Thank you, well said.They might be so called technical good footballers, but looking at which clubs they play at, it's clear that they aren't good enough on international level. When Scotland qualified for every World Cup they had players playing for the biggest clubs in England, not least Liverpool, who started with four Scottish players (and had one on the bench) in the 1985 European Cup final. The same year we met Everton in the FA Cup final, with both teams having two Scottish players in their starting lineup, and Everton that season won both the league and UEFA Cup Winner's Cup.
There's been such a massive drop in quality of Scottish players since then, there might be some flashy players in the current squad, but looking at who they play for just shows, that they aren't really that good. Better than Kevin Kyle, but nowhere near Dalglish, Souness, Hansen, Law, Bremner etc. from the past.
Even the Scotland team from '98 (which wasn't a great side) weren't full of players from Championship clubs (Division One clubs back then), they either played in the Premership or for Celtic and Rangers when they were more respectable sides. You even had John Collins winning the league and reaching the CL semi-finals (knocking us out in the quarter-final) with Monaco, just like Paul Lambert had won the CL with Dortmund a year earlier before returning home to Celtic.
International Friendlies May/June
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
You've went away back 20 years and beyond, something I never mentioned. I said in my first post 'for a while' i.e last 10 years or so, hence why I compared the current squad to the squads back in 06-08. Of course the Standard from the 70s and 80s has decreased nobody suggested otherwise..They might be so called technical good footballers, but looking at which clubs they play at, it's clear that they aren't good enough on international level. When Scotland qualified for every World Cup they had players playing for the biggest clubs in England, not least Liverpool, who started with four Scottish players (and had one on the bench) in the 1985 European Cup final. The same year we met Everton in the FA Cup final, with both teams having two Scottish players in their starting lineup, and Everton that season won both the league and UEFA Cup Winner's Cup.
There's been such a massive drop in quality of Scottish players since then, there might be some flashy players in the current squad, but looking at who they play for just shows, that they aren't really that good. Better than Kevin Kyle, but nowhere near Dalglish, Souness, Hansen, Law, Bremner etc. from the past.
Even the Scotland team from '98 (which wasn't a great side) weren't full of players from Championship clubs (Division One clubs back then), they either played in the Premership or for Celtic and Rangers when they were more respectable sides. You even had John Collins winning the league and reaching the CL semi-finals (knocking us out in the quarter-final) with Monaco, just like Paul Lambert had won the CL with Dortmund a year earlier before returning home to Celtic.
In that list in 98 you had a players from Hearts, Aberdeen, Utrecht(bottom half Dutch league) Notts Forest(Championship) and bottom half Prem teams in Leicester, Spurs and Wimbeldon. The recent Scotland squads have had around 15 players who play in the Prem Not to mention the championship in England currently is a strong league. I stand by the original point that the squad as a whole has more technical type players than it has in the last 10 or so years.
The Scotland squad is not full of quality, of course it isn't, but Strachan has failed no matter what as this squad should be at the Euros. Especially when the likes of Ireland, N.I and Albania are!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_national_football_team
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania_national_football_team
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland_national_football_team
N.I current and recent squads. Players from Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Luton,Wigan, Hartlepool, Peterbrough, MK Dons, Dundee United, Ross County, Millwall, Melbourne, Doncaster, Fleetwood, Notts County and Hamilton. Fair to say far lower level than Scotland's squad.
Look at the 'clubs' those three countries players play for, you surely can't believe it's better or stronger than Scotland's? Yet those three were good enough to make the Euro's. The Scotland squad should be making a 24 team European Championship and not blowing it in Georgia.
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you conveniently ignore the quality of the qualifying group.
I dont believe Scotland are in the top 24 of European teams, the players simply arent good enough.
The moment the qualifying group was announced I knew we couldnt qualify, anyone who thought we could has a completely unrealistic view of the players abilities.
I dont believe Scotland are in the top 24 of European teams, the players simply arent good enough.
The moment the qualifying group was announced I knew we couldnt qualify, anyone who thought we could has a completely unrealistic view of the players abilities.
I'm sorry but your completely wrong in saying it was an unrealistic view. Majority of Scotland fans expected us to get third, in-fact after the performances away to Poland and Germany and win at home to Ireland everybody started to say we could finish top 2! I was in the minority who was very unhappy with the draw in Ireland and unfortunately it cost us.
You'd be lying if you didn't think we wouldn't finish in the top 3 if we took 4 points from 6 against Ireland and were unbeaten against Poland. Germany's poor form against Ireland, their late goals and the defeat in Georgia was especially crucial. Ireland didn't deserve to finish above us on performances in my view.
Not sure if your underrating our squad or overrating Poland and Ireland here, but we were the better team than Ireland in both games. Whilst Poland were lucky to snatch a draw at Hampden. It was a failure to not finish third in that group, simple, but we ain't going to agree so may as well just leave it as it is.
You'd be lying if you didn't think we wouldn't finish in the top 3 if we took 4 points from 6 against Ireland and were unbeaten against Poland. Germany's poor form against Ireland, their late goals and the defeat in Georgia was especially crucial. Ireland didn't deserve to finish above us on performances in my view.
Not sure if your underrating our squad or overrating Poland and Ireland here, but we were the better team than Ireland in both games. Whilst Poland were lucky to snatch a draw at Hampden. It was a failure to not finish third in that group, simple, but we ain't going to agree so may as well just leave it as it is.
Interesting to note that 31 players from the Championship will play the Euro against 34 players only from La Liga & 22 from the French league
Who is now the best Scottish player according to you?
10 years ago and a little further back was probably the darkest days of Scottish football in terms of talent, being better than that still isn't good enough to qualify for anything, unless you get a very soft qualifying group like Northern Ireland and Albania got.
Northern Ireland was arguably in the softest qualifying group there was with Romania, Hungary, Greece, Finland and Faroe Islands, Scotland would've probably have qualified from that group too. Albania on paper was in a pretty tough group, but neither us (Denmark) or especially Serbia lived up to our/their potential, although the biggest reason behind Albania qualifying was that they somehow got 3 points for the cancelled match against Serbia, even though the drone was Albanian.
Ireland qualified ahead of Scotland, which probably is as it should be, since Ireland do have a few good players in Coleman, McCarthy, Whelan and Long who plays for top 10 teams in the PL (Everton should be that atleast). Scotland simply don't having any good players atm. as I see it, Fletcher isn't anywhere near as good as he used to be. Andrew Robertson might be someone who can get a good career at a top 10 club in the PL, but you don't get very far if your best player is a left back.
Aaron Ramsey is a blond nowdays..
Is the Wales game on TV?
Ramsey's died his hair to make himself recognisable in the tournament, hasn't he? 
He was invisible for most of the 2nd half of last season in fairness.
He was invisible for most of the 2nd half of last season in fairness.
Czech Republic Vs South Korea not a bad game. Korea winning 2-1 at the moment. The Czechs will trouble precisely no one this month. A total gimme for Spain, Turkey, and Croatia.
Uki Stielike the Korea manager these days. Interesting.
Bad foul. Deserved a yellow.
Koreans doing a good job here of making up for that 6-1 shaming against Spain the other night. Though to be fair their keeper was a catastrophic neophyte.
Son busy up front. Shop window for him. Could see him doing half a job at Leicester if Vardy goes to Arsenal.
Is it me or are there referees these days in better nick than some of the players? This guy in Prague is in absolutely premium physical condition.
Commentator on my stream talking about the racial homogeneity of the Korean team being a real asset. Not sure he should develop that thought.
...still half an hour to go
Nearly an equaliser! Great save.
Some filthy challenges going in from the Czechs. Not nice to watch.
Tell you what the weather in Prague looks great. Lots of empty seats though. Prague must be an excellent place to take in a match.
Sweden up 1-0, great run and assist from Zlatan.
Great goal for Sweden! Ibra with the assist.
Still 2-1 in Prague.
Still 2-1 in Prague.
Ibrahimovic still has it despite his age.
that nutmeg
Just completed his second nutmeg of the match. The guy only breaks sweat when the temperature is abnormally high.
Wales look like they just want the game to end without putting in any effort.
God I hope France don't win the Euros. Please anything but that crapulent outcome.
Suit them down to the ground though, a bunch of fairies dressed in pink. Never seen such a talentless Scotland side.Those Scotland kits are awful
Just watching Sweden, why have they got any less chance of winning it than England?
A lack of quality in most positions, but they do have Zlatan, and he's better than any English player that's for sure.
That's it! It's all over! South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1!
Agreed but if yoy are talking about elite quality we are the same. Don't rate Lallana, Sterling, the full backs etc as elite either. Anyone might beat us.
Great win for South Korea, 2-1.
Could be worth a punt for the Euros?
Let the fishing commence...
Could be worth a punt for the Euros?
Let the fishing commence...
Elite players maybe not, but England still have better players on every position apart from Zlatan's.
You can't get the odds. Bookies have learned their lesson after Leicester.
As we more or less have re. Wales. But they could still turn us over. That's down to England's dodgy talent level as much as anything else.
Absolutely.
Forsberg having a great game