Hasn't Commons retired from international selection?
I think our forwards are better than their defenders and our first choice defenders are better than their forwards, though Naismith worries me.
What they have that I quite envy is momentum. What I suspect they have that we don't is balance, mainly down to the simple fact that we don't have a natural overlapping left back who can defend decently.
Also how players play for their countries is often quite different to how they play for their clubs.
Look at the North;typically they have an awful team 'on paper', but sometimes get results. We have a better side in theory, but we have been (largely) underperforming for a while, especially at home, as we get too many draws in general.
We either don't score enough goals or can't close games out...just a thought, which will be surprised if that changes soon?
Let's hope MO'N et al, find a miracle cure...
James McArthur on his way to Leicester.
Any team that can omit a powerhouse like Ross McCormack shouldn't have much trouble winning in Germany.
Will take 3 wins of any sort in those next 3 games and anything <3 goals defeat in Germany...
But even then be surprised if that clear cut.
i'd take any kind of win in georgia, but we should be taking care of the other two teams handily enough. gibraltar seem to have been punching above their weight since joining uefa officially but only 2 or 3 of their players are playing outside gibraltar.
georgia on the other hand have players playing in ukraine, russia, holland, belgium... they were competitive in their home games in the last campaign despite only picking up 4 points, beating belarus and drawing with france along with a couple of 0-1 reverses against finland and spain.
ketsbaia has been in charge 5 years now so he knows the ropes. i think it will be a very tough fixture.
Agreed...the Gib.theme park won't take many hammerings but 6 points is a must. Georgia no mugs and the rest we pretty much know about.
As per Trap can see 'better' results away from home, as in the usual draws perhaps, but it's so long since we regularly beat teams of a similar level in tight games at the new Lansdowne, am wondering if those days will ever return...
Yes, I wasn't saying that I expected a good win in Georgia. I'm not really fully expecting a win, more hoping for one, although I think it may be similar to Yerevan.
My point was that a good win in Georgia would give us the momentum that Scotland have picked up. If we won it well it'd show that we probably have finally got our act together.
I agree with the Momentum factor big time
But i dont think no matter how many we put past Oman is signifigantly going to contribute towards us gaining Momentum due to them been so dire.
Ideally a win in Georgia and a scottish loss to Germany the same day , followed by a win at home to Gib - but i would be worried going into the Glasgow game on the back of another German hammering given to us a month beforehand
Think we're capable of individual good results, ie. 'plucky' goalless draws (esp. away from home), but sadly momentum seems to have left the building for good?
Hope I'm wrong, but don't see it changing soon enough even for the vital games next year, hopefully we'll have at least 6 points by the end of the year?
Who've never played together. At least Celtic's have...
Who's never played together?
MON's strongest team...
Doh!
Last edited by back of the net; 28/08/2014 at 5:21 PM.
True, but due to continued player, er, 'apathy', so do Ireland. Or they would, had they ever played together...
Is it that big a deal if all eleven of O'Neill's hypothetical best team haven't played together? 7or 8 probably have and all of the players will have played with most of the others.
I'm not really that sold on your apathy argument either. I think we've moved on from the communications fiasco of the Trap era. I thought the Wilson brother wedding thing was soft, but some would argue that part of the problem is that players like Whelan always do turn up! I don't think the team resonates with the public like it used to, but I can think of a lot of factors other than apathy that can account for that.
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