Steve Clarke

[ArabFC]

Can't believe this topic starter only got 55 downvotes.

[2426255]

4 minutes ago, ArabFC said:

Can't believe this topic starter only got 55 downvotes.

It was just a knee jerk reactionary pile of shite made 5 minutes after we lost to Croatia at Euro 2020. The OP had probably been listening a little too closely to what Graeme Souness had to say - it was obvious the team were building something even at that relatively early stage.

[Ewanandmoreagain]

Big mistake listening to Souness

[Elgin Macca]

14 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

It was just a knee jerk reactionary pile of shite made 5 minutes after we lost to Croatia at Euro 2020. The OP had probably been listening a little too closely to what Graeme Souness had to say - it was obvious the team were building something even at that relatively early stage.

The Euros were disappointing. We never laid a glove on it but yes could also see something brewing. The weeks the squad had together for the tournament looking back was absolutely massive. Gave Clarke a good chunk of continuous time to work with the squad and its paid off ever since.  (bar the Ireland/Ukraine fiasco).

[Ewanandmoreagain]

12 hours ago, MarkoP said:

I think quarters would be a genuine ’new level’ achievement 

I know we qualified for 16 team World Cups and one 8 team Euros but I think that would set a real achievement benchmark 

As well as being something we could just be plain old proud of,

Last 16, still good but I just think this lot can do more

Let's hope so

[2426255]

13 minutes ago, Elgin Macca said:

The Euros were disappointing. We never laid a glove on it but yes could also see something brewing. The weeks the squad had together for the tournament looking back was absolutely massive. Gave Clarke a good chunk of continuous time to work with the squad and its paid off ever since.  (bar the Ireland/Ukraine fiasco).

I get that football plays with peoples emotions (in this case disappointment, frustration etc) and that's where this hot mess of thread germinated from. I think most people were a bit underwhelmed with Euro 2020 and that's fine, but anyone capable of taking a step back to view the full picture would have seen changing managers was just throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The worst part of that thread for me was the people desperate to stick the boot into Clarke after we lost to Ukraine and then Ireland - That was poor.

Edited October 16, 2023 by 2426255

[greenockraver]

I cant understand being underwhelmed with qualification. I don't know the average age of a p and b user but I'm 35 and lived through 1999- 2020 where we never qualified for anything. From the age of 10, all the way through my teenage years and 20s (Bar that terrible playoff performance in 2003),  Our biggest achievement was failing on the last day in 2007. This was a sustained failure for what seemed like eternity and qualification became folklore and memories for the older members of the TA - not something for my generation to enjoy. A whole generation of Scottish  people missed out. 

To not get excited beyond all comprehension about even taking part in the group stages is something I cannot get my head around and I suspect I wont ever understand such a thing. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by greenockraver

[2426255]

26 minutes ago, greenockraver said:

I cant understand being underwhelmed with qualification. I don't know the average age of a p and b user but I'm 35 and lived through 1999- 2020 where we never qualified for anything. From the age of 10, all the way through my teenage years and 20s (Bar that terrible playoff performance in 2003),  Our biggest achievement was failing on the last day in 2007. This was a sustained failure for what seemed like eternity and qualification became folklore and memories for the older members of the TA - not something for my generation to enjoy. A whole generation of Scottish  people missed out. 

To not get excited beyond all comprehension about even taking part in the group stages is something I cannot get my head around and I suspect I wont ever understand such a thing. 

I think it was just an expectations thing given the two games at Hampden etc. Looking back on it today just being there was a great thing and a big step in itself just to have participated and has set us up for future success.

You can see folk always want the next step straight away, you can see that after we qualified last night folk are saying we must get out of our tournament group or be the highest seeds possible to give us a the best possible chance of a kind draw etc etc - football never really works like that so if you ask me as long as the bigger picture is trending in the right direction that's usually enough for me.

Edited October 16, 2023 by 2426255

[accies1874]

19 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

I think it was just an expectations thing given the two games at Hampden etc. Looking back on it today just being there was a great thing and a big step in itself just to have participated and has set us up for future success.

You can see folk always want the next step straight away, you can see that after we qualified last night folk are saying we must get out of our tournament group or be the highest seeds possible to give us a the best possible chance of a kind draw etc etc - football never really works like that so if you ask me as long as the bigger picture is trending in the right direction that's usually enough for me.

See also: folk absolutely raging in November 2020 after we qualified for the Euros but didn't get promoted to League A

[Scary Bear]

7 hours ago, Jacky1990 said:

Was having a look last night.

By the end of the next World Cup qualifying campaign he'll almost certainly be the manager with the most games, and a good chance of being the manager with most wins, since we moved away from the selection committee.

A good showing at the Euros and he'll be right up there as our best ever manager. Get out the groups and it'll be fact.

Getting out the groups would be a first and would definitely put him up there as the best in terms of performance at a tournament. He’d be doing that without having a Dalglish or the likes to call on either.

It would be nice for us, and make his CV look really good, if he could get us to a World Cup. That’s a bit of a tall order these days, but it would be nice.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Scary Bear

[ArabFC]

2 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

Getting out the groups would be a first and would definitely put him up there as the best in terms of performance at tournament. He’d be doing that without having a Dalglish or the likes to call on either.

It would be nice for us, and make his CV look really good, if he could get us to a World Cup. That’s a bit of a tall order these days, but it would be nice.

I've already moved on to the mentality that it'll be epic failure if he doesn't. Sorry Steve - you raised the bar! 

In fact of the regular starters, McGregor at 30 is the oldest, so there's not really any retirements coming before the next World Cup, we've got some good youngsters and there's 16 teams to qualify instead of 13.

Let's go! 

[Bing.McCrosby]

5 hours ago, ArabFC said:

Can't believe this topic starter only got 55 downvotes.

Have I to admit I got it wrong again? Nobody else can manage it once but I've to do it continually?

The results and performances at those euros weren't good, I didn't think he would be about to improve things to this extent. In hindsight would I sack Clarke after the euros? No, I wouldn't. I was wrong (im not sure what else folk are looking for tbh)

[ArabFC]

10 minutes ago, Bing.McCrosby said:

Have I to admit I got it wrong again? Nobody else can manage it once but I've to do it continually?

The results and performances at those euros weren't good, I didn't think he would be about to improve things to this extent. In hindsight would I sack Clarke after the euros? No, I wouldn't. I was wrong (im not sure what else folk are looking for tbh)

50 lashes should cover it 

[Bing.McCrosby]

17 minutes ago, ArabFC said:

50 lashes should cover it 

Ok send you mum round with the whip again then 

[ArabFC]

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

On 16/10/2023 at 15:01, Scary Bear said:

Getting out the groups would be a first and would definitely put him up there as the best in terms of performance at a tournament. He’d be doing that without having a Dalglish or the likes to call on either.

It would be nice for us, and make his CV look really good, if he could get us to a World Cup. That’s a bit of a tall order these days, but it would be nice.

If he manages both of those he’ll have matched the achievements of Super Rob Page.

[Scary Bear]

9 minutes ago, Bonksy+HisChristianParade said:

If he manages both of those he’ll have matched the achievements of Super Rob Page.

To be fair to Rob Page, that is an outstanding achievement with Wales. It probably helped a fair bit that he had Gareth Bale to call on, but still a great achievement.

[2426255]

The game against Georgia will be Steve Clarke's 50th game in charge, hope he gets a medal or some recognition for that. Only Craig Brown (71), Andy Roxburgh (61) and Jock Stein (61) managed more games, selection committee aside.

[Ewanandmoreagain]

14 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

The game against Georgia will be Steve Clarke's 50th game in charge, hope he gets a medal or some recognition for that. Only Craig Brown (71), Andy Roxburgh (61) and Jock Stein (61) managed more games, selection committee aside.

Shows people what a good job Roxburgh and Craig did on the whole !

[2426255]

Ian Maxwell discusses assessing Steve Clarke, SFA limitations as a business and a short sentence on Steve Clarke's future.

Quote

It was just the confidence in his ability. As a board, you have to have a balanced view of things. I get everyone was disappointed by the Ukraine result, but there is a lot more that goes into assessing the progression. We looked at how we prepared for the Ukraine game in June and what we did right, what we did wrong. He’s always reviewing everything that happens to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes. This time we took the players away for a camp in June and we did things differently. He has done everything we have asked of him. I remember when we appointed him I said he had to make a pot four team into a pot two team. That’s what he did for this qualifying draw, which got us there.

Everyone wants to do more but we don’t have the resources of the top clubs to do the data analysis and other things they have as we’re just not there as a size of business. We’ve got Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay at big clubs where it feels like they have unlimited finances and can be at the best hotels and have the best planes. We explain that we are doing as much as we can to make sure they are prepared properly, but we have a number and that number is still a lot less than they are used to. They understand it, they see the steps we’ve taken and improvements we’ve made to training facilities.

Managers leave because they’re either doing really well or not doing well. It’s always at the back of your mind that Steve’s stock is high and you never know when the phone is going to ring. We will deal with that, but we’ve always got half an eye on what is out there.

Ian Maxwell on Steve Clarke

A bit of an insight into the SFA perspective (from the same article). I can understand the desire to spend money on facilities as we need to keep producing quality players to qualify for tournaments from a business point of view. If we can do that consistently then maybe we can begin to talk about other matters, e.g. addressing the issues with Hampden etc.

Quote

We felt a little bit of (the impact of success) in 2021 (Euro 2020), but it was curtailed because of Covid. Germany will be great and so will 2028 at home, but the big legacy is the funding for facilities. We were at parliament last night talking to the DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) about the funding they have provided. This tranche is going to impact around 100 facilities and pitches across the country, which is massive. It is about changing facilities as, from a women and girls perspective, they’re not suitable. It is relaying surfaces, upgrading grass pitches, upgrading grass to synthetic, building new facilities and keeping existing ones open. It’s about making sure that no more pitches are closed in the country unless it really can’t be helped.

The number of players we have post-Covid has grown and the number of girls and women playing continues to increase, but the number of pitches has decreased. You can’t have more activity and fewer places to play. Those two things don’t combine, so we need to solve that problem. It’s never really been an association focus, it has historically been local authority and Scottish government. They don’t have the finances to do it, so someone needs to and we are taking it on ourselves as we know the impact it has on the game and communities.

Ian Maxwell

https://theathletic.com/5079808/2023/11/21/sfa-chief-maxwell-on-legacy-of-scotlands-euros-qualification-and-confidence-in-clarke/