Gribz

I wasn't meaning our formation, I was meaning formations in general. And I was suggesting we change ours.

3-0 is a cuffing. 1 point from Lithuania and Slovenia. Total sackable results. Strachan is making Levein seem appealing and Levein makes me puke. Malta are the only team Scotland will beat again in this group. England at Wembley next, they are in their worst situation also but they should still win that easily.

I would say bring back Big Eck if Scotland don't win tonight. 7 games to go after tonight. The uplift he would give would be huge so long as he has a respected number 2 and not Andy Watson. He would get a result at Wembley IMO.

There is one thing having everyone fit and available but id like to see a change in formation I think that could be the difference in turning good football into wins. We need to go on a winning streak in the league of 5 games. 4-5-1 is what we should play IMO. Call me old school but I hate this 4-1-4-1 or 4-1-3-2. Football has 3 outfield sections defence, midfield, attack. This defensive midfield and attacking midfield numbers are garbage. Going forward 4 of the midfield 5 are assisting in attack. I think MW is still working out his best team because he hasn't had enough opportunity to play the likes of Dodoo with Waghorn etc.

Leaving the extended ban to the last minute seems to be a tactic aswell. The club could have done so earlier I would imagine but JB was obviously preparing to make his was back north as this came out.

Didn't realise he was with us for 2 and half years. Only felt like around 1 year for some reason. Perhaps a tad young to remember. Ray is a Gent and a half. Was surprising to hear recently about his alcoholism issues.

All classics listed on the OP post. All 3 of these were great in this game. The football for the second goal sublime. And Laudrup destroying the defence at the end.....

I could be here all day writing about the state of it. But you only have to look at the state of the game in general in Scotland to see its rubbing off on the leagues and the national side. Its been on a decline for 15 years now. Until absolute reform from top to bottom of the organisations is done then don't expect anything to improve. League reform to 2 divisions and summer football is the first thing needing done then having people who know a thing about the game in charge. Qualification is actually getting easier these days as N Iron, Wales, Iceland etc can all vouch for. The WC qualifying groups throw up Italy and Spain together and France with Netherlands making it difficult for some of the better sides but Scotland seem to be the only country that finds it more tricky.

Strachan has lost it. His selections were baffling. Drawing against Lithuania at home in a group where 6 points from them was needed is a disgrace. Drawing with Slovenia and Slovakia away was affordable draws but now one of them is a must win.

The only good thing read so far is he has done a 10 day boot camp in Qatar. That would have been gruelling and he would easily have gained fitness with that. Plus in the heat means in a cooler climate he will gain another 10-20%. But its a waiting game now. Its up to MW to see what he decides. You get the impression he could come back but in 6 weeks time we may have another Joey story.

Yep. The guy is an honest professional and did well to come back from a bad illness but shouldn't be picked on the basis of reputation.

Agreed. He would get blown over by the wind. He had a few tricks up his sleeve but never really had end product or showed it consistently.

Should come through. But far from gimmies. Poland have improved over the years but Denmark are one of these teams who can win matches on any day. I don't bet on international games now, I cant get accumulators here on them, only singles and correct scores etc. To get a decent win you need a good 6 or 7 teams during the qualifiers.

Despite going to Perth 4 or 5 times a year Ive never taken a game in. Ive watched a few on TV but like you say its not top notch football. I think the Asian Champions League is good entertainment though. The best of China, S Korea, Japan mixing it with the A league. The A League is a bit like the MLS 10 years ago but unfortunately I don't think it will get the financial backing the Amercians have got. The boost for Aussie football was the National side avoiding having to play the world cup play off against the 5th best South American side so they can get to the finals now.

Its interesting to read older posters of that time. Like Frankie mentioned it is slightly too early for me to comment. I do recall a lot of Scottish football in general from 1983/4 onwards even at the age of 4 and 5 but its mainly cup finals, internationals and European games. Between late 70s until Souness came I wouldn't like to comment on the baron spell. But it goes in circles. Once we regained supremacy Celtic then had their horrendous spell between 1991-1998 with the exception of a couple of cup finals one which they lost to Raith. There was then a short period where it seemed to be 2/3 seasons for Rangers at the top then 2/3 for Celtic until 2012. I cant for one minute believe the late 70s early 80s could compare to our last 4 years going through the divisions. It usually takes a max of 7 or 8 seasons for the circle to end so we probably should expect it to take us 2 seasons back in the top flight before we are champions again.

This can maybe get moved to footie chat if felt necessary. I agree with Craig Walter Smith got the national team back on track and was the ideal manager. He would have continued that good work had the gers job not came about again. McLeish had a fantastic campaign and carried the baton. I think it was also unlucky Eck wanted to go back to club management as I think international management would suit him more as he is a good man motivator which is what you need at international level. There shouldn't be much coaching required at international level as they are the best of what a country can offer, it should be about square pegs square holes. Just had a look at the Scotland squad. I couldn't barely recognise a players face if I met them in the last couple of years but it seems this squad is getting a bit stronger again. Its certainly nothing like as strong as we have had in the 80s and 90s but I would say its an improvement from Vogts, Burley and Levein. Those 3 had a few good individuals but the overall side was poor. Looking at the squad below, we have 2 good keepers, its a shame McGregor's game has disappeared as adding him with Marshall and Gordon all at their best provided great competition. The defence is still as weak as Ive ever seen it, the full backs are OK but the days of world class centre halfs are gone. It seemed to be the one position we could always produce a top player from when I started watching football. We were lucky with Miller, McLeish, Gough, Hendry, Weir etc. Hansen was supposed to be one of the best in Europe but only got 26 caps. And as per mentioned in the other thread about Rangers in the 80s Dundee Utd were a force and had Hegarty and Narey who nowadays would be in the squad. Id even take Colin Calderwood and Matt Elliott right now who were given a lot of games. I am actually surprised at the decent options in midfield and going forward now. There seems to be a good blend. Its not top half of the Premier League but a mix between bottom half and top end of Championship. Morrison, Burke, McArthur and McKay would start for me with Snodgrass playing off Griffiths.

That's certainly a better defence that we have now. In midfield Lambert and McCann are easily better individuals than the current squad offer.

Id take any squad from the 90s right now. Goram, Leighton, Gough, Hendry, Lambert, McAllister, Ferguson, Burley, Collins, McCann, Hutchison, McCoist, Durie would all pick themselves right now. The international break is quite boring although the draw for these qualifiers has a few good games. Italy v Spain and Holland v France in the same group is worth watching.

Its quite heartbreaking news for someone to go to a football match and lose a life in a crash like that, it just shouldnt happen. Thoughts straight to his family.

The table is shaping up nicely. City had an off day, Spurs are clicking and Liverpool are cruising. Arsenal grind out a win and that keeps their momentum going. But just as its getting good the international bore week comes around. 2 weeks time Man Utd go to Anfield, that should be a belter.

Rangers 2-0 Partick T Miller FGS

Allardyce is a plonker for doing this. Why would they even put any trust into agents in the first place. I think the FA want Wenger badly and may wait for him next year.

Found a link. Is it just me or is the microphones at the rangers end being pulled? Shit game so far though.

Can someone PM me a link to the game...I cant believe TV here has just pulled the game and showing Italian games instead

Still to see what Garner brings to the team though. MOH is a runner. Id have had Miller in ahead of him. Im hoping Garner proves me wrong today but I feel he is a bad selection and signing.