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To compare, we played Poland plus Lewandowski and it was 50/50, an encouraging enough display, despite some dogged defending at the end. Scotland got a result from their just about their only chance. Scotland on the rise is a theory.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Here is a balanced opinion from a Scottish football writer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26463457
Extract:
It feels wrong to get overly buoyant about what is clearly an upturn in performance and, more importantly, results.
But equally, for too long the nation's football writers have had to deal in doom and gloom. The desire to wax lyrical about the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Scotland could qualify for a major tournament is difficult to contain.
Looking at it coldly, the past two victories have come in friendlies, won by a solitary goal when the overall team performance was less than scintillating.
Certainly the second half against Poland was better from the Scots but, by Gordon Strachan's own admission, there has been too little for the opposing defence and goalkeeper to do.
That's despite the players admitting that under Strachan they have been given more opportunity to get forward and try to put the opposition under pressure rather than concentrating on not losing.
Old habits die hard, perhaps, but we should accentuate the positive while we can.
Not only do these players look like they are learning the ability to grind out results, they look infinitely more comfortable in possession than they did this time a year ago.
Think back, even to Strachan's first competitive game in charge at home to Wales.
Scotland players couldn't get rid of the ball quickly enough, and they didn't seem overly concerned about where they passed it. Too often possession was turned over to the opposition, immediately putting the Scots on the defensive.
Impressive results aside, if this guy is right the team is making progress on several fronts but there is some way to go before it's evidence that it's sufficient progress.
That said, it'd be nice to see the same sort of progress in our game. We can see it in parts I suppose.
Fair point, but Strachan has been in position for that bit longer, to identify his best players and cleared out some of the previous dead wood which may well put the Scots in a better position in the short-term.
My pal, with the FAI contacts, reckons the Georgia (Spain & France both struggled to get any sort of results there in the latest WCQ's) and Scotland/Alba away matches will be key games in sorting out our likelihood of qualification. Obvious that might seem, but in all seriousness, we have to sort out our very mediocre home 'form' which currently makes only wins over Georgia and the colonial theme park look seriously realistic.
And let's not forget that Italy scraped through with 2 own goals in Georgia, just how lucky can you get?
Trap picked up wins against 4th and 5th seeds, like candy from a baby. I'd expect MON can at least manage a few points :)
Have we beaten a team that is better than Poland or Scotland in a competitive game over the last ten years? Debatable.
We only have to finish ahead of those perennial plodders, like we finished ahead of 2nd seeds Bulgaria and Slovakia and if we have to win, we can surely beat them at home, like we beat Armenia, world class on their day.
Both Naismith and Snodgrass doing enough in recent weeks to show they can be more than a handful for Ireland.
And Ross McCormack seems to score a hat-trick every week in the Championship.
We'd be waxing lyrical if we had players performing that well.
McCormack has 27. Rhodes has 20. Bryson has 15.
McCormack alone has more goals than Murphy, Cox, Sammon, Best, Keogh, Madden and Hunt put together.
They have at least half-a-dozen players in the Championship and Dundee United alone who are destined for greater things.
Who do we have? PL interest in Hendrick has never went beyond paper talk, Murray hasn't pushed on yet and other youngsters have progressed sooner than Carruthers, Grealish and Burke at Villa. Furthermore, Byrne and Drennan are not scoring goals at L1 and L2 level (I know, early days).
It's quite depressing.
We have two strikers scoring goals in the Premier League and Robbie Keane. I wouldn't be too depressed that we don't have to rely on Steven Fletcher and Craig Bryson.
Bit harsh on Hendrick there. He's doing just fine for now. The others in that last paragraph are too young to pass judgment on. And the Irish journeymen are a bit of a red herring. The Scots have journeymen in and around their squad too!
Yeah not much sense in taking the best of the Scots and comparing them to the worst of the Irish. I'm sure they're looking at us and thinking they wouldn't mind having Coleman, Wilson, Gibson, Hoolahan, Keane, McCarthy, ahem, McGeady, ahem ahem.
Scotland's Naismith in rational and fair assessment shocker
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26964687
Not to mention what he says about Martinez which is interesting in its own right.
Just had to have a chuckle:DQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Scotland are up to 22nd in the latest FIFA rankings, having risen 15 places: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26967553
How in the name of God are Scotland 22nd in the World? (rhetorical!) It really is a bizarre system. They've just come off a campaign where Wales did the double over them and were never in contention for even a playoff spot. At least we flirted with the idea for a while.
Chris Martin has been called up for Scotland.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27371603
25 goals in 50 games this season.
Has looked very good season with derby ,looks like a good acquisition by the scots
Well it's clear what we have to do. We have to see their three Derby players and play all FOUR of ours. Keogh and O'Brien at the back, Hendrick in midfield and Super Conor Sammon up front. Is Saul Deeney still there? Make it five, goalkeeper.