France (A) - Tuesday 17/10/23

[PrestersKTID]

Would be good to see Ferguson get a chance. Regularly playing well and doesn’t get a sniff. 
 

, patterson for Robertson but don’t see many other changes 

Edited October 14, 2023 by PrestersKTID

[Willie adie]

11 hours ago, Willie adie said:

I'm sorry I just don't want that coward Adams in the team,  I will never forget the fear in his face when he chickened out of a header in one of the games in the euro 2020.

He is up there with David Speedie, Graeme Sharp and Brian McClair in Scottish strikers

I know it won't be popular but for me we are a fat better side with Dykes up front, he gets battered, bruised, knocked about and still comes back for more, he stays up front himself, often ploughing a lone furrow and never complains.

 

[Donathan]

7 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

I know it won't be popular but for me we are a fat better side with Dykes up front, he gets battered, bruised, knocked about and still comes back for more, he stays up front himself, often ploughing a lone furrow and never complains.

 

Reported for body shaming 

[2426255]

15 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

I know it won't be popular but for me we are a fat better side with Dykes up front, he gets battered, bruised, knocked about and still comes back for more, he stays up front himself, often ploughing a lone furrow and never complains.

 

but more because Adams is a coward, right? 

12 hours ago, Willie adie said:

I'm sorry I just don't want that coward Adams in the team,  I will never forget the fear in his face when he chickened out of a header in one of the games in the euro 2020.

He is up there with David Speedie, Graeme Sharp and Brian McClair in Scottish strikers

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by 2426255

[Donathan]

Dykes and Adams are about equal for me.

I prefer Adams in games against evenly matched teams as he’s better at dropping back into midfield and giving us an extra man in the midfield battle. The 2-0 win over Denmark being a prime example of this. 
 

Dykes probably better against superior teams like the Spain home game.

 

Against weaker sides I also prefer Dykes for his finishing skills. He’s a much more prolific forward. I also think there’s a case for playing them both on occasion. It didn’t work well against Ukraine in the play-off semi final but has worked well on other occasions. 

[Willie adie]

4 hours ago, 2426255 said:

but more because Adams is a coward, right? 

 

In one of the games in the Euros I can't recall which one, there was a ball into the strikers around waist to chest height  and you saw in the replay Adams closing his eyes and at the last second pulling out of headering it, 

Had that been Dykes he would have had the head in where it hurts and probably cleaned out defenders too, 

That for me personally was unforgivable, 

 

 

[Willie adie]

3 hours ago, Donathan said:

Dykes and Adams are about equal for me.

I prefer Adams in games against evenly matched teams as he’s better at dropping back into midfield and giving us an extra man in the midfield battle. The 2-0 win over Denmark being a prime example of this. 
 

Dykes probably better against superior teams like the Spain home game.

 

Against weaker sides I also prefer Dykes for his finishing skills. He’s a much more prolific forward. I also think there’s a case for playing them both on occasion. It didn’t work well against Ukraine in the play-off semi final but has worked well on other occasions. 

Prolific, like Speedie, Sharp and McClair were?

[Ewanandmoreagain]

On 13/10/2023 at 09:41, Donathan said:

That Robertson injury looked like a broken arm or dislocated shoulder that could probably end his involvement in this group. With Tierney also out of the November qualifiers, I’d be tempted to pick up Josh Doig into the squad and see what he can do as well as giving Taylor 45 mins. We saw a big drop off from Hickey to Patterson so ideally we keep Hickey at RWB/RB in November and go with either Taylor or Doig.

 

I’d probably focus on giving minutes to the guys who aren’t in favour at their clubs and give those who are playing multiple games a week a bit of a rest. Some of the players looked leggy last night at times and we really don’t want to see anyone become injured or fatigued with two key qualifiers coming up in a month (key for seeding even if we already qualified)

 

Even our best available XI is likely to lose this game anyway so I wouldn’t bother taking chances

 

Gunn

Porteous-Cooper-McKenna

Patterson-McTominay-Gilmour-Taylor

Ferguson-Adams-Christie 

 

 

McGinn and McGregor get a rest for me giving their playing league and Europe atm. Could apply the same argument to Gilmour but he’s not an automatic pick for Brighton and could use some minutes. I’d rest Hendry as well given all the long haul flying he’s doing. The RWB change is more about giving Patterson the chance to play himself into form than Hickey particularly needing rested. 

Keep Hendry in.

The defence still needs to improve

 

[2426255]

42 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

In one of the games in the Euros I can't recall which one, there was a ball into the strikers around waist to chest height  and you saw in the replay Adams closing his eyes and at the last second pulling out of headering it, 

Had that been Dykes he would have had the head in where it hurts and probably cleaned out defenders too, 

That for me personally was unforgivable, 

Fair enough if that's your view and I'm not doubting that it happened. I think it's pretty commonplace in todays game and while not my personal preference it doesn't colour my view of Adams as negatively as it does for you - it's something I'm willing to overlook.

He doesn't shirk the graft as far as I'm concerned in terms of physical and teamwork side of things - I'd like to see more goals from him or even more attempts at goal. I think Craig Gordon said before the Cyprus game that Adams tends to play in games where we are looking to play football and Dykes in the games where we aren't so you will probably get your wish for the France game.

Edited October 15, 2023 by 2426255

[Ewanandmoreagain]

On 13/10/2023 at 14:51, craigkillie said:

 

Doig pulled out of the U21 squad with an injury, he hasn't played for Verona for a few weeks.

**** !

[2426255]

Just on our approach to the France game, I believe we will be closer to how we tried to play against England than how we played against Spain.

It's a chance for us to try and practice our play with the ball against top class opposition. The Spain game was competitive and we only needed to get a point so the setup made sense within that context. I think going forward we are trying to develop the team to the point where we can actually play football and control the game with the ball against pot-1 teams instead of just controlling the game without the ball which we know we are good at and so it's for that reason I think we won't just park the bus against France - as we won't learn anything.

I don't care if we get battered because it's better to try and grow the team even if it's involves a few painful nights rather than just taking the safest option. That's what I'm sure Steve Clarke will do for this game. Otherwise the game is a waste of time for me.

Edited October 15, 2023 by 2426255

[MarkoRaj]

3 hours ago, 2426255 said:

Just on our approach to the France game, I believe we will be closer to how we tried to play against England than how we played against Spain.

It's a chance for us to try and practice our play with the ball against top class opposition. The Spain game was competitive and we only needed to get a point so the setup made sense within that context. I think going forward we are trying to develop the team to the point where we can actually play football and control the game with the ball against pot-1 teams instead of just controlling the game without the ball which we know we are good at and so it's for that reason I think we won't just park the bus against France - as we won't learn anything.

I don't care if we get battered because it's better to try and grow the team even if it's involves a few painful nights rather than just taking the safest option. That's what I'm sure Steve Clarke will do for this game. Otherwise the game is a waste of time for me.

Agreed.

France will likely rotate and won't be half as arsed as Spain were - grinding out a 0-0 with 25% possession would utterly pointless. 

Even England were up for it due to the nature of it being a derby. Can't see France being on the same level and punishing us quite so relentlessly 

[Ewanandmoreagain]

10 hours ago, Willie adie said:

Prolific, like Speedie, Sharp and McClair were?

Absolutely

[Quentin Taranbino]

........................................Gunn.......................................

................Hendry.....Porteous.....Cooper...........

Patterson.........................................................Taylor

...........................Gilmour........McGregor................

..................McTominay....................McGinn............

........................................Adams......................................

 

I suspect we may line up something like that. I think Gilmour, Adams and Cooper will come in for Christie, Dykes and McKenna. Three voluntary changes without massively weakening us and all regular squad players that are important to Steve Clarke.

Wing backs also changed obviously but both enforced and we don't really have any other options unless we go to 4 at the back.

Lewis Ferguson and Jacob Brown are the only other two players that I would like to get extended runs out at some point. Maybe at least 30 minutes.

 

[accies1874]

It shouldn't be too hard to give every outfield player some minutes this international window if Clarke chooses to do that, but I agree with the above that Ferguson and Brown are the two who I'd be most interested in seeing, ideally with one from the start. 

[shivute]

I really think he needs to give minutes to another keeper over the next 3 matches.  Should anything happen to Gunn and Gordon wasn't available I would hate for someone to be making their first appearance  at the Finals.

[2426255]

12 minutes ago, shivute said:

I really think he needs to give minutes to another keeper over the next 3 matches.  Should anything happen to Gunn and Gordon wasn't available I would hate for someone to be making their first appearance  at the Finals.

That's a non-issue for me.

The same case was made prior to Angus Gunn getting called up. He was tossed into qualifiers with no minutes under his belt and has been good. Added to that my understanding is that we'll have friendlies to fill the March calendar if that is something that we really feel the need to do. I don't think being selected to play for Scotland is solely ever just to see what a player can do, preparatory or for getting minutes under the belt. 

[pub car king]

The keeper situation is fine, it would be nice for players to get minutes but it would be some turn around for Gunn and Gordon to both be out for the finals. 

Lewis Ferguson deserves some serious game time. I know our midfield picks itself but his form in Serie A shouldn't be ignored. 

[HuttonDressedAsLahm]

9 minutes ago, pub car king said:

The keeper situation is fine, it would be nice for players to get minutes but it would be some turn around for Gunn and Gordon to both be out for the finals. 

Lewis Ferguson deserves some serious game time. I know our midfield picks itself but his form in Serie A shouldn't be ignored. 

Agreed. Ahead of June 2024, Ferguson is the only player really deserving of a chance to show what he can do.

Beyond that, finding a third attacker to challenge Dykes and Adams would be helpful. Ideally a youngster like Doak or Conway to either challenge, or offer something different.

We know what Nisbet and Shankland are capable of, but they’re unlikely to push those two.

March should offer that opportunity. I’d like to see us play a friendly against a team that we’ll dominate possession (Latvia/Lithuania etc), and someone more on our level or who can cause us difficulties (Sweden/Albania/Slovakia).

The whole ‘play the very best opposition’ box has been ticked this last month. We’ll no doubt arrange a couple of friendlies in June like we did last time (Luxembourg/Netherlands).

Edited October 16, 2023 by HuttonDressedAsLahm

[2426255]

1 minute ago, HuttonDressedAsLahm said:

March should offer that opportunity. I’d like to see us play a friendly against a team that we’ll dominate possession (Latvia/Lithuania etc), and someone more on our level or who can cause us difficulties (Sweden/Albania/Slovakia).

The whole ‘play the very best opposition’ box has been ticked this last month. We’ll no doubt arrange a couple of friendlies in June like we did last time (Luxembourg/Netherlands).

It might be a bit of friendly overload as we've had the England friendly and we've got the France friendly. Two competitive qualification matches without much riding on them provides an opportunity to work on things. Two Friendlies in March and potentially a couple before the Tournament.