Thanks Flasher. Wondered where you were with this last week and I don't know how to set up polls.
My team matches the one above so far except I had Strachan in instead of Bremner.
The full backs are easy for me but the centre backs are a very difficult choice.
Tommy Gemmill on the left. He's the only out and out LB I see on that list but having seen vids of the Lisbon Lions I felt he was one of the most impressive players on show there. Not for his goal or his tackling but more because he looked like a modern day wing back who could get forward, support the attack, and he appeared very comfortable on the ball. Lovely wee shimmy he had too.
On the right, McGrain without a doubt. Very consistent player, good on the ball and could tackle. A stick on when fit for the Scotland team when I was growing up. It was often said (probably in Scotland) that he was the best right back in the world. That was taking it a bit far but he was very good none the less for many years for club and country.
Centre backs. Very tough choice because little to choose between four or five of them for me. Yes, nobody could argue with the McLeish/Miller partnership but I disagree that Hansen was pish for Scotland. Maybe the Hansen/Miller incident clouding your judgement there Wee? He was also the most elegant of all the Scottish centre backs and a terrific club player for what was then the most successful club side in Europe. So leaving aside personalities and his Match of the Day nonsense
Alan Hansen is in for me as I love to see a central defender who can do a lot more than just heid the ba or get stuck in. Maybe a slightly sentimental one this but I have some very fond memories of
Gordon McQueen as a centre half for Scotland.
He was fantastic in the air and was able to chip in with a few crucial goals from corners, etc. His strength in the air would nicely compliment Hansen's skills on the ground I think.
I agree on the points about Bremner (because Souness was a mighty ballwinner) and also that the Archie Gemmill thing is a bit coloured by one amazing goal that everybody in Scotland has seen. He was a great wee player but I think there are others on the list who were better and Rioch or Masson were probably regarded as better players than Gemmill prior to that magical moment.
However, McQueen a puddin? Hae a word wi yersel! Are you sure you're not focussing on his Sky Sports performances? Played for years for two of the best sides in England during that era and went from Leeds to Man U for about 500k which was a massive fee in 1978. One of the biggest fees England had ever seen at the time if I remember correctly. Also scored 5 goals in 30 games for Scotland which is not at all bad for a defender - indeed most of our strikers would struggle to reach that figure now.
