Scotland squad for Belgium/Albania

turkeydinner · 27-08-2018, 16:38

Scotland squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Archer (Millwall), Craig Gordon (Celtic), Allan McGregor (Rangers)

Defenders: Jack Hendry (Celtic), Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers), Stephen O'Donnell (Kilmarnock), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen), John Souttar (Heart of Midlothian), Kieran Tierney (Celtic).

Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Tom Cairney (Fulham), James Forrest (Celtic), Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth), Kevin McDonald (Fulham), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Scott McTominay (Manchester United), Callum Paterson (Cardiff City).

Forwards: Leigh Griffiths (Celtic), Oli McBurnie (Swansea City), Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion), Johnny Russell (Sporting Kansas City).

Scott Mckenna missing through injury makes CB position look even weaker, glad Souttar getting a call up
Midfield has the best options
Forward line still needs at least two more decent forwards at least McBurnie started season well

hibeejim21 · 27-08-2018, 17:20

We are so lacking in quality attacking options it's unreal.

0762 · 28-08-2018, 17:21

Aye. This squad announcement doesn't fill me with great enthusiasm and the attacking options, that generally win matches, are so limited and depressing!

0762 · (This post was last modified: 03-09-2018, 20:33 by 0762.)

At last, McLeish has solved the striking options! He has recalled Steven Naismith after his "hat trick" v a shit Saint Mirren defence!!??? IMO Naismith is a past Scotland striker! We now have to look to the future and Naismith is definitely not the solution! Nothing against the lad but if he was so good, he'd still be playing in England.
Also Liverpool's Andy Robertson is given the captain's armband. Not a bad choice but will he be a good all round captain? I'm not sure but I think he'll be OK because he is a "trier"! I also think Kieron Tierney will eventually be the captain of Scotland - already showing great battling and leadership attributes!

0762 · (This post was last modified: 07-09-2018, 23:45 by 0762.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/45400259
FT and Scotland thrashed 0-4 tonight at Hampden Park. So Ecky has now managed five matches and lost four of them. Unfortunately for Scotland, Roberto Martinez fielded a very strong team that was far too good for Scotland. Both centre backs, Mulgrew and Soutar, shown up as pretty poor v this level of opposition. Soutar is still a young lad still learning at this level but will have to improve dramatically if he expects to get anywhere near a regular slot in Scotland's defence. As for our forwards? Not much to shout about esp with the kinda defensive set up that didn't favour expansive footie.

hibeejim21 · (This post was last modified: 08-09-2018, 14:10 by hibeejim21.)

We played ok in places against a really top side (especially in the first half), but so far i'm struggling to see any progress or even a major change in style from strachan. Ok we are using a back 3 at times now but it seems mainly to try and keep robertson and tierney in the same side....i understand that as they are probably our best players but i'm not sure we have the players to play that formation.

Getting shot of strachan was probably the right call but you have to replace him with someone significantly better who is going to try something different. I'm not sure macleish is that person but as you know the sfa fucked about so long with the michael o'neill situation and as usual made us a laughing stock.

The albania game becomes big now....if we don't win the pressure begins to build on eck.

turkeydinner · 08-09-2018, 14:27

A top side that can beat anybody when all`s well

Mcleish is a downgrade on Strachan , Moyes definitely not
In the hire and quickfire World of English football particularly how many younger managers get a chance for a proper run at the job, knee jerk and your gone
McInnes for instance is still hugely remembered having failed at Bristol C, rather than the fact he saved them for relegation and was binned at the first bad patch, even with what he`s done at Dons over half the fans want him gone!
I`d actually try a Brian McLair or Steve Nicol whose main clubs ethos must have rubbed off somewhat, both have coaching XP also

There needs to be a more indirect way of putting new players out, maybe a return of B internationals of four match tours of Indonesia or the Baltic rather than against A sides where a bad match and "Not good enough" "Pub league player"

It may have to resort to playing people out of position whilst quality cover isn't forthcoming playing Tierney and Paterson as wide midfield or McGeouch as a Striker, the options look so woefully short its almost to the point of call ups for Sandy Clark and Lawrence Shankland

hibeejim21 · 09-09-2018, 11:48

Nothing has changed and i don't see mcleish taking us forward but i hope i'm wrong. I happen to think we have a potentially decent midfield but we are hampered by (especially) our rotten Centre back options.

That and england are still massively overrated. Thats what we can take from this weekend.

0762 · 09-09-2018, 15:06

We're going into this Monday night EN group match v Albania with no momentum whatsoever. I was never an advocate of Ecky ever returning to manage Scotland again and proved right so far. I just hope we somehow manage to win a match that we should be winning fairly comfortably TBH.

0762 · (This post was last modified: 10-09-2018, 23:22 by 0762.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/45459364
FT and thankfully a 2-0 Scotland win. Lotsa pressing and dominance by Scotland with no "end product" in the 1st half. However, goals deservedly got in the 2nd half and I certainly liked the look of O'Donnell, my MOTM, with McGinn not far behind and putting in a "good shift" in Scotland's midfield. I still regard "striking" to be Ecky's no 1 problem but at least we've jumped over this 1st hurdle successfully and onward to the next challenge.