Scotland Matches Thread

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Clarke can only select what is available to him from the clubs.
We have lacked a top, reliable international class striker for many years.
Despite this, the manager has done what all good managers do, he has got the most out of what he has.

Difficult to see where we solve the striker problem.
Shankland for me has not had enough chances, I think he is the nearest we have to an international class striker, with possibly Kevin Nisbet if he ever gets injury free for any length of time.
Not sure what the hell has happened to Ross Stewart since he signed for Southampton...probably injured again...a real pity because he is another one who needs to given a proper chance on the international stage.
 
Greenmachine said:
Clarke can only select what is available to him from the clubs.
We have lacked a top, reliable international class striker for many years.
Despite this, the manager has done what all good managers do, he has got the most out of what he has.

Difficult to see where we solve the striker problem.
Shankland for me has not had enough chances, I think he is the nearest we have to an international class striker, with possibly Kevin Nisbet if he ever gets injury free for any length of time.
Not sure what the hell has happened to Ross Stewart since he signed for Southampton...probably injured again...a real pity because he is another one who needs to given a proper chance on the international stage.
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I agree, as much as I can't stand lego heid, I think he deserves a proper go in the national team. He probably is the best we have right now.
 
Greenmachine said:
Clarke can only select what is available to him from the clubs.
We have lacked a top, reliable international class striker for many years.
Despite this, the manager has done what all good managers do, he has got the most out of what he has.

Difficult to see where we solve the striker problem.
Shankland for me has not had enough chances, I think he is the nearest we have to an international class striker, with possibly Kevin Nisbet if he ever gets injury free for any length of time.
Not sure what the hell has happened to Ross Stewart since he signed for Southampton...probably injured again...a real pity because he is another one who needs to given a proper chance on the international stage.
Click to expand...
Yep. Crazy to think when some of us were young we were spoiled with the likes off McQueen, Jordan, the Grays, Souness...yeh ok but he was good, Bremner, Dalglish, and then of course when the Doc was around 30 year old there was Denis Law. Still never won anything mind you
 
Davy said:
Yep. Crazy to think when some of us were young we were spoiled with the likes off McQueen, Jordan, the Grays, Souness...yeh ok but he was good, Bremner, Dalglish, and then of course when the Doc was around 30 year old there was Denis Law. Still never won anything mind you
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Scotland had an international golden age in the 70's and 80's up till around 1986....with several world class players around.
In the 60's we also had world class players like Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Tommy Gemmell, Jim Baxter and Denis Law, but still failed to qualify for any tournaments in that decade.
Even when we had those players and those great teams it was always going to be highly unlikely we would ever win a tournament.
Even getting through the group stages has been beyond us, but if Clarke can achieve this next summer he will be Scotland's most successful ever manager.
 
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Never seen the game or highlights, thought it was a crazy fixture to play and even worse to experiment in . Paying particular attention to RP in the group campaign it appears to me he’s established himself in the defence and should be a shoe-in going forward 👍. Great for the lad to get his chance and take it, was probably the right move getting away from the media shitshow up here 👏
 
Scott McTominay has been terribly miscast in his career so far as a midfielder, he’s got all the attributes of a top class striker.
 
Greenmachine said:
Clarke can only select what is available to him from the clubs.
We have lacked a top, reliable international class striker for many years.
Despite this, the manager has done what all good managers do, he has got the most out of what he has.

Difficult to see where we solve the striker problem.
Shankland for me has not had enough chances, I think he is the nearest we have to an international class striker, with possibly Kevin Nisbet if he ever gets injury free for any length of time.
Not sure what the hell has happened to Ross Stewart since he signed for Southampton...probably injured again...a real pity because he is another one who needs to given a proper chance on the international stage.
Click to expand...

Well I'm grateful for the ugly wee fucker tonight!
Good goal, only just on the park really.

You've been saying it for long enough!
 
Good goal from the in form Tefal and he played well in the short time he was on the park
 
Thought it might be a bit of a struggle tonight for Scotland.
No matter how much the manager and the coaching staff would have drummed into the players about staying fully focussed for the last two games, the fact is the job is done and the players know it.
Still, we got a draw and I hope the likes of Shankland, Nisbet (when fit), and Ross Stewart are given a decent chance for the national team now.
 
Greenmachine said:
Thought it might be a bit of a struggle tonight for Scotland.
No matter how much the manager and the coaching staff would have drummed into the players about staying fully focussed for the last two games, the fact is the job is done and the players know it.
Still, we got a draw and I hope the likes of Shankland, Nisbet (when fit), and Ross Stewart are given a decent chance for the national team now.
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I thought they did well without first choices Gunn, Tierney, Robertson and Hickey in the back 5.
The problem we have moving forward is striker and goalkeeper where all he have is English Championship level players.
Adams is the best quality striker and Gunn the best goalkeeper.
Adams has Stewart, Dykes, Nisbet and Shankland behind him
Gunn has nobody close to him, Clark is 2nd best and behind him a gap to Kelly and another gap to McCrorie. Gordon at 41 next month could get himself back in behind Gunn but like Marshall was beginning to fail with age in the months leading up to his injury.
 
Jack K said:
I thought they did well without first choices Gunn, Tierney, Robertson and Hickey in the back 5.
The problem we have moving forward is striker and goalkeeper where all he have is English Championship level players.
Adams is the best quality striker and Gunn the best goalkeeper.
Adams has Stewart, Dykes, Nisbet and Shankland behind him
Gunn has nobody close to him, Clark is 2nd best and behind him a gap to Kelly and another gap to McCrorie. Gordon at 41 next month could get himself back in behind Gunn but like Marshall was beginning to fail with age in the months leading up to his injury.
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Only thing I would disagree with in that is Adams...I don't rate him at all.
We have to find an international class goalscorer and the only way we are going to find out if we have one or not is by playing them regularly.
Shankland for me should be getting started far more regularly now, Stewart and Nisbet when fit should also be getting more of a chance.
Dykes has at least proven at international level that he can score goals, unlike Adams who has had more than enough chances now but failed to deliver in terms of goals.
 
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Greenmachine said:
Only thing I would disagree with in that is Adams...I don't rate him at all.
We have to find an international class goalscorer and the only way we are going to find out if we have one or not is by playing them regularly.
Shankland for me should be getting started far more regularly now, Stewart and Nisbet when fit should also be getting more of a chance.
Dykes has at least proven at international level that he can score goals, unlike Adams who has had more than enough chances now but failed to deliver in terms of goals.
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Shankland is certainly a more natural goalscorer but the current Clarke system relies on the hard work, running power, hold up play etc of Adams or Dykes when playing against the best teams. The problem is neither Dykes nor Adams are prolific scorers. Both are typically 1 every 4 game scorers at club level with Adams 1 goal every 5 games at international level.
Stewart was scoring lots of goals in the Championship before his bad injury and has only played 1 game for Southampton since returning. Nisbet has been struggling with injuries, Jacob Brown is another who is not a prolific scorer.

That leaves Shankland who started the season slowly but has been playing very well of late. Good feet and heid but slow and at 28 hasn't played at a higher standard of football than he currently is. A typical Shankland headed goal against Georgia. Scored a couple of similar trademark headers recently against Rangers and Motherwell. He will get a chance now.

All of the above players are aged 25-28 so they will be fighting it out for Scotland striker selection for another 4 years with 18 years old Ben Doak waiting in the wings to possibly jump ahead of them all In a couple of seasons time.
 
Georgia currently drawing with Spain. Need them (Georgia) to win and Scotland for us to gain a seeded place. Both games 1-1, McGinn scoring our penalty.
 
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