Scotland v Ukraine

[forameus]

6 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Unless looked outside Europe, only Poland and Russia (!) are free Thu/Fri/Sat.

I'm fully here for the ultimate heel turn in inviting Russia in to play.

[craigkillie]

It will almost certainly be Poland because they're the other team that have been freed up, and I'm sure the SFA will be pressured into passing over the proceeds to charity. You do have to feel for the SFA a wee bit here - they've presided over low crowds and rubbish teams for ages, then we suddenly get quite good and we have two lucrative sold-out play-off matches (and a number of qualifiers) which end up not going ahead as planned due to a pandemic and a war.

[Donathan]

My prediction for what will happen:

 

- Wales v Austria will go ahead

- Playoff path B will go ahead, with Poland given a bye to the final.

- Scotland v Ukraine playoff semi-final moved to the first matchday of the June playoff, and the final Wales/Austria v Scotland/Ukraine to the second matchday (roughly 4th and 7th June respectively). 

- FIFA/UEFA will make it clear that if Ukraine are still unable to fulfil the fixture at this point, they will have no choice but to withdraw from the competition and Scotland would then get a bye to the final. 

 

- Draw for the finals goes ahead with the European playoff winner given pot 4 status.

 

- Austria v Belgium or Wales v France pushed back to September to make a triple header (enabling the SF winner to play the final in June)

 

- Scotland v Armenia and Ireland v Ukraine also pushed back to September to make a triple header 

 

- Scotland v Ukraine (UNL game) moves to the period immediately before the World Cup 

 

 

[BucksburnDandy]

So long as the Scottish FA don't repeat the Mark Dodson playbook that Scottish Rugby played after the typhoon in Japan in 2019. Obviously discussions will be happening behind the scenes but in public, the Scottish FA should keep it quiet.

I doubt the game will take place in March but I also doubt that the situation will have improved hugely by June to play it.

We also may have the disadvantage of having to play an extra game in June before a playoff final, which isn't overly fair nor of the Scottish FA's making.

However, I can see why the Ukrainian FA do not want to play, and ultimately I think it will be postponed until June.

Ultimately I'm glad it isn't up to me as it's a hard conundrum.

[lubo_blaha]

If they can't end up playing in June, it's not just kicking the can down the line, it's arguably making things worse.  If a decision is made now, no problem, but if an international window goes past, then all kinds of things get set in motion.  Wales and Austria get inconvenienced.  The World Cup draw has to be adapted.  Hampden events may have to be rearranged, or the SFA go cap in hand to Ibrox or Parkhead.  Nations League gets fucked up.  Now none of those are really big issues compared to an actual war, but it's not like we're delaying a game a couple of weeks while people get Covid out their system.  It's assuming a war that's only been on the go a few weeks will just disappear in another ten.  Just doesn't seem realistic.
Think it has to be either they cobble together a team or they forfeit.  Absolutely shite state of affairs, but no matter what we do there's going to be something wrong with it.

I agree with a lot of what you’re saying and it would have much less impact on everything else if it’s a case of “play or forfeit” but I don’t think putting a country in that position because they’ve been invaded is the right thing to do, even if it turns out to have been the most straightforward solution further down the line.

[Binos]

The game could be played anytime between now and the world cup,  play off final too

But no way Ukraine will make anytime this year suspect 

[red23]

Theres two ways you can look at this 

they have far bigger things going on to worry about than football at the moment - so postpone it 

or they have far bigger things going on at the moment - so withdraw

If they can't fulfil the fixture they should accept it because if football really is so far from their minds at this moment and possibly for the rest of the year it's probably not worth it. It would be unfair to pin it on fifa.

[craigkillie]

The game could be played anytime between now and the world cup,  play off final too
But no way Ukraine will make anytime this year suspect 

This just isn't true, because:

1) international windows exist
2) there are loads of fixtures already scheduled

[Stoo61]

I was reeeeeeeally looking forward to the game and have tickets etc. Pretty gutted as I wont be around for a rescheduled game if it does happen this year. 

I guess a friendly with Poland in the gap would be fine. I assume England are tied up cause then it would at least mean something. 

Disclaimer: I ken fine there are more important things. 

[Donathan]

I’ve read that the dates of 4th and 14th June respectively are being considered for the SCO v UKR SF and the final. What this would likely mean:

 

UNL matchday one for our group (4th June) gets moved all the way back to November, right before the World Cup. That’s our home game against Armenia and Ukraine’s trip to Ireland. They’d be played on Wednesday November 16th. If either Scotland or Ukraine make the WC, they’d then lose the ability to play a friendly on that date. But needs must.

 

For whichever two of Wales/Austria/Scotland/Ukraine make the playoff final, their UNL MD4 game (14th June) would get moved to September to form a triple header. 
 

 

Ukraine would likely be warned that no future rearrangements are possible and that if they fail to fulfil any more fixtures then they’ll be given a 3-0 forfeit. 

 

 

[2426255]

15 hours ago, forameus said:

To be honest, I'd have absolutely zero interest in a friendly as a replacement for what was going to be our biggest game in decades. Granted I'm not the target audience, and if we're not playing Ukraine we may as well do something, but still.  Meh.

The international window doesn't necessarily have to involve playing games - it could be used as a camp to work on alternative systems/tweaks, bringing new players into the group or even just to work on things for Ukraine/Austria/Wales depending on when it is rescheduled.

It would be nice to have a game with nothing on it to try out a few left field ideas. Perhaps if no country wants or is able to play us we can play against a club side. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by 2426255

[Cptn Hooch]

17 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

try out a few left field ideas.

Robertson or Tierney surely 

[2426255]

12 minutes ago, Cptn Hooch said:

Robertson or Tierney surely 

I would like an alternative plan when either one or both of Robertson/Tierney aren't available - but yeah, that sort of idea. With the way the international fixture calendar is it's rare to get a chance like this so could be useful in terms of evolving the team.

No reason to play a friendly purely to fill a space up in the calendar or to generate SFA funds. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by 2426255

[ahemps]

43 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

The international window doesn't necessarily have to involve playing games - it could be used as a camp to work on alternative systems/tweaks, bringing new players into the group or even just to work on things for Ukraine/Austria/Wales depending on when it is rescheduled.

It would be nice to have a game with nothing on it to try out a few left field ideas. Perhaps if no country wants or is able to play us we can play against a club side. 

Did Walter Smith not cancel his 1st friendly and took the squad to a hotel and done some light training and basically had a laugh with them? This led to a good team spirit which was evident under his management.

I think club managers would be happy to allow a gathering with some light training and the purpose of it being a bonding exercise if Scotland don't have a game. Scrambling around for a last minute friendly might see 1 or 2 develop a slight strain that week.

[Binos]

18 hours ago, craigkillie said:

This just isn't true, because:

1) international windows exist
2) there are loads of fixtures already scheduled
 

Yes, we'll tell the people of Ukraine they can't watch their team try for qualification later in the year due to international windows yada yada 

[Donathan]

6 hours ago, 2426255 said:

I would like an alternative plan when either one or both of Robertson/Tierney aren't available - but yeah, that sort of idea. With the way the international fixture calendar is it's rare to get a chance like this so could be useful in terms of evolving the team.

No reason to play a friendly purely to fill a space up in the calendar or to generate SFA funds. 

This isn’t allowed anymore. UEFA force you to play a friendly on available international dates to stop teams manipulating their world ranking. 

[2426255]

1 hour ago, Donathan said:

This isn’t allowed anymore. UEFA force you to play a friendly on available international dates to stop teams manipulating their world ranking. 

Friendlies are mandatory? My mistake then.  When did that come in? 

[Donathan]

7 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

Friendlies are mandatory? My mistake then.  When did that come in? 

Just in the last five years or so. 

[HibeeJibee]

20 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

Friendlies are mandatory? My mistake then.  When did that come in? 

There are very few now since Nations League began.

Where groups or sections have an odd number leaving somebody idle - and during playoff windows - everybody not competitively engaged are supposed to play equivalent friendlies.

e.g. this month before Russia v Poland got cancelled everybody not in playoffs had 2 fixed up with each other or Africans/Asians/etc. (San Marino v Cape Verde now off).

Edited March 4, 2022 by HibeeJibee

[Gordopolis]

There are very few now since Nations League began.

Where groups or sections have an odd number leaving somebody idle - and during playoff windows - everybody not competitively engaged are supposed to play equivalent friendlies.

e.g. this month before Russia v Poland got cancelled everybody not in playoffs had 2 fixed up with each other or Africans/Asians/etc. (San Marino v Cape Verde now off).

The NL has been one of the best developments in international football in years. Yes, it robs teams of easy friendly kickabouts in which to try players out, but really - should there be room for that at this elite level?