Scotland v Poland

[Gordopolis]

I only ever watch sky for Scotland games, so this is the first time I've experienced Kris Boyd as a pundit.
Does he normally present as coked out of his bonce?

He certainly does look like he's crawled straight off the pages of a John Niven book.

[Jacky1990]

Good performance tonight.

Thought Tierney was MOTM. Patterson was very dangerous and Gilmour showed his quality after a dodgy first 5 or 10 mins. Christie is relentless in the press but a bit obvious when he gets the ball with his back to goal. Che Adams is just a good footballer.

Thought McTominay struggled defensively a few too many times and Hanley was short of the performances of the last year or so since coming back into the team.

Amazed me Gordon hasnt learned to kick a ball properly in 20+ years of kicking a ball every day for a job. Players need to stop taking the easy way out and just avoid passbacks where possible cause its normally just an aimless hoof up the pitch from Gordon.

Can we say we are a good team yet?

[kingjoey]

1 minute ago, Jacky1990 said:

Amazed me Gordon hasnt learned to kick a ball properly in 20+ years of kicking a ball every day for a job. Players need to stop taking the easy way out and just avoid passbacks where possible cause its normally just an aimless hoof up the pitch from Gordon.

Can we say we are a good team yet?

Yeah, one of my bugbears is defenders, who have the chance to clear the ball up the park, passing the ball back to their keepers to do exactly the same thing but under much more pressure and danger. Just get rid.

[Loonytoons]

Good performance tonight.
Thought Tierney was MOTM. Patterson was very dangerous and Gilmour showed his quality after a dodgy first 5 or 10 mins. Christie is relentless in the press but a bit obvious when he gets the ball with his back to goal. Che Adams is just a good footballer.
Thought McTominay struggled defensively a few too many times and Hanley was short of the performances of the last year or so since coming back into the team.
Amazed me Gordon hasnt learned to kick a ball properly in 20+ years of kicking a ball every day for a job. Players need to stop taking the easy way out and just avoid passbacks where possible cause its normally just an aimless hoof up the pitch from Gordon.
Can we say we are a good team yet?

What I really admire about Gilmour is that in such a young player, poor decisions or performance doesn't have him disappearing.
Instead, he just steps up and plays better. That's a rare trait in any player from any country.

[Jambomo]

5 minutes ago, Loonytoons said:

This...
It was a friendly and yet we've near our best squad playing.
That has got to be down to management and backroom staff instilling this into the squad.
Huge kudos to Clarke who seems to unfairly attract negative comments from some sector's due to his dour media personna.
Clearly it is just a facade given the loyalty shown by the squad.

The thing I love most about Clarke is his dour personality.

Just back from the game and as a person that still has nightmares about the Northern Ireland friendly on a wet, freezing night that I somehow thought was a good idea at the time; my main enjoyment was that we actually played well, put in a lot of effort and as said, the whole team turned up for it.

There is clearly a real desire from these players to turn up and always play well and whatever happens, Clarke has really done an amazing job because although they are talented players - he is getting them working, they are enthusiastic and playing in a way that suits us. 

I couldn’t see the pen from my seat on the stand so I’ll have to take everyone’s word that it was a dive, though that does seem to be the unanimous verdict.

Brilliant atmosphere tonight, lots of Poles bought tickets for the seats around me so they had a fair turnout but it was all pretty friendly and Kumbaya like in there. Which is fine for a friendly really.

[accies1874]

5 minutes ago, Jacky1990 said:

Good performance tonight.

Thought Tierney was MOTM. Patterson was very dangerous and Gilmour showed his quality after a dodgy first 5 or 10 mins. Christie is relentless in the press but a bit obvious when he gets the ball with his back to goal. Che Adams is just a good footballer.

Thought McTominay struggled defensively a few too many times and Hanley was short of the performances of the last year or so since coming back into the team.

Amazed me Gordon hasnt learned to kick a ball properly in 20+ years of kicking a ball every day for a job. Players need to stop taking the easy way out and just avoid passbacks where possible cause its normally just an aimless hoof up the pitch from Gordon.

Can we say we are a good team yet?

Gordon, and to a lesser extent Hanley, being able to confidently and competently clip passes about would help the team. Can't have everything, obvs, and they've both been great in the last 12 months, but sometimes things like that become more noticeable when their team gets better. 

Good point on Christie's pressing. The front three were all good in that respect and did a decent job of cutting off Poland's short options. 

[Jacky1990]

6 minutes ago, Loonytoons said:

 

 

What I really admire about Gilmour is that in such a young player, poor decisions or performance doesn't have him disappearing.
Instead, he just steps up and plays better. That's a rare trait in any player from any country.

 

100% couldnt agree more.

He had a few dodgy touches/slack passes in the opening stages but never once shied away from getting on the ball.

For such a technical playsler i think his defensive work rate and positioning sometimes goes unnoticed 

A proper player who is on track to becoming my favourite Scottish player of all time. Baller.

[Jacky1990]

1 hour ago, Insert Amusing Pseudonym said:

Said at the game, I don't think I remember a Scotland team as universally comfortable on the ball.  We've often had very good technical players mixed with workers but this is a team with no weak link in possession.  Until O'Donnell comes on

That last sentence is such a bizarre comment considering that in his 25 or so mins on the pitch O'Donnell barely gave the ball away.

I get people dont like SOD because he has been average at club level for a couple years and hes an easy target. But he's been fine to very good every time he has played with Scotland during that time. Thats all that matters.

[Mr. Brightside]

44 minutes ago, Jacky1990 said:

That last sentence is such a bizarre comment considering that in his 25 or so mins on the pitch O'Donnell barely gave the ball away.

I get people dont like SOD because he has been average at club level for a couple years and hes an easy target. But he's been fine to very good every time he has played with Scotland during that time. Thats all that matters.

Oh how I wish the SOD that played for Scotland would turn up for Motherwell...

[AMMjag]

I think we saw more ~2014 Hanley than 2021 Hanley and Poland have a couple of chances that Lewandowski probably finishes, but most of the good things we saw against Israel and Denmark we saw again tonight. The midfield is an excellent balance of skill, aggression and ball retention and, fully fit, will give us at least a chance of winning any game.

Seeing as we failed to win the game because of a dive and horrific refereeing I'm maybe not as seething as we would be, given the performance was decent. I would hope we will scud a demoralised Austria side on Tuesday though and don't f**k about with the line up too much.

 

 

[2426255]

Tierney, Patterson, McGregor, Gilmour and McGinn were the standouts for me. I thought McTominay and Christie were also good generally. Hanley, Taylor and Adams were a little disappointing, Gordon was okay and none of the substitutes really caught the eye.

This game reminded me of the 2-2 draw with Austria at the beginning of last year in that I felt we were a little rusty - we played well in the middle third, got in to good positions and created chances, but I never felt we were definitely going to score while I felt we might lose a goal. I was really happy that we didn't see wholesale changes ahead of the game and understood all of Steve Clarkes decisions.

I recorded the full game so I'll watch it back later and no doubt change my opinion about one or two things. I think Poland were quite disappointed with how they played from what I've seen but I think they made it quite difficult for us to find space in the final third. So overall a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me.

[Lurkst]

5 hours ago, Virtual Insanity said:

 If we're going to look at anything in the lead up to the penalty, Tierney, who was otherwise outstanding, gives the guy a free header and Hanley lets Piatek run off him too easily. 

Even before that Jacob Brown chased down a daft lost cause leaving the centre back free to punt it up the park.

 

[gannonball]

Watching the highlights now, the Gilmour clearance is thoroughly pleasing to watch, you would be forgiven to think he was playing like it was a play off game.

[Hauzen]

Any idea what the Billy Gilmour song is, couldn't quite make it out. Large groups of folk in Section B seemed to be singing it for prolonged periods, but strangely only after he went off.

[Pocketman]

 

7 hours ago, Jacky1990 said:

That last sentence is such a bizarre comment considering that in his 25 or so mins on the pitch O'Donnell barely gave the ball away.

I get people dont like SOD because he has been average at club level for a couple years and hes an easy target. But he's been fine to very good every time he has played with Scotland during that time. Thats all that matters.

I think there is a lazy snobbery amongst some about SOD because he has played for Killie and Motherwell whilst getting capped - as you say. He is an effective right/wing back for Scotland but many can't see past his club team. If he played for Sheffield Wednesday like Liam Palmer for example, the player he basically inherited the position from, then there would be significantly less criticism or focus on him. He is of course of a standard to play for a team like SW but those who criticise him regularly probably also bang on about the "gulf" in standard between the Scottish Premiership and the English Championship/League One. Whilst throwing generalisations about, SOD critics probably also consider that they have played to a "decent level themselves" and start their point with that .

And totally unrelated, am I the only one who winces whenever penalty is reflected as a "pen" on here? Reminds me of when in a pub in London and someone kept referring to the linesman as "lino". 

 

[accies1874]

6 hours ago, 2426255 said:

Tierney, Patterson, McGregor, Gilmour and McGinn were the standouts for me. I thought McTominay and Christie were also good generally. Hanley, Taylor and Adams were a little disappointing, Gordon was okay and none of the substitutes really caught the eye.

16 minutes ago, Hauzen said:

Any idea what the Billy Gilmour song is, couldn't quite make it out. Large groups of folk in Section B seemed to be singing it for prolonged periods, but strangely only after he went off.

We've got Billy Gilmour

[bdu98196]

Need to stop persisting with McTominay in the back line. Yes, he plays for Man U but if he's not good enough to get into his best position in the middle of the park ahead of other options then the brave thing is to bench him. Too often we see mistakes from him in defence and teams will now be looking at that to exploit the RHS weakness.

[No_Problemo]

11 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Need to stop persisting with McTominay in the back line. Yes, he plays for Man U but if he's not good enough to get into his best position in the middle of the park ahead of other options then the brave thing is to bench him. Too often we see mistakes from him in defence and teams will now be looking at that to exploit the RHS weakness.

We also see him adding to our ball retention and progressing the ball up the park whether that’s through driving runs or progressive passes. No one else can do that as well as him in that position. 

None of our defenders are managing an entire game without making a mistake. 

[2426255]

42 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

I was just being polite.

[Donathan]

30 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Need to stop persisting with McTominay in the back line. Yes, he plays for Man U but if he's not good enough to get into his best position in the middle of the park ahead of other options then the brave thing is to bench him. Too often we see mistakes from him in defence and teams will now be looking at that to exploit the RHS weakness.

The last time a healthy McTominay didn’t play RCB in a competitive game was, IIRC, the Czech Republic game in the euros. In that case we were missing Ryan Jack, and Gilmour hadn’t broken into the first team yet, so McTominay played in midfield and Hendry played RCB.

 

In that game, Hendry was at least partially at fault for the killer second goal (albeit Marshall was also to blame)

 

A back-3 requires the RCB and LCB to take turns pushing up the park, you can’t leave all three back or you get overrun in midfield. This is what both McTominay and Tierney do so masterfully. If you want to drop McTominay you might as well change to a 4-2-3-1 with Robertson/Tierney taking turns to push on to the LW

 

 

Gordon

Patterson-Hendry-Hanley-Tierney

Gilmour-McGregor

McGinn-Adams-Robertson

Dykes