Scotland squad face March 2022

[Bishop Briggs]

7 minutes ago, General dissaray said:

Empoli haven't won since December 

They are doing okay for a promoted team from a small town.

Empoli is a yoyo club with very limited resources.

 

 

 

[thruthenight]

Just now, derek_holmes said:

With St Johnstone zeal happily declared, I do feel for Zander Clark. He's been excellent for a honking Saints side this season and has now returned from injury. I'm not sure why he's been binned for these games in favour of howler machine (and yesterday's man) David Marshall. 

Marshall might be on the downside of his career, but he's a level above Zander Clark, even now.

[kingjoey]

52 minutes ago, lubo_blaha said:

Neither have Aberdeen

You’ve forgotten Edinburgh City? 

[KingRocketman II]

51 minutes ago, thruthenight said:

Marshall might be on the downside of his career, but he's a level above Zander Clark, even now.

I think most fans bar the complete blinkered, would go along with that. 

[Gordopolis]

Pretty chuffed with that squad - no knee-jerk changes and another young prospect (Hickey) drafted in.

But I particularly love the way Clarke has dealt with the issues surrounding certain individuals. He's called out Fraser for his disappointing behaviour in the previous squad, while it also sounds like he's had a private chat with him, got an apology and established an understanding going forward (prove you're good enough if you want in for June).
He's done the blatantly sensible thing and called Hickey up, instead of turning whatever went on with the u21s into a self-destructive saga. It also sounds like he's open to seeing where he might fit in the team (as opposed to dying on the "he can only play on the left" hill).
He's also been blunt about Patterson being fortunate to be in this squad. Hopefully that motivates him.

Good, measured man management all-round. Not too brutal and not too soft.

Pretty good going really considering how cack-handedly these situations have been dealt with in the past - usually depriving us of useful players for spells (Fletcher, Boyd, Ferguson etc).

[2426255]

Happy to see Greg Taylor, Ryan Jack and Liam Kelly back in. Happy with the resolution regarding Ryan Fraser. Happy with the footballing objectives of the camp. Happy with the logic and rationale provided around additional selection issues such as Nathan Patterson, Aaron Hickey and Lyndon Dykes. 

I'm still a little unconvinced about the plan should Kieran Tierney pick up an injury. On paper Aaron Hickey seems like he could be a good understudy, but other members of this forum who have watched him have suggested he wouldn't be suitable.

Edited March 16, 2022 by 2426255

[Dunning1874]

I think this squad shows you just how tight competition for places is going to be now that we'll be back to a 23 man squad for competitive games. With 24 selected as well as Cooper, Souttar, Turnbull and Nisbet being injured while Fraser and Forrest are fit but not picked, it really is tight for cutting down to 23 before even considering other uncapped options like Gauld.

The only obvious change with everyone fit would be to cut Ferguson, McKenna and one of Taylor/Hickey to both get back to 23 and get Cooper and Souttar in (assuming both are seen as ahead of McKenna in the centre back pecking order), but even after that you have some extremely difficult choices on who misses out. It's great to see this amount of depth.

[Donathan]

Reckon we’ll play the strongest XI against Poland then give some others a run out against Wales/Austria

 

 

Poland:

Gordon

McTominay-Hanley-Tierney

Patterson-Gilmour-McGregor-Robertson

McGinn

Dykes-Adams

 

Wales/Austria:

Marshall

Hendry-McKenna-Taylor

O’Donnell-McLean-Jack-Hickey

Armstrong

Christie-Brown

 

 

Clark and Ferguson to also see some minutes

 

Unsure what Ross Stewart needs to do to get a call up 

[nessies long lost ghost]

1 hour ago, Dunning1874 said:

I think this squad shows you just how tight competition for places is going to be now that we'll be back to a 23 man squad for competitive games. With 24 selected as well as Cooper, Souttar, Turnbull and Nisbet being injured while Fraser and Forrest are fit but not picked, it really is tight for cutting down to 23 before even considering other uncapped options like Gauld.

The only obvious change with everyone fit would be to cut Ferguson, McKenna and one of Taylor/Hickey to both get back to 23 and get Cooper and Souttar in (assuming both are seen as ahead of McKenna in the centre back pecking order), but even after that you have some extremely difficult choices on who misses out. It's great to see this amount of depth.

Is it not been increased to 26 players?

[Dunning1874]

2 hours ago, nessies long lost ghost said:

Is it not been increased to 26 players?

Right enough, I thought it was back down to 23 for the playoffs and I'm sure I had heard a quote from Clarke at some point about how difficult it would be to trim the squad down, but I see Wales have called up 26. Maybe that Clarke quote was for the hypothetical scenario of the squad for the tournament itself should we get there.

[craigkillie]

I think you can call up as many players as you want in theory, Clarke just prefers to work with a smaller group most of the time.

[The Moonster]

3 hours ago, Donathan said:

Unsure what Ross Stewart needs to do to get a call up 

Perform at the same/higher level than all of his competition? He's doing well in League 1, every other striker we have in the squad is playing at a higher level and also doing quite well. 

[paddymcp]

I wouldn’t be too concerned about Patterson’s lack of first team game time. He’s still young and learning and is training with a premier league packed with internationalists with reserve games every other week which lets be honest won’t be too far off the level of a SPFL game. If not better. He’s still raw but he’s got to have improved since being at Everton so would have no qualms with him playing. 

[Londonwell]

1 hour ago, paddymcp said:

I wouldn’t be too concerned about Patterson’s lack of first team game time. He’s still young and learning and is training with a premier league packed with internationalists with reserve games every other week which lets be honest won’t be too far off the level of a SPFL game. If not better. He’s still raw but he’s got to have improved since being at Everton so would have no qualms with him playing. 

I'm sure I read or heard somewhere that he had barely played any U23 games either. But aye be good to get him some game time over these two friendlies. Doubt he'll get into the Everton team until their future is secured one way or the other though.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Londonwell

[Ken Deans]

SOD really? Am a Jag but also Mon Scotland. Think it's reasonable to look at current form

[Gordopolis]

I think this squad shows you just how tight competition for places is going to be now that we'll be back to a 23 man squad for competitive games. With 24 selected as well as Cooper, Souttar, Turnbull and Nisbet being injured while Fraser and Forrest are fit but not picked, it really is tight for cutting down to 23 before even considering other uncapped options like Gauld.
The only obvious change with everyone fit would be to cut Ferguson, McKenna and one of Taylor/Hickey to both get back to 23 and get Cooper and Souttar in (assuming both are seen as ahead of McKenna in the centre back pecking order), but even after that you have some extremely difficult choices on who misses out. It's great to see this amount of depth.

Wee bit harsh on McKenna - he's doing brilliant at Forest and has way more international experience than Souttar

But yeah, the strength in depth is a quality problem to have [emoji106]

[2426255]

Scott McKenna and David Marshall have both come off injured in the game between Forest and QPR. Both guys had played well, not sure how serious either injury is but I'd say Scott McKenna's looked worse if you want an unqualified opinion.

[JagsCG]

Unlikely he would have played in the upcoming Internationals but that’s still a big disappointment for him, especially since he’s back playing at club level too. 

[2426255]

The March squad doesn't make too much sense if you try and view it from a point of view of a well balanced squad positionally or in terms of club form. It does begin to make sense based around loyalty to a core group which is obviously important to Steve Clarke. 

At present the players who have been called back consistently if not injured are:

• Gordon.
• Tierney. Cooper. McKenna. Hanley. Hendry.
• Robertson. Taylor. O'Donnell. Patterson.
• McGregor. Gilmour. McTominay. McLean. Jack. Ferguson.
• McGinn. Armstrong. Christie. Turnbull.
• Adams, Dykes, Nisbet.   

Lewis Ferguson has been called into the last four camps and so I think he can begin to be considered as part of that core group. Aaron Hickey and Jacob Brown are players who might replace members of the core group while Souttar, Porteous, Ralston and McGinn have only previously been drafted in as cover due to injuries. The goalkeeping position appears to have moved on to more of a rotation rather than having three set keepers.

Gallagher, Considine, Palmer, Forrest, Fleck and McBurnie seem to have been discarded, as has Ryan Fraser - whose punishment for his November misdemeanor is apparently to start over and earn his place back in the core through good club performances which Patterson, Hendry and Dykes haven't really needed to do to make the current squad.

[accies1874]

I wonder how different the squad would've been if the Ukraine game hadn't been postponed. Would that core group have changed a bit? I'd imagine Hickey would've dropped out rather than Taylor but Ferguson might have made way too considering he's about 10th choice midfielder (depending on formations).