Who’s on the plane?

[MarkoP]

6 hours ago, 2426255 said:

I think @eez-eh was referring more to you suggesting Dykes can't get in the QPR team. He was injured yesterday and has on/off been injured throughout the start of the season.

 

I never said he couldn’t get in the team, someone else may have.

My post is entirely about options and improving our striker options

IMO Dykes has been far more effective than Adams but neither are ripping up the Championship 

If someone else came along and did (Ross Stewart for instance) we’d be mad not to get him on board 

 

[MarkoRaj]

7 hours ago, eez-eh said:

This is just shite. Why do folk need to lie to make a point?

Hardly a lie is it. I took a snapshot of yesterday and neither were in the 11, Dykes not even in the squad.

I even checked the missing players on Flashscore and he didn't appear.

No need to get out your tree

[eez-eh]

10 minutes ago, MarkoRaj said:

Hardly a lie is it. I took a snapshot of yesterday and neither were in the 11, Dykes not even in the squad.

I even checked the missing players on Flashscore and he didn't appear.

No need to get out your tree

In that same app you could have looked up Dykes and seen him playing this season whenever he was fit.

Even if he wasn’t injured (which he was) it’s still rubbish to say “can’t get a game” on the back of one game. Tabloid esque.

[craigkillie]

On 22/10/2023 at 12:22, MarkoP said:

It’s not complete shite though

Dykes and Adam’s may well have something to worry about re Germany 

I’m not advocating for McBurnie but our striker department could do with an overhaul 

We don’t have room for sentimentality 

We should look at all options

Could it? Our team is functioning extremely well at the moment, almost certainly better than any Scotland team this century, and our attack is playing their part in that success. Fair enough if a Lewandowski or Haaland appears overnight then we should look to overhaul things, but I don't see the point in tampering around the edges by replacing one or two Championship/bottom end Premier League strikers with other players of broadly the same level.

Edited October 23, 2023 by craigkillie

[Scary Bear]

On 16/10/2023 at 07:27, Jacky1990 said:

Assuming a 23 man squad:

Gunn, Kelly, Gordon

Hickey, Patterson, Robertson, Tierney, Porteous, Hendry, Hanley, McKenna, Souttar

McGregor, McGinn, McTominay, Gilmour, McLean, Armstrong, Ferguson

Adams, Dykes, Christie, Nisbet

Add Jack, Taylor and Doak if a 26 man squad.

Although Elliott Anderson and Harvey Barnes would/could be added if they switch allegiance in time.

No Ryan Gauld?

I like a squad to have a wildcard, so hopefully someone like Doak makes it.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Scary Bear

[ArabFC]

17 hours ago, MarkoRaj said:

Hardly a lie is it. I took a snapshot of yesterday and neither were in the 11, Dykes not even in the squad.

I even checked the missing players on Flashscore and he didn't appear.

No need to get out your tree

Maybe Apps aren't the best way to tell about injuries?

 

Cook has been working his way back to fitness following a hamstring injury and was not ready to return for Saturday’s defeat at Huddersfield.

Striker Dykes, who also missed that game after picking up a knock, has had a scan and Rangers are hopeful the problem is not serious. He too could be involved against the Baggies.

[No_Problemo]

It is surely incredibly obvious that if Dykes isn’t on the bench then he is injured. He isn’t going to be completely bombed out of the squad, after a run of starts. 

In general, lots of knee jerk reactions based on a couple of months club form.  Every chance come January, Che Adams is the striker playing at the highest level again. Tommy Conway and Ross Stewart are probably the two most likely to get into that third striker position and over time compete with Adams/Dykes. 

[LiviLion]

On 22/10/2023 at 12:54, 2426255 said:

I think @eez-eh was referring more to you suggesting Dykes can't get in the QPR team. He was injured yesterday and has on/off been injured throughout the start of the season.

 

 

18 hours ago, MarkoRaj said:

Hardly a lie is it. I took a snapshot of yesterday and neither were in the 11, Dykes not even in the squad.

I even checked the missing players on Flashscore and he didn't appear.

No need to get out your tree

Well if Flashscores doesn't say he's injured then it must be true, much more reliable than the official channels.

[MarkoRaj]

1 hour ago, LiviLion said:

 

Well if Flashscores doesn't say he's injured then it must be true, much more reliable than the official channels.

I didn't say it was true, I said that's where I got my info from and why getting called a liar was a bit dramatic

[Richey Edwards]

If I have a dream at all it's that for once you won't be on that stupid plane.

Spoiler

 

 

[MarkoRaj]

1 hour ago, No_Problemo said:

It is surely incredibly obvious that if Dykes isn’t on the bench then he is injured. He isn’t going to be completely bombed out of the squad, after a run of starts. 

In general, lots of knee jerk reactions based on a couple of months club form.  Every chance come January, Che Adams is the striker playing at the highest level again. Tommy Conway and Ross Stewart are probably the two most likely to get into that third striker position and over time compete with Adams/Dykes. 

Considering he's scored one goal all season it wasn't exactly a massive leap to think he might have been dropped. Especially since the manager is clearly at last throw of the dice territory

Happened to McKenna

Even if he's injured, Adams is definitely not getting a game. And McBurnie has been pretty good this season and is playing at a higher level 

Didn't think this was that controversial an opinion

[HuttonDressedAsLahm]

I don't see anyone left field making a push in time for June.  Doak could make an appearance in March friendlies, even if just a squad player, but the 23-man-squad (over the 26) makes it more less likely.  It would probably take something spectacular for a Stewart/Conway to create a space, albeit I'm sure we'd love to see it.

The 6 UNL games in League A will be over in just over a year's time, with WCQ starting in March 2025.  I'd reckon that's when we might see some new faces, or more regular inclusion of squad irregulars.

Even that said, with the exception of Cooper, McLean, and Armstrong, WCQ for 2026 should be this side at its peak. 

Whilst we have a group of players 27/28/29/30, I don't see a big drop off until ECQ in 2027.  That's the benefit of having players like Gilmour/Porteous/Ferguson/Hickey/Patterson all being really quite young, and even in 2028 for the European Championship finals, McTominay, Tierney, and McKenna would only be 31.  Adams and Souttar would be turning 32 that summer/autumn.

It's really quite encouraging when you see it like that - and players like McGregor will probably easily compete for another 3-4+ years.

Edited October 23, 2023 by HuttonDressedAsLahm

[MarkoRaj]

Not even an opinion, a suggestion even

[Jacky1990]

Id rather go with a squad of 22 than risk that absolute diddy McBurnie playing for us at a major tournament.

[PSJ.84]

46 minutes ago, Richey Edwards said:

If I have a dream at all it's that for once you won't be on that stupid plane.

  Hide contents

 

 

Annoys me that I don’t think this is a terrible tune. 

[Donathan]

2 hours ago, HuttonDressedAsLahm said:

I don't see anyone left field making a push in time for June.  Doak could make an appearance in March friendlies, even if just a squad player, but the 23-man-squad (over the 26) makes it more less likely.  It would probably take something spectacular for a Stewart/Conway to create a space, albeit I'm sure we'd love to see it.

The 6 UNL games in League A will be over in just over a year's time, with WCQ starting in March 2025.  I'd reckon that's when we might see some new faces, or more regular inclusion of squad irregulars.

Even that said, with the exception of Cooper, McLean, and Armstrong, WCQ for 2026 should be this side at its peak. 

Whilst we have a group of players 27/28/29/30, I don't see a big drop off until ECQ in 2027.  That's the benefit of having players like Gilmour/Porteous/Ferguson/Hickey/Patterson all being really quite young, and even in 2028 for the European Championship finals, McTominay, Tierney, and McKenna would only be 31.  Adams and Souttar would be turning 32 that summer/autumn.

It's really quite encouraging when you see it like that - and players like McGregor will probably easily compete for another 3-4+ years.

I’m not sure it would take something “spectacular” to be honest because they don’t need to get ahead of Dykes or Adams, they just need to force their way ahead of Brown/Nisbet/Shankland. Ross Stewart was already pretty much there the last time he was fit.

 

Dykes and Adams are both somewhat injury prone so although we’ve been lucky enough over the past three years to always have at least one of them available, I’d be surprised if a 3rd CF isn’t taken to Germany. At the moment I’d say Nisbet and Brown are the joint favourites to take that role but any of Stewart, Shankland or Cooper could easily snatch it with a good run of form. 

[Gordon EF]

Assuming a 23-man squad, no injuries, and no major drops or increase in form, I'd imagine the stick-ons will be:

GK: Gunn, Gordon

FB: Hickey, Patterson, Robertson, Tierney

CB: Porteous, Hendry, McKenna

CM: McGregor, Gilmour, McTominay

AM: McGinn, Christie, Ferguson

CF: Dykes, Adams

That's 17, leaving 6 open spots, likely - 1 GK, 2 CBs, 1 CM, 1 AM, 2 CFs.

I'm not sure anyone outside that 17 is nailed on for a place

[Alan Twelve]

43 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Assuming a 23-man squad, no injuries, and no major drops or increase in form, I'd imagine the stick-ons will be:

GK: Gunn, Gordon

FB: Hickey, Patterson, Robertson, Tierney

CB: Porteous, Hendry, McKenna

CM: McGregor, Gilmour, McTominay

AM: McGinn, Christie, Ferguson

CF: Dykes, Adams

That's 17, leaving 6 open spots, likely - 1 GK, 2 CBs, 1 CM, 1 AM, 2 CFs.

I'm not sure anyone outside that 17 is nailed on for a place

The CM and AM will be McLean and Armstrong or I'll be very surprised. I'd also be surprised if there's a fourth centre forward and if the third one isn't Brown. The other one nailed on, if fit, is Hanley, I reckon.

[Gordon EF]

11 minutes ago, Alan Twelve said:

The CM and AM will be McLean and Armstrong or I'll be very surprised. I'd also be surprised if there's a fourth centre forward and if the third one isn't Brown. The other one nailed on, if fit, is Hanley, I reckon.

Agreed that McLean, Armstrong, Hanley, and Brown are all very likely to make it. I think there's at least some degree of doubt around all of them though. I don't think there would be huge amounts of shock or outcry if any of these guys end up not making the cut. More of a riased eyebrow and slight surprise.

[MarkoP]

51 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Assuming a 23-man squad, no injuries, and no major drops or increase in form, I'd imagine the stick-ons will be:

GK: Gunn, Gordon

FB: Hickey, Patterson, Robertson, Tierney

CB: Porteous, Hendry, McKenna

CM: McGregor, Gilmour, McTominay

AM: McGinn, Christie, Ferguson

CF: Dykes, Adams

That's 17, leaving 6 open spots, likely - 1 GK, 2 CBs, 1 CM, 1 AM, 2 CFs.

I'm not sure anyone outside that 17 is nailed on for a place

Those are more who I’d see as core, dead certs to be going

Although Hanley, MacLean and Kelly are probably pretty close