I’m still looking for an England fan that doesn’t think we’ll get knocked out immediately in the next round. Don’t know where this strawman arrogant England fan comes from, everyone I know thinks we’re shite. The Welsh are more bullish about their chances in this tournament than the English. As for Scotland, nothing to say, it went exactly as everyone expected. Any jibes from the English comes due to the Scotland players dropping to their knees and crying tears of joy after securing a 0-0 draw to one of the crappest performing teams in the competition.
Scotland National Team Discussion
- Thread starter SilentWitness
- Start date
Sometimes it's not meant to be.
It's at this point that I'm fairly certain the English are just being wilfully ignorant now.
Equate it to club football. Both of those squads on paper. Champions League groups. The lesser team goes away, performs brilliantly, gets a point which leaves them in contention with one final game at home remaining. Who wouldn't celebrate that?
And instead of being salty little kids about it, they should probably look at it and realise that that is how highly the Scottish players rate their English counterparts that they were so happy to have got a result against them.
How much was that English midfield worth, you know the one that wee 200k Billy Gimour had in his pocket most of the night? Sorry Im just being salty aswell
Scotland has good players, they’re not San Marino for christs sake. I’d understand if it was the result that got them to the next round, or perhaps even if they’d been battered for 90 minutes and survived. Frankly they should have been frustrated they didn’t win the game.
I generally don't really care about Scotland or international football so tonight's game didn't bother me. Croatia were by far the better team and deserved their win. Scotland deserved to go out. Hire negative dinosaur managers, get shit results. First game at home to Czechia was the one. The most winnable tie in the group and he bottles it, plays one of the biggest diddies I've ever seen up front on his own while guys like Adams and Gilmour are on the bench. Makes no sense. But that's Steve Clarke.
Oh, and turning to Ryan Fraser instead of James Forrest when you need a goal? Good one Steve. Forrest will likely break the 100 career goal mark in the coming season. Fraser has 30.
There was a stat towards the end of the season that showed only Tadic and someone in Belgium had created more chances than David Turnbull in European football last season. And Turnbull only started playing in December... Clarke didn't even use him once.
Oh, and turning to Ryan Fraser instead of James Forrest when you need a goal? Good one Steve. Forrest will likely break the 100 career goal mark in the coming season. Fraser has 30.
There was a stat towards the end of the season that showed only Tadic and someone in Belgium had created more chances than David Turnbull in European football last season. And Turnbull only started playing in December... Clarke didn't even use him once.
They have a few good players. Nothing like their English counterparts.
Tierney and Robertson are the best players in the Scotland team and one of them continually fails to turn up internationally.
Scotland had a Motherwell defender playing against Raheem Sterling ffs.
I just realised you're location says Barry! are you English living in Wales, or Welsh but identify as both?
Defensive? Yes. Boring at times? Yes.
But disciplined? Composed? Confident? Absolutely fecking lutely! Unless you've seen Scotland play over the last twenty odd years it's difficult to explain. But there always used be an aura of "when are we going to feck this up?" That's why I think a lot of people have misunderstood the over the top celebrations after the England draw. It wasn't about the single point against England; it was because we didn't embarrass ourselves. We held our own against a very strong side, even if they were having an off day. And unlike previous years it didn't seem like a happy accident. It seemed like the least we deserved. There was no "we got away with that!" attitude. For the first time in years it felt like "we should've taken them!" For a nation that's been embarrassingly woeful, that's a massive ideological shift.
There's a genuine enthusiasm right now in Scotland about the future of our national side. And it's not clouded by that doubting feeling that it's going to be the same old same old and we'll somehow feck it up. I still think back to old games against Italy or France where we could score a point up until 80 minutes and, almost like a match being struck, every player would panic in the last ten minutes. Because, as in their heads and in ours and our opponents', we were expected to feck it up. When Hutton was smashed in the Scotland penalty box in 2007 and it somehow resulted in a penalty to Italy (still don't understand that decision) the country wide post match commentary was basically a shrug of the shoulders and a "yes it was a shocking decision, but we would've lost anyway".
It might be difficult to understand for English supporters or any other supporters who expect the pinnacle of achievements from their side (which is understandable because, seriously, fecking look at the quality they have). But ours is lower-key, more humble; we just want to see our team play with pride and confidence. Scotland did that in this tournament as it went on. The score cards at the end of the game, and within the confines of the statistics that will remain in years to come for those that browse them online, will say we lost two games and drew one 0-0. But for those who watched it, we'll know that - for the majority of it - we played liked we belonged in a major competition.
I hope it's the jumping point for progression. Players like McTominay, McGinn and especially Gilmour give us hope that we can no longer be that team that people see as an easy three points. Maybe we'll even be seen as a respectable underdog? That'll suit us fine.
Graeme Souness quote of the day!
Unlucky Scotland. Golden chance to get through the group I feel but you have to say the Czech game had to be won. Will be disappointing revisiting it later as there were plenty of chances to win it that were squandered and the goal that killed the tie off was an unexpected strike from 50 odd yards out at absolutely the worst possible time.
Can't help but feel if Clarke had been more positive from the off in that match by going with Adams and Gilmour you'd have been progressing now.
Can't help but feel if Clarke had been more positive from the off in that match by going with Adams and Gilmour you'd have been progressing now.
I know some of the Scots on here must be feeling down this morning, here's a song to cheer you up...
Combination of Dad being English, Welsh mum not giving a shite about sport, and growing up in a part of Wales that may as well have been England. Literally everyone supported England when I was in school. Moved to Cardiff for uni and now live in Barry.
I've always followed Wales, but I've always supported England. Went to pretty much every England home game from about 2002 to 2010/11, and was lucky enough to get to see them in the 2006 WC too.
Wife is Welsh through and through, so Wales have definitely become more of a second team there.
Scotland got one more point than I thought they would, most likely scenario was that they were going to finish bottom and go home as glorious losers.
Yeah, 16 groups of 3 teams, with the top 2 from each group progressing to the first knockout round, which is now a round of 32 instead of a round of 16.
Based solely on current world rankings (and the number of qualifiers allowed from each confederation), the pots would look like this:
Pot 1:
Canada (Host) - Rank 70
USA (Host) - Rank 20
Mexico (Host) - Rank 11
Belgium - Rank 1
France - Rank 2
Brazil - Rank 3
England - Rank 4
Portugal - Rank 5
Spain - Rank 6
Italy - Rank 7
Argentina - Rank 8
Uruguay - Rank 9
Denmark - Rank 10
Germany - Rank 12
Switzerland - Rank 13
Croatia - Rank 14
Pot 2:
Colombia - Rank 15
Netherlands - Rank 16
Wales - Rank 17
Sweden - Rank 18
Chile - Rank 19
Poland - Rank 21
Senegal - Rank 22
Austria - Rank 23
Urkaine - Rank 24
Tunisia - Rank 26
Peru - Rank 27
Japan - Rank 28
Venezuela - Rank 30
Iran - Rank 31
Nigeria - Rank 32
Algeria - Rank 33
Pot 3:
Morocco - Rank 34
South Korea - Rank 39
Australia - Rank 41
Jamaica - Rank 45
Egypt - Rank 46
Ghana - Rank 49
Costa Rica - Rank 50
Cameroon - Rank 55
Mali - Rank 57
Qatar - Rank 58
Ivory Coast - Rank 62
Saudi Arabia - Rank 65
Honduras - Rank 67
Iraq - Rank 68
UAE - Rank 73
New Zealand - Rank 122
Canada (Host) - Rank 70
USA (Host) - Rank 20
Mexico (Host) - Rank 11
Belgium - Rank 1
France - Rank 2
Brazil - Rank 3
England - Rank 4
Portugal - Rank 5
Spain - Rank 6
Italy - Rank 7
Argentina - Rank 8
Uruguay - Rank 9
Denmark - Rank 10
Germany - Rank 12
Switzerland - Rank 13
Croatia - Rank 14
Pot 2:
Colombia - Rank 15
Netherlands - Rank 16
Wales - Rank 17
Sweden - Rank 18
Chile - Rank 19
Poland - Rank 21
Senegal - Rank 22
Austria - Rank 23
Urkaine - Rank 24
Tunisia - Rank 26
Peru - Rank 27
Japan - Rank 28
Venezuela - Rank 30
Iran - Rank 31
Nigeria - Rank 32
Algeria - Rank 33
Pot 3:
Morocco - Rank 34
South Korea - Rank 39
Australia - Rank 41
Jamaica - Rank 45
Egypt - Rank 46
Ghana - Rank 49
Costa Rica - Rank 50
Cameroon - Rank 55
Mali - Rank 57
Qatar - Rank 58
Ivory Coast - Rank 62
Saudi Arabia - Rank 65
Honduras - Rank 67
Iraq - Rank 68
UAE - Rank 73
New Zealand - Rank 122
It was a good chance: this Croatia team was nowhere near their top level and the game was mainly decided by individual quality.
Some of the comments yesterday before the game were mental.
Disappointing to go out but it wasn't last night that was the issue, it was the first game v the Czechs. Croatia just showed their class and experience yesterday and it was a step too far for us. Some selections in the first and third games were disappointing and hopefully the lads learn from the experience. I thought for the most part across 3 games we looked good defensively, just undone at set pieces & crosses (plus two fantastic goals). The other thing is at this level you get punished for missing chances and we have been thoroughly in 2 of the games.
All of that being said, this is the first tournament I can properly remember being involved in and despite the results and outcome, I've loved every minute of it. I seriously hope this is the start of making tournaments regularly, and hopefully some of the young lads coming through can help push us on.
some England fans on a forum that’s known to be negative and self loathing.
don’t take that as a representation of England fans.
everyone I know is pragmatic, is pleased to have got the job done by getting through the group stages - and is now hopeful of seeing an improvement, but realistic about our chances.
Of course we're gonna take the piss. Just like Scotland fans took the piss when they 'won' a draw against England. And like they will next Tuesday when we get inevitably knocked out. It's part and parcel of the game between two rivals. And give it a rest with the inferior team bollocks. Fecking Istanbul beat United this season and didn't celebrate so wildly. And no one can tell me Scotland don't have better players than the Czech Republic. You have players like John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Andy Robertson, Billy Gilmour and Keiran Tierney. All 5 could be argued would make the England first XI or come off the bench.
Scotland celebrate wildly every 2 years when England inevitably get knocked out.
fecking hell at your game against the Czechs there was a Scottish fan in a Hand of God 86 t shirt
Surely you can understand why England fans are enjoying watching Scotland finish bottom of the group and get eliminated?
Really? Never seen that. What do you mean? Parties in the street or jumping around their living room?
If you don't think Scotland celebrate when England get knocked out of tournaments then I don't know what to tell you.
Just never seen them wildly celebrating
Because the Scottish never celebrate England defeats...
Go on the Scots
A troll?
Isn’t that what you English are trying to do in here?A troll?
I meant you pretending to never see Scotland celebrate England getting knocked out.
i'm taking the chance to take the piss out of Scotland yeah, I've had to wait almost 25 years!
Really enjoyed all of the Scottish fans in here giving it, "Well actually, I'm not bothered we're out. In fact, I enjoyed watching us bomb it in the group."
I hadn’t. Thanks for showing me.
@Alex99 here comes the glory supporter
@Alex99 here comes the glory supporter
I've been on 12 hour round trips to see England play the likes of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Andorra and half of my family (including my Dad) are from and live in England, but go off.
@Alex99 here comes the glory supporter
If you're a glory supporter, choosing England is a pretty weird option
Between England and Wales, yeah, wild weird.If you're a glory supporter, choosing England is a pretty weird option
Exactly, go for the glory, you guys smash qualifying fairplay
Yeah I'd hate to go about 70 years without making a World Cup
Explains @Alex99 lovely I think, you must think the same