

 

Who else do we have? A half fit Griff, a not-ready Hornsby, an unproven Nisbet, a lightning-fast but comically clumsy Burke. Then there's going to Steven Fletcher or even the likes of Che Adams, with the risk of disrupting squad harmony.

 

As I said earlier, it's not the worst situation - the rest of the team is functioning well and there is plenty of depth too. Just need to crack the striker thing so we're not relying solely on Dykes being fit and playing well.

 

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

5 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Has that been confirmed? Haven't heard that anywhere?

You sure you aren't Willie Miller?

https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/news/0258-0e2bb376a99e-1984c4ff291f-1000/

Quote

How does 2022 World Cup qualifying fit into this?

 

 

Nations League 2018/19 memories

World Cup qualifying initially remains largely the same, with ten group winners advancing directly to the finals in Qatar. The format of the play-offs has evolved, though, and will now consist of two knockout rounds from which three teams qualify. It will involve the ten group runners-up plus the best two UEFA Nations League group winners (based on their overall UEFA Nations League rankings) who did not directly qualify or reach the play-offs.

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by Jim McLean's Ghost

[Tartan Tammy 1297]

1 minute ago, Gordopolis said:

I didn't see enough today to feel that he was "fine". He looked by and large ineffective at the non-scoring parts of his role - until the last 5 mins or so when to be fair he did his bit in creating a chance for Griffiths.

I should say that I wasn't wanting him to fail today. Not at all. I was hoping a clear 90 mins run in a side on an undefeated streak could be the perfect opportunity for him to break his duck or even just link nicely with Christie and Armstrong and give us all a sense of having a bit more than just Dykes to rely upon as an attacking threat.

It feels like the pressure is going to be immense on him now. I expect SC will continue to give him chances as he's shown not one to cave in to popular opinion. I just don't think McBurnie has the kind of game/performance we need from him in his locker - certainly not in the Dykes role.

Who else do we have? A half fit Griff, a not-ready Hornsby, an unproven Nisbet, a lightning-fast but comically clumsy Burke. Then there's going the likes of Che Adams, with the risk of disrupting squad harmony.

As I said earlier, it's not the worst situation - the rest of the team is functioning well and there is plenty of depth too. Just need to crack the striker thing so we're not relying solely on Dykes being fit and playing well.

Karlan Grant at WBA with Matt Phillips

[Binos]

42 minutes ago, the_bully_wee said:

I'm just very intrigued to know who these fans want to see playing instead of McBurnie, and why they feel said player would fare much better or improve us. If Dykes turned in a similar performance today then I'm willing to bet there'd be a lot less negative sensationalism regarding the overall quality of it. 

On today's performance, anyone

[Bully Wee Villa]

7 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

You sure you aren't Willie Miller?

https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/news/0258-0e2bb376a99e-1984c4ff291f-1000/

 

Ta, didn't know that. Great chance finishing top of our group qualifies us for at least the playoffs, then.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

1 minute ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Ta, didn't know that. Great chance finishing top of our group qualifies us for at least the playoffs, then.

Well if we had won today but look at the results currently happening.

Finland could win group B4. They are going to be a 3 seed in the WC group and probably won't make the playoffs. Austria and Norway are in the balance in B1 , neither of them are stick ons for the playoff spots.

That could be us bounced even if we do win our group because of the result today.

And if we don't go on and actually win the group with a result in Israel then it is also a kick in the stones towards qualifying for the next euros because we would miss out on promotion to League A.

[Tartan Tammy 1297]

8 minutes ago, Binos said:

On today's performance, anyone

Dykes wouldn't turned a performance like that in today though neither would Shankland you saw in Russia game what happened when he came in he was terrific

Both players shut everything down press the play and can hold it up and link up play middle to front 

Both players take chances first time with both feet to especially Shankland who isn't bad in the air either

[rainbowrising]

We play to keep it tight and nick a goal. Today we missed a couple of decent chances and lost. It's how we are set up. Nothing wrong with it, just leaves a thin margin between winning and losing. 

[the_bully_wee]

11 minutes ago, Gordopolis said:

I didn't see enough today to feel that he was "fine". He looked by and large ineffective at the non-scoring parts of his role - until the last 5 mins or so when to be fair he did his bit in creating a chance for Griffiths.

I should say that I wasn't wanting him to fail today. Not at all. I was hoping a clear 90 mins run in a side on an undefeated streak could be the perfect opportunity for him to break his duck or even just link nicely with Christie and Armstrong and give us all a sense of having a bit more than just Dykes to rely upon as an attacking threat.

It's all about opinions, but I thought he did a very adequate job of dropping deep, offering and laying off passes to advancing players to start attacks. If he sticks away one of his chances (the one where he took a touch and was tackled wasn't even that bad; folk seem to be criticising him rather than lauding the outstanding burst back from the Slovakian boy) then most would be talking about cause for optimism and a good performance. Equally, if Griffiths sticks away that last-second chance he is then given a lot of credit for a great flicked assist. 

[tree house tam]

6 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

Well if we had won today but look at the results currently happening.

Finland could win group B4. They are going to be a 3 seed in the WC group and probably won't make the playoffs. Austria and Norway are in the balance in B1 , neither of them are stick ons for the playoff spots.

That could be us bounced even if we do win our group because of the result today.

And if we don't go on and actually win the group with a result in Israel then it is also a kick in the stones towards qualifying for the next euros because we would miss out on promotion to League A.

One of the most sensible posts on here today. I bet Steve Clarke doesn't even know how the nations league works.

[Need2Speak2Caesar]

Very disappointed with McBurnie today. He has had more than a fair chance.

[ArabFC]

1 hour ago, TONTROOPER said:

All this talk about strikers prompted me to check out what Johnny Russel was up to Stateside.

He's still playing for Kansas but have no idea as to his form.

Playing his football Stateside has probably ruled him out of future squad call-up consideration but I always thought he put in a good shift in a Scotland jersey.He is now 30.

Johnny Russell plays out wide for Kansas, but he appears to be their captain now and has scored 5 in 16 for a team at the top of their conference.

I'd pick him, but a certain bias exists tbf!

[Tartan Tammy 1297]

8 minutes ago, the_bully_wee said:

It's all about opinions, but I thought he did a very adequate job of dropping deep, offering and laying off passes to advancing players to start attacks. If he sticks away one of his chances (the one where he took a touch and was tackled wasn't even that bad; folk seem to be criticising him rather than lauding the outstanding burst back from the Slovakian boy) then most would be talking about cause for optimism and a good performance. Equally, if Griffiths sticks away that last-second chance he is then given a lot of credit for a great flicked assist. 

Mist a free header to straight down keepers throat and another guilt edged chance could had a hat trick first half

Edited November 15, 2020 by Tartan Tammy 1297

[ArabFC]

1 hour ago, the_bully_wee said:

I'm just very intrigued to know who these fans want to see playing instead of McBurnie, and why they feel said player would fare much better or improve us. If Dykes turned in a similar performance today then I'm willing to bet there'd be a lot less negative sensationalism regarding the overall quality of it. 

McBurnie has offered almost nothing in 12 or 13 games. Dykes has looked the part from game one. This isn't rocket science.

[the_bully_wee]

1 minute ago, Tartan Tammy 1297 said:

Mist a free header to straight down keepers throat and another gui t edged chance could had a hat trick first half

That other "gilt-edged" chance would've involved him taking a silken touch running at close to full tilt in the middle of a quite busy penalty box. The ball for the header ended up a wee bit behind him and therefore he couldn't generate the power or direction required to beat the keeper. 

[the_bully_wee]

2 minutes ago, ArabFC said:

McBurnie has offered almost nothing in 12 or 13 games. Dykes has looked the part from game one. This isn't rocket science.

Please direct me to the post where I've said McBurnie is better than Dykes, or should be playing ahead of him. Might be rocket science trying to find that!