Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 v 🇵🇹 Portugal - 15th October

[Jambomo]

16 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

I’m watching Ronaldo and co playing Poland. Nice goal there with Fernandes nodding back into the path of Bernardo Silva who finished on the volley.

Edit: Ronaldo scores a second, after a Leao shot comes back off the post.

We’ll be doing f**king well to beat these.

 

I’m mainly going for the fun of booking and shouting at Ronaldo and Fernandes, when we get dive number 55268

[Wee-Bey]

Another plucky defeat imo.

[Skyline Drifter]

16 hours ago, Quentin Taranbino said:

Self scan one at a time I'm afraid.

If he is too young to push through on his own and wait for you at the other side of turnstile, I would have a word with one of the stewards there and they'll probably let you shuffle through together on the second scan. Make sure both tickets get scanned though or you won't get the points.

If he's not been at a game in years I'd imagine he's likely a non member. Also he'd need to be tiny to shuffle through those turnstiles together. I genuinely struggle to get through alone!

Its easy enough to scan one go through and hand back the phone. My mate does that with his boy. 

Edited Sunday at 08:02 by Skyline Drifter

[KirkieRR]

Not going as I wasn't sure if I'd be here. I agree about the likely plucky defeat.

 

Deep thought - qualification is often fun, but when we reach a finals (or get promoted to the top Nations League table) our limitations are exposed. At least we're competing in this, in contrast to the hapless horror of Euro 24. 

[Butters Scotch]

Team for me will be:

Gordon

Ralston Porto Souttar Robertson

Gilmour Christie

Doak McTominay Gauld

Adams

 

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

I think we are good enough to win the last two games.

[Old Bing]

33 minutes ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

I think we are good enough to win the last two games.

Stick it on at the bookies you will get very favorable odds.

[Pocketman]

17 hours ago, Butters Scotch said:

Team for me will be:

Gordon

Ralston Porto Souttar Robertson

Gilmour Christie

Doak McTominay Gauld

Adams

 

[immcinto]

18 hours ago, Butters Scotch said:

Team for me will be:

Gordon

Ralston Porto Souttar Robertson

Gilmour Christie

Doak McTominay Gauld

Adams

 

Why do people bother speculating on line ups? Barring injury, we know exactly who will start, who will come on as subs, and what time they will come in as subs

[stressball]

Our trajectory since qualifying for the Euros has been absolutely abysmal.

Complete slog making it through these matches now that almost always are a pumping or glorious failure.

[troopio]

21 hours ago, Butters Scotch said:

Team for me will be:

Gordon

Ralston Porto Souttar Robertson

Gilmour Christie

Doak McTominay Gauld

Adams

 

There is no way on this planet is he dropping his love children Hanley, McLean and Dykes.

[troopio]

2 hours ago, immcinto said:

Why do people bother speculating on line ups? Barring injury, we know exactly who will start, who will come on as subs, and what time they will come in as subs

Exactly this. It is why I didnt watch on Saturday and will not be watching tomorrow. I will not watch another game until Clarke has gone.

[Butters Scotch]

13 minutes ago, troopio said:

Exactly this. It is why I didnt watch on Saturday and will not be watching tomorrow. I will not watch another game until Clarke has gone.

Did you say the same for all previous managers we had because we have been pretty shite as a footballing nation for the past 100 years or so

[troopio]

Just now, Butters Scotch said:

Did you say the same for all previous managers we had because we have been pretty shite as a footballing nation for the past 100 years or so

Yes but difference is the clowns in the SFA acted eventually, its a crime that Clarke is still in post. Its a result business, not performance business. His record since last year shameful and you can spare me the rubbish about players being injured as its just an excuse. He has chosen to continue to select rubbish like Ralston, Hanley, Dykes, McLean and leave better options on the bench because of his blind loyalty. That enough is a sackable offence

[gannonball]

1 hour ago, troopio said:

There is no way on this planet is he dropping his love children Hanley, McLean and Dykes.

Strange claim given Ralston is clearly 3rd choice rb, McLean hasn’t really much under Clarke. Adam’s probably would have started if he wasn’t ill the other night too, the latter admittedly I’m assuming though. I even say this as someone who was calling for Clarke to go after the Euros I just find it strange how people blatantly make stuff up on here.

[troopio]

46 minutes ago, gannonball said:

Strange claim given Ralston is clearly 3rd choice rb, McLean hasn’t really much under Clarke. Adam’s probably would have started if he wasn’t ill the other night too, the latter admittedly I’m assuming though. I even say this as someone who was calling for Clarke to go after the Euros I just find it strange how people blatantly make stuff up on here.

Strange how exactly? All 4 keep getting starts despite being utter mincemeat and there being better or more in form players left on the bench with zero hope of an appearance. 

All 4 will start tomorrow because Clarke puts loyalty first which is mad considering he said a few years ago that being in form and playing regularly was important, he even dropped players for it but now seems to be different. Hes a muppet who needs to go

[Gordopolis]

Gordon

Ralston Souttar Hanley Robertson

Gilmour Christie

Doak McTominay Adams

Dykes

[accies1874]

2 hours ago, troopio said:

Yes but difference is the clowns in the SFA acted eventually, its a crime that Clarke is still in post. Its a result business, not performance business. His record since last year shameful and you can spare me the rubbish about players being injured as its just an excuse. He has chosen to continue to select rubbish like Ralston, Hanley, Dykes, McLean and leave better options on the bench because of his blind loyalty. That enough is a sackable offence

Can't believe I'm bothering to reply to you again, but...

Performances can indicate that results will improve. In 2021, people wanted Clarke gone after the Euros and tried to pull out the "two penalty shootouts" and "f**ked the Nations League" trump cards, but it was clear that we were improving as a team and that bore fruit in the 2022 WC qualifying. 

After our disastrous June of 2022, people wanted Clarke to go, but the performances during his tenure - and the fact he had built up a list of very good results as Scotland manager - meant that it was worth sticking with him. That bore fruit, as the next 12 months was the best spell yet under Clarke. 

The difference this time is that he's followed up a poor run with good performances but not good results. If we're just going to continue failing to win games despite playing well then obviously he should be sacked, but I'm guessing that the SFA's thought process is that he's responded well to the summer, and the performances indicate that we might be in a better place going into WC qualifying. I think that's a fair mindset, even if it doesn't pan out, and the kind of loyalty that our best manager in 20+ years deserves.

Speaking of loyalty...

It's been a hallmark of Clarke's tenure. Pretty much every player has gone through bad spells during his time in charge, whether that was for Scotland or their club. Gilmour was struggling at Norwich and not playing for Brighton, however Clarke kept picking him for squads and played him in every single game throughout his season at Norwich. 

Pretty much all of our players have had dips in "form", and Clarke's tended to make decisions based on whether or not there's someone better ready to come in.

Hickey's the fourth player to be our first-choice RWB/RB, all because the previous guy (O'Donnell, Palmer, Patterson) wasn't as good, he sought out Adams and Dykes because the other players weren't as good, Porteous started ahead of "Fat Hanley" at the Euros despite his loyalty to the latter, these past three games must be McLean's longest ever run in the starting lineup (not verified this). He's obviously loyal to players he deems worthy of it - and that was working brilliantly for us - but let's not pretend that Clarke won't make changes when he deems it necessary. We had an 18-year-old starting at the weekend, ffs. 

[gannonball]

52 minutes ago, troopio said:

Strange how exactly?

I literally explained why after I said what you posted was strange.

Edited Monday at 13:22 by gannonball

[PrestersKTID]

There's no denying our poor form and results coincide with a lot of player injuries and mixing the back 4 up non stop.

What's a fully fit and available XI going to look like?

Gunn

Hickey Porteous Tierney/Mckenna Robertson

Gilmour Mctominay Ferguson/Christie

Doak Adams Mcginn.

 

Can Tierney play as a CB in a back 4? 

Even at that we're still without a quality striker, centre half and keeper.

We also arguably don't have a replacement for Mcgregor, Mctominay needs to play advanced but that's where ferguson plays aswell.

Christie sits for Bournemouth so we need to give that a chance imo. MCginn out wide left like he plays for villa needs to be tried too.