Originally Posted by
Kingdom
The scottish back 4 v Poland was
Hutton --- Greer ------ (R) Martin --- Whittaker
-----------------Long/Keane------------------
McClean ------- Hoolahan ------- McGeady
That' a back 4 we should be making hay against. I reckon there is potential for trouble with McClean and Hutton. Hutton's a vicious b'tard at the best of times and a geat wind-up merchant. McClean's a hot-head, and if he can be lucky to stay on the pitch against Gibraltar then he's bound to be in trouble against that pleb. McGeady could really turn the screw on either side.
I've seen a bit of Greer for Brighton and I just can't believe he's playing cb for them. Added to Russell MArtin there are goals for us there. They'll be susceptible to balls on the deck, in bhnind them, and a bit of pace. Even if Hanley comes back into the team (assuming he's injured?) I don't think it changes much.
It's in midfield where it'll be won or lost. If Darren Fletcher is fully fit again, I just cannot see him being left out, most likely at the expense of James Morrison, a player I really like, and I think he' the ability to hurt us. Scott Brown is decent, but truth be told, I see him potentially a weak link for them, and I wouldn't have him in our team ahead of Whelan, Gibson or McCarthy. It's likely - all things considered - that Naismith will occupy the area just off the striker, and how we cope with that intricacy will decide the tie (probably). He was never a world beater, but he has become crucial to both Everton and Scotland, and it's testament to both the player himself and Martinez that he's developed into the cog that he's become.
There is an aspect of our play that I struggle to come to terms with, always under Trap, but continued with under O'Neill - that we cede possession to so many teams so easily, and we seemingly set up our team for when the opposition has the ball, rather than for when have possession. Obviously it is early days in the tenure, and they've had one impossibly tough assignment to the world champions. I'm a big fan of Whelan in how we set up presently, but in a system whereby we maximise the players at our disposal in an offensive manner, then I think Whelan becomes slightly surplus to requirements.
There are few better holding midfielders in Britain than McCarthy, but he excels in a system of 3 whereby there are two sitters, with one of the two allowed progress if the situation demands it. I'd expect Scotland will play two natural midfielders in Brown and Fletcher, in which case we'll almost certainly be handing the initiative to them if we pick both Whelan and McCarthy to sit. So I think that is one riddle O'Neill has to work out.
Full-back is going to be crucial too, because they are decent going forward. Anya isn't a great technician (I don't think so anyway) and is definitely weak tracking back, but man is he quick. Maloney is very inconsistent, but he has the potential to hurt, and is a bit magic close to the box on set-pieces too. I'd pray to St ANthony that Coleman is fit. I think defensively Ward was excellent against Germany, and what stood out is that defensively he kept it simple. He held his line excellently, kept the body open enough for the slide-pass behind without getting caught ball-watching, made proper tackles and interceptions and cleared his lines properly. From a defensive point of view, it was almost flawless.
Scotland could line up like
-------------------Gordon ---------------
Hutton--- Greer/Hanley -- Martin---Whittaker
Maloney ---- Brown -- Fletcher ----- Anya
-----------------Naismith----------------
-----------------Fletcher-----------------
If we were to line up below, I think we've a great chance of taking three points.
----------------Forde--------------------
Coleman----OShea---Wilson-----Ward
McGeady --McCarthy-Gibson -- McClean
---------------Hoolahan-----------------
--------------Keane/Long---------------
Bookmarks