alexscottislegend

That's how I am with Scotland. Or has our modern generation (treacherous McGeadies apart) no patriotic feeling at all now? If so it would help to explain why we are tumbling down the world rankings.

A good article, Frankie and not much to argue about but one thing continues to puzzle me. Why is it always assumed that Scotland is the only country where kids have stopped playing sport in favour of computer games and where the burger culture rules? It's as if they do not have these things in England, but I can assure you they do, and in Europe as well. Yet their (England's) academies seem to be producing a conveyor belt of indigenous talent (witness the schoolboy international last night) in spite of all the distractions. It cannot simply be a question of money. And I also keep hearing about one governing body as the answer to our ills. They have just as many bodies down here. Here's a novel thought, for what it's worth. Many of the best English talent seems to be of West Indian/mixed race stock (Defoe, Ferdinand et al) as a result of the Windrush immigration in the sixties. For some odd reason, very few of them settled in the West of Scotland, so we have comparatively fewer black players. Strange, considering Glasgow's links with Jamaica. As I say, just a thought.

I do concede that LM has his uses as a utility player; it's just that I can't stand the thought of our 'quality' players performing well for anyone else. I'm jealous of the way BF and Adam are playing at the moment, for example.

Mendes and Davis may have been inconsistent, but the fact that they would still command interest form some EPL clubs is for me a reason to keep them - or else we just shelve our ambitions. They do have some sort of ability in the arts of passing, shooting and moving - all things we have been missing lately. If they are not performing to capacity - well, that is the coaches' jobs is it not - to get the best out of them?

We've been here before. I can recall being one of the 5,000 (yes, 5,000) who saw us defeated 1-0 by Morton in a league game in the seventies. Gers fans have always been, shall we say, 'choosy.' Bit like Tottenham fans in fact. And I'm worried we'll end up like that. If the SPL is our ambition now, heaven help us. We would have no need of 50,000 every week.

It's time to give some young guys a decent chance they can't do any worse than these imposters. I'd love nothing more but it does seem to me that all our most promising youngsters don't play in the positions where we really need strengthening - i.e. wide midfield and right back. Unless maybe Shinnie is ready, perhaps he could play there, I dunno.

Apologies for that. Please feel free to merge. I forgot about Naismith. Just cannot make my mind up on him. Novo I would keep, but I meant certain first team starter material. For me he's the ideal sub. I think we'll get quite a lot of unanimity actually.

I ask the question because it is now clear that the Unirea result was not some kind of freak result, but rather what we should have expected. I've been thinking about who is expendable and who we need to keep hold of for the time being. By 'good enough' I mean at the Euro level, not the woeful SPL standard. Being ruthless I can only say the following are indispensable: McGregor, Wilson, Papac, Davis, Mendes, Boyd and Fleck. So - we need a right back, a centre half to replace Weir and two wide midfielders. Everybody else in the squad is just not up to standard. IMO only those 7 are good enough to from the core of our team. It gives me no pleasure to write off Thomson and Lafferty for instance, but what is needed now is a cool, hard look. I have not even mentioned who would fetch a good transfer fee, because for me that is another matter entirely. I am just talking about what we should do with a clean slate.

A good article. Boyd has certainly improved. However, I think some of the abuse is being generated because Kris refuses to say just simply that he will play for Scotland - giving the impression that he wants to wait and see who the new man is before making a commitment. This really is an unacceptable stance. While I understand his position over Burley, it is not for players to make pre-conditions.

A 'chav' for the Bhoys. Pity they couldn't team him up with Rafael Scheidt.

And "Oireland fail to qualify for WC". Poor, wee McGeady.

Can you imagine if Boyd had scored 5 in the SPL? They'd be saying what a weak league it must be to produce such a score. The EPL is a league of 2 leagues.

Wasn't it absolutely wonderful to see them given a taste of their own medicine - that is, scoring two late goals to win. And United didn't actually play at their best! IMO Dundee U are now the biggest threat to our title.

If that is really true, it's good news is it not? Not like MF to post without comment, or is the silence to be taken to indicate that there is more smoke and mirrors?

Yes - that's how desperate we are. Though, to be honest, I think our priority has to be another centre back.

I didn't know the beeb was Oirish. :fish:[/quote] That's something I've always pondered. The RoI is a foreign country every bit as much as Germany or France, yet their footy squad gets at least as much airtime and space as Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland, if not more. Just because they are our neighbour, and have thousands of expatriates living here is no reason to pander to them. otherwise, why don't we get the same coverage for, say, the Polish national team?

A good post and I agree with all the points. All it has really proved is the case for tennis -type video technology. We would be in some state though if every player 'owned up' after such an incident; the ref's authority would be undermined as his decision is meant to be final, rightly or wrongly. The diving nonsense is a slightly different issue as it is clearly pre-meditated, whereas Henry's actions were in all probability, instinctive.

Much as I loved it, I can't help thinking how I would have felt if it had happened to Scotland. IMO it was worse than the Maradona thing for two reasons: 1) Argentina scored a wonder goal after the incident to show the better team won anyway; 2) This one happened far too near the end of the game realistically for anything to change. Cruel. But glad RoI, made up as they are of impostors under the grandparents' rulings, are out.

Now I can be hypocritically magnanimous - poor ould Ireland.

Yeh, but shouldn't France have had a penalty? Mind you I know how I'd feel if it were Scotland. McGreedy on now - look out for diving .

1-1 now!! Oh what a pity, brave Oirish!! Poor auld McGeedy.

"Blue Rose of Govan" - that should be a song!

Well, Boogie, now you've got what you want and you're in a good mood, how about giving a wee bit of attention to the team that pay your wages. I know you'll be tired on Saturday, poor soul, but maybe you could see your way to giving the benefit of your experience to young Mr. Wilson?

Oh god, no. Used to support the RoI but now that they are financed by a director of C****c and include - even on the bench - traitor McGreedy, I hope they get pumped tonight.

"Most Oppressed People Ever" - think Ian uses it ironically.