[0762]

Steve Clarke looked like he'd set up some kinda defensive solidity in the 1st half and with a game plan that was deployed to stifle the opposition, not lose silly goals and play for a 0-0 score line. His mission is to try and establish some kinda settled Scotland side and attain a run of positive results in the coming months. The first two goals were not "silly" but were world class goals and the eventual 4-0 thrashing has been a huge disappointment and just too easy for Russia!!!! We are not formidable opponents any more and I know, and Steve Clarke must likewise know, that we f####### well need to get back our best players asap and well before the "last chance saloon" play off ties!! We need Tierney, Griffiths , McKenna, Forrest, Armstrong and others returning to this Scotland team!!!! IMO Devlin is not good enough and even Mulgrew is well past his sell buy date. I'd even risk Hibs' Ryan Porteous in a CB "sweeper" position and stuff the requirement for experienced players at all cost!! We gotta do something different!!!! I must say there is a certain "malaise" about Scottish footie and Scotland international team sports in general. The possibility of the Scotland RU team being eliminated from the World Cup rugby union tourney in Japan by a typhoon of massive proportions, compared with the previous one in Japan, will be the "icing on the cake" for me in terms of this malaise being compounded and many Scots just asking the question, "Why is it us poss gonna be another casualty AGAIN in such a force majeure situation"!!!?? And esp after being "done" by a South African referee v Australia 4 years ago in an infamous last secs quarter-final incident at the previous World Cup tourney!! I hope this "make or break" quali match somehow kicks off in Yokohama and "may the best team win through to the quarter final".