Who’s on the plane?

[JS_FFC]

The 28 thing suggests to me that there are a couple of players (Armstrong and Souttar?) that are doubts and he's giving them every chance to be fit.

[Chripper]

Hickey has been out for 7 months. Only the biggest optimist would've expected him to return.

He needs a good pre-season under his belt and a bunch of friendlies.

As for the right wingback spot. It doesn't have to be a defender.

I cite Craig Burley at France 98 as an example. I'd probably choose Ryan Christie.

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

28 minutes ago, SlayerX said:

Hickey has been out for 7 months. Only the biggest optimist would've expected him to return.

He needs a good pre-season under his belt and a bunch of friendlies.

As for the right wingback spot. It doesn't have to be a defender.

I cite Craig Burley at France 98 as an example. I'd probably choose Ryan Christie.

The monumentally left footed Ryan Christie?

[JS_FFC]

10 minutes ago, Insert Amusing Pseudonym said:

The monumentally left footed Ryan Christie?

I’m not saying Christie should or will play anywhere near RWB but the idea that your stronger foot should define it is nonsense. A lot of the best crossers of the ball like to cut in on their better foot to swing the ball in. 

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

6 minutes ago, JS_FFC said:

I’m not saying Christie should or will play anywhere near RWB but the idea that your stronger foot should define it is nonsense. A lot of the best crossers of the ball like to cut in on their better foot to swing the ball in. 

Wide forwards.  Not wing backs.   We've tried Tierney  and Robertson  at RWB and it's been horrible and they're actual top class wbs.  

Christie is, a very good, midfield player,  let's no ruin that cause Ralston isn't very good

Edited May 20 by Insert Amusing Pseudonym

[Chripper]

17 minutes ago, Insert Amusing Pseudonym said:

The monumentally left footed Ryan Christie?

Go and ask the monumentally right footed Denis Irwin*

*One of the best left backs of his generation.

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

Just now, SlayerX said:

Go and ask the monumentally right footed Denis Irwin*

*One of the best left backs of his generation.

One of the most two footed players in the game.   I'm no sure I've ever seen Christie kick the ball with his right foot 

[itzdrk]

If there isn't going to be Patterson or Hickey are we thinking Tony Ralston will be involved given he's been about the squad and that's Clarke's style. 

[Butters Scotch]

Guess the friendlies will tell us, 

2 minutes ago, itzdrk said:

If there isn't going to be Patterson or Hickey are we thinking Tony Ralston will be involved given he's been about the squad and that's Clarke's style. 

Yeah his spot to lose now since Clarke is known for his loyalty to players that are not always first choicers.

I guess the upcoming friendlies will give us a big indication though as we haven't seen much of any other RB other than Patterson and Hickey recently.

If McCrorie is selected and gets a game or two then I would say he would be the one starting. 

[Chripper]

14 minutes ago, Insert Amusing Pseudonym said:

One of the most two footed players in the game.   I'm no sure I've ever seen Christie kick the ball with his right foot 

Football fans place way too much importance on strongest foot.

Look at Ryan Christie's seasonal heatmap. He's on the right as much as he on the left or in the middle

These are professional footballers playing at the highest level.

Skip to 1:10 when Christie is on the right and he lays a chance on for his team mate with his left peg.

There's no law that says you have to use your right foot when you're on the right.

 

[2426255]

2 hours ago, Billy Jean King said:

So 28 to be named this week with two to be cut on 7 June.

I think a couple of extra younger players is most likely - similar to last summer. It would be quite brutal otherwise.

[JS_FFC]

25 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

I think a couple of extra younger players is most likely - similar to last summer. It would be quite brutal otherwise.

I reckon Armstrong and someone else (Jack/Souttar/Adams maybe) are being given every last minute to prove their fitness and Clarke is thinking that it’s better that the potential injury replacement is in and around the squad for the friendlies and training rather than potentially being drafted in on 7th June.

 

 

[super-son]

1 hour ago, SlayerX said:

Football fans place way too much importance on strongest foot.

Look at Ryan Christie's seasonal heatmap. He's on the right as much as he on the left or in the middle

These are professional footballers playing at the highest level.

Skip to 1:10 when Christie is on the right and he lays a chance on for his team mate with his left peg.

There's no law that says you have to use your right foot when you're on the right.

 

I would generally agree, but I can see Scotland being on the back foot for good portions of the game and when he can’t sufficiently clear the ball whilst under pressure with his weak foot, it could cause us issues.

[craigkillie]

Following the Hickey and Patterson news, I think I'm ready to make my final laminated squad list ahead of Wednesday. I would guess the 28 is potentially going to include a 4th keeper and/or one or more of the injury doubts, so I'm just going to stick with what I think the 26 will be. I'm more or less basing it on the template of the last tournament, where we had 3 keepers, 4 wing-backs, 6 centre-backs, 8 central midfielders and 5 attackers, - I think there might be a couple of deviations from that but probably not drastically so.

This is what I think Clarke will pick, not necessarily what I would pick.

Definites are in bold, probablies are in normal text, questionables are in italics.

GK

Gunn, Clark, Gordon

It really is 3 from 4 in this position, Gunn is obviously first choice, and it would be extremely surprising if Clark was left out given he played the final two qualifiers ahead of Kelly. Gordon has played just about enough games since returning, including a Scottish Cup semi, has all the experience and is fundamentally still a far better keeper than Kelly, who has had a rubbish season.


LWB

Robertson, Taylor

Clearly the captain is going, and had it been a 23 man squad and Hickey had been fit, then that might have been it for this position given that Tierney could have covered. However, I think it makes sense to have another option rather than having to disrupt the centre of our defence if Robertson goes off. It really is down to Taylor or Doig, and I think the former is quite likely given how often he's been involved, despite a really poor performance at home to Norway. Doig didn't really have the best of seasons and has obviously just been relegated from Serie A. It's easy to point at the level he plays at, but I'm pretty sure Celtic would beat Sassuolo, and I don't see any reason why Taylor wouldn't be able to play in the bottom half of Serie A just as easily.


CB

Tierney, Hendry, Porteous, McKenna, Hanley, Souttar

The first four names are nailed on to be in the squad - the first three have probably nailed down the starting berths at this point, and McKenna is a regular. Hanley would be a certainty if he was fit, but his lack of football is the only thing that could count against him. I'm still expecting him to go given his experience. It's not impossible both Souttar and Cooper go as well, but I think it would be excessive to have 7 centre-backs in the squad. If it was purely down to football then Souttar would edge it, especially given that Cooper has barely played of late, but Cooper is such an important leader that it's quite a tough one to call. Souttar is more of a natural replacement for Hendry, and I think Cooper is a slightly worse version of McKenna, who is himself not even a starter.
 

RWB

Ralston, Johnston

I don't think there are any nailed on certainties in this position. Ralston will probably go given that he does seem to have been 3rd choice for a while, but his lack of club football means I'm not sure it's an complete guarantee. Johnston has played even less football, and I don't think he is remotely ready for it, but neither was Patterson the last time, and a lack of obvious options might work in his favour. He is much better going forward than back, has great energy and is a good crosser of the ball from deep, so that might give him a skillset that Ralston doesn't really have.

McCrorie is the other realistic option here, I think he's a better player right now and of the three I think I'd be most confident with him starting in Munich, but I'm not convinced Clarke will pick him. He's maybe a bit too basic for international football, probably quite similar in style to what O'Donnell was at the last tournament, all about the physicals. I don't think Forrest has the ability to cover enough ground to be an option here, and while Danny Armstrong has nominally been an RWB for Killie, it's in a very different system and I don't think he could play that position at all in this Scotland team. If Ryan Fraser goes he could maybe cover here.

CM/AM

Gilmour, McGregor, McGinn, McTominay, Christie, McLean, Armstrong, Jack

I don't think there's really a great deal of debate about the first seven, these guys represent our strongest midfield options in decades, and it would be even stronger if Ferguson was available. It does lack a defensive option, and I have the feeling Ryan Jack will be given every chance despite his lack of club football. He has been a regular in Clarke's squad when fit, and there will be a bit of sentiment at play given that he missed the last one when he would probably have started for us. I think he's a better player than he gets credit for, he's great at winning the ball back and recycling possession, and if we need someone to shore up the midfield for 10/15 minutes I think he's the go-to for that. Clarke clearly likes him too, so it is purely about fitness. Obviously Armstrong a doubt, but we've not heard anything too negative.

There are obviously too many other options to list here, the up-and-comers like Barron, Watson and Miller aren't quite ready yet, definitely not at the level that Turnbull was last time, but it wouldn't be impossible one gets picked. Turnbull himself seems to have made a really bad transfer decision in January and I can't see it for him. Ryan Gauld remains a mythical option but it seems very unlikely - he might have had more of a chance if the injuries to Armstrong and McTominay had been more serious.

FW

Dykes, Adams, Shankland, Forrest, Fraser

The three strikers are very clearly all going, Shankland has played himself in with a fantastic domestic season, and while Dykes and Adams haven't had their best seasons domestically both have earned their place over the last 3/4 years. I think that leaves two other attacking options for us, probably more likely guys who are going to offer something different off the bench, particularly as wide options, something I think we didn't utilise enough in the last tournament.

I think Forrest has probably played his way in over the last month, especially given his experience and his directness. I also think Fraser will still go, he missed the full qualifying campaign and the March friendlies, but did feature right up to November 2022, and I think he has the most to offer in terms of versatility and a wee bit of pace and flair. He can cover wing-back, especially if we're chasing a game, but could also play as an advanced forward on the shoulder of the last man if we're trying to hit a team on the break.

Brown would have been in the squad but for his injury, he's not officially been ruled out but I don't see it. I don't think any of the other striking options have had good enough seasons, Conway has done well for the U21s but hasn't scored loads in the league, Hardie's goals dried up after his purple patch at the start of the season and Nisbet was mostly injured and then out of favour. As well as having one of the worst records of any Scotland forward in recent history, McBurnie was part of a terrible team and didn't exactly score loads.

Doak would probably have made this if he'd stayed fit and played 10-15 times for Liverpool, but he didn't and therefore probably won't. There are domestic options like Danny Armstrong, who would definitely offer something in terms of the frequency and quality of his crossing, but I don't see it. The only other Scottish striker to hit double figures in the Premiership was Simon Murray, but a 32 year-old Ross County striker is probably not going to the tournament. Lewis Morgan is maybe a left-field shout, I think he has a better chance than some think, Clarke picked him before, he's quite flexible as a player and he is in reasonably good form.

Edited May 20 by craigkillie

[Chripper]

31 minutes ago, super-son said:

I would generally agree, but I can see Scotland being on the back foot for good portions of the game and when he can’t sufficiently clear the ball whilst under pressure with his weak foot, it could cause us issues.

It's possible.

Flip the argument, though.

These days very few wingers hug the touchline, run down the line and whip the ball in. Mostly, they'll cut inside.

So Imagine a left footed winger cutting inside. It would be playing into a left footed Defender's hands.

One of the reasons inverted fullbacks are a thing is to combat inverted wingers and inside forwards.

[JS_FFC]

My predicted 28 for Wednesday

 

Goakeepers - 3

Angus Gunn - The Norwich man has the first chance to come in and prove he can be our number 1 in this tournament. 

Craig Gordon - Has played enough football for Hearts recently to make the plane comfortably IMO. I think there's an outside chance he might start if Gunn doesn't convince in the friendlies. Mr reliable for Scotland and his dressing room impact won't go unnoticed.

Zander Clark - Hot favourite to get the nod over Liam Kelly at this point. I think the Motherwell stopper's only chance is if Clarke makes a surprising decision to take all four like Germany have.

 

Defenders - 11

Andy Robertson - Our captain and best player. He has a vital role to play.

Kieran Tierney - Looks to be playing his way back into fitness at Sociedad. Likely to start at LCB in the back three.

Jack Hendry - After Robertson and Tierney, he's the guy that is most certain to start in defence imo. He'll probably start at the heart of the back three but don't rule out RCB either.

Ryan Porteous - Probably the favourite to start at RCB for now, although his recent form for Scotland means the friendlies will be important. Grant Hanley will be pushing for his spot back.

Anthony Ralston - A few months ago he was probably on the outside looking in, but now he's the favourite to start with the two unfortunate injuries. Some of the more galaxy brained RWB suggestions (like Forrest) might be tried at some point, but I think Ralston gets the first chance to prove he can step up to the challenge.

Grant Hanley - One of the elder statesmen of this team. Hasn't featured much over the past 18 months for Scotland due to injuries, but seems to be getting back to fitness at the right time. I think he needs to prove to Clarke that he deserves his spot back over Ryan Porteous, but he'll definitely makes the plane IMO.

Scott McKenna - Walks in to the team if (god forbid) anything happens to Tierney or Robertson.

Greg Taylor - A few months ago he was on the outside looking in, but then Hickey got injured and the squad was expanded. I'd be very surprised if he misses out now.

Liam Cooper - Not my personal favourite, but Clarke has always trusted him. I think he makes it.

John Souttar - He's an injury doubt, but I think he will get the call up for the friendlies at least.

Ross McCrorie - Not who I'd personally take as the RWB backup, but there's too much smoke for there not to be any fire. I think he gets the call.

 

Midfielders - 11

John McGinn - Absolutely vital player.

Scott McTominay - Not entirely clear where he will play, but he's definitely one of our best 11.

Callum McGregor - Some absent minded people want him out the team, but Scotland are so much better when Callum McGregor is on the pitch. Nailed on starter.

Billy Gilmour - Can be a bit hit or miss but he's unplayable on a good day. I tend to think he plays better in games when we have a lot of the ball, so I think he might be saved for Switzerland and Hungary.

Ryan Christie - Versatile player who's had a great season at Bournemouth. It seems like a straight shootout between him and Gilmour for the final spot in the XI. I think Germany is a Ryan Christie game since we'll need to rely on fast counter attacks.

Kenny McLean - The hero in Oslo missed out on the last Euros through injury. He's a versatile player who is likely to feature off the bench. If we make it through the groups and into the last 16, he would definitely be an option to come off the bench for a potential penalty shootout having scored against both Israel and Serbia four years ago.

James Forrest - His late season form for Celtic earns him a recall.

Stuart Armstrong - It's still not 100% clear that he will be fit, but I think he will be in the original 28 at least.

Ryan Jack - Another injury doubt, but he's been in nearly every squad when available under Clarke. I can't see him missing out unless he needs further rehab.

Ben Doak - I think the expanded 28 man announcement is so that Doak and Barron can be brought in for the friendlies with a view to them making the full squad if one or more of Armstrong, Jack, Souttar or anyone else misses out. Doak would be the call up if Armstrong or any other attacking player misses out.

Connor Barron - Like Doak, I think he will be pencilled in as one of the two dropouts. Barron will remain in the squad if Jack, Souttar or any other defensive player misses out.

 

Forwards - 3

Che Adams - Probably our best forward.

Lyndon Dykes - His hold up play is brilliant, I think he should start the opener given how little possession we'll be expected to have in that game. 

Lawrence Shankland - Not a starter, but he's unquestionably the third man now. I think he'll be the man you give the last 15 minutes to when chasing a goal.

[2426255]

1 hour ago, JS_FFC said:

I reckon Armstrong and someone else (Jack/Souttar/Adams maybe) are being given every last minute to prove their fitness and Clarke is thinking that it’s better that the potential injury replacement is in and around the squad for the friendlies and training rather than potentially being drafted in on 7th June.

 

 

Could be. I just thought it has parallels to the pre-camp last summer. That was a successful camp and so maybe something similar in the build up to this camp.

[ArabFC]

5 hours ago, bleedingums said:

A real bugger about Hickey as he'd been excellent for us recently. With that being said, I do think that we're still in a better position as far as RB is concerned compared to the last euros. We had Stephen O'Donnell with a very young and mostly untested Nathan Patterson back then. Now, the best options seem to be:

Ralston - at the very least an improvement on SOD as much as I love the guy

Johnston - not played a great deal of minutes, but is at least playing at a decent standard for a team that has just won a league/cup double, is a couple of years older than Patterson was and I've been impressed whenever I've seen him play

McRorie - Championship starter and seems to be a fairly reliable option. Added to that, he can cover a couple of positions.

Compared to having Hickey and Patterson fit, it's definitely a downgrade, but in comparison to the last euros it's not too bad.

Was never a great fan, but are we just going to forget how good he was v England in those Euros?

[bleedingums]

7 minutes ago, ArabFC said:

Was never a great fan, but are we just going to forget how good he was v England in those Euros?

You gonnae just miss the part where I said ‘as much as I love the guy’…. I was never a big critic of SOD and the only game where I think he was as bad as everyone seemed to say was the Czech game. Other than that I thought he always performed pretty well and yep, in the england game he was very good, nearly scored what would have been a legendary goal and made up for that stinker vs the Czechs. My point was only that Ralston is a better option just now than SOD was at the last euros which I don’t think is too controversial tbh…

[allyo]

Ralston doesn't concern me at all. When you have to call on your third choice there's bound to be a bit of a relative drop-off, but we've had far worse players than him starting for Scotland in previous years. He seems like pretty solid back-up to me.