Gribz

I was thinking about the opposition, on paper Wales and N Ireland had far easier groups but it doesn't seem to matter who Scotland get they will still come up short. I wouldn't have been betting on us getting out of a group containing Romania or Bosnia & Hez, those two away would have been the sort of games Scotland would lose. This group was down to having 3 sides all pretty much on par (Rep, Poland, Scotland) and it came down to individual games. Having a head to head better than Ireland is disappointing plus 7 seconds away from a better head to head than Poland shows how fine the margins were. Ireland somehow took 4 points off Germany which is what swang it plus our failure in Georgia. It was a close call.

The two results that we didn't want happened, it was probably obvious. Germany will beat Georgia to win the group although they have left it late. I hope Poland join them.

They always seem to prop up and are a bit boring, but at least there is slight interest this week with things at stake. Its been refreshing to see the likes of austria, iceland and czech rep qualifying with ease plus norn ireland a d wales on the brink. Scotland still in with a good chance although i am not sure who the 9th team is at the moment who would miss out on a playoff, which is extremely harsh. I cant see ireland beating germany so a win v poland practically guarentees 3rd, yet a draw or an ireland win makes it look tricky as ireland and poland could play out a draw in the last game. Its good germany still have something to play for tonight, i hope they put on a real show in dublin, then you wouldnt put it past that happening and scotland losing to poland. The dutch have it all to do in their group, but turkey have two tough fixtures.

Couldn't be anyone else in the manager stakes.

Agreed on all that Calscot. Like you say the likes of Stoke are now established and have probably taken the place of Charlton who used to be a comfortable mid table Premier league side under Curbishley. You only have to look at the Championship in England to see the amount of Mid size to Large clubs who have all played top flight football for a number of years. Blackburn (ex winners although 20 years ago now is scary), Forest, Derby, Sheff Wed, Leeds, Charlton, Middlesboro, Fulham, Bolton to name a few all hovering in the league for years now, and Rangers and Celtic certainly have bigger fan base and stadia than these teams. Its a shame this is probably who we would be competitive with at the moment and I still say a proposal for a 2 tier Premier League is our best chance of entering the English leagues. Where the Arsenal's Man Utds would have wanted us and found us attractive 20 years ago these Championship sides would find us appealing now. The other route down south has to be arguing the case than Swansea, Cardiff and Newport ply their trade in England so why are Scottish teams not allowed.

Agree RE Moyes but this could be an escape for him and a job while he has the chance. All he needs to do is keep Sunderland up then job done.

There was a thread on here the other week about Hughes and I think I was the only one who said he was never good enough. glad someone else thought this also.

Its a poor club, they cant get any stabilisation despite having all the foundations of a big ground and support. Bruce, O Neill, Keane, Poyet, Di Canio..... Allardyce seems a good fit for them or perhaps Moyes.

Timing is surprising, they should have done it in the summer or waited another 5 games as the league doesn't take shape until 10 matches in. Klopp, Ancelotti, De Boer to name a few. Sunderland also looking after Advocaat leaving yesterday. Would Rodgers go there straight away? Moyes, Allardyce and Dyche the early front runners there.

Blistering start and could kind of see it coming after the CL game.

There was an article before the game yesterday on BBC about it being 25 years since Rangers pipped Aberdeen to the title on the final day and 1 game in which cost Aberdeen that year was a freak 5-0 defeat at St Johnstone who were newly promoted, and the chances of that being repeated were extremely slim....no wonder the article ha been taken down

Barca losing at Sevilla, they aren't clicking too well at the moment. Additional big game to add to the above list - Ajax v PSV today.

Wonder if Abramovic will act this week and make a change with Klopp coming in. Didn't think they would lose that game. Talk about a team who's come off the rails.

Its a make shift defence which would be torn apart in any other season or league regularly. Darmain, has been decent. Smalling finally looking like a defender. Blind, would get destroyed against a fully fit Aguero, Costa, Sanchez....and at left back Shaw has had 2 good games then is seriously unlucky with that injury and its Ashley Young now at LB. That's is there for the taken.

Big games this weekend before the international break. Chelsea v Southampton is huge for Chelsea. I think they will nick it as Southampton haven't been the same team. Everton v Liverpool massive for Rodgers, cant see Everton losing it. Arsenal v Man Utd very tough to call. Two poor defences despite 2 world class keepers. Aston Villa v Stoke is a big game down at the bottom. A big weekend of games in Europe also. Sevilla V Barcelona Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid PSG v Marseille Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund Partick Thistle v Dundee Utd

Being sacked by Chelsea and Real Madrid shouldn't mark and x on a CV though under the circumstances, those two go through managers left right and centre unless they win titles and cup every season. Back to Klopp and Ancelotti for Liverpool, Klopp would be the better fit for them IMO although De Boer is now a contender which is an interesting option.

He has no option to go with the amount of money those sponsors put in. It would crash FIFA. That's why I would think there is a lot going on in the background at the moment with the biggest 20 clubs in Europe looking at some sort of breakaway.

Tad harsh on Ancelotti from Chelsea and Madrid. He wont the double at Chelsea but Roman was firing anyone who didn't win the league, Man Utd came back strong the next season. At Madrid he was up against the best footballing team in our generation. Barca were sublime. No excuses to not get the better of Atletico though.

Into the Europa discussion - Liverpool are absolutely shocking. drawing with Carlisle over 120 minutes, drawing with Norwich and Sion, and beat by West Ham. Rodgers position is serious doubt and with Klopp and Ancelotti available they should make the move. If Everton beat them on sunday I can see him going. I thought Rodgers was OK but I heard someone say off the cameras he is a total pleb and if he was made of chocolate he would eat himself as he loves himself.

Similar thread in the football lounge. IMO it will only happen if the Premier League create a Premier League 2nd tier then the teams there would find it attractive playing Rangers and Celtic more than teams like Rotherham (sorry to pick on them). But it would do good for the big clubs like Leeds, Wolves and Sheff Wed to get 5000-6000 away fans in their ground and the TV men would find Rangers v Leeds or Celtic v Middlesboro pretty appealing.

Its very true though, we all hate long ball football, hitting corners into a box is similar.

I can see possibilities of a European League in the not so distant future. I would imagine there would be a Super League A and B in which the OF would be invited into the second tier. With FIFA and UEFA internal issues now It wouldn't surprise me if there was a shadow party being set up behind the scenes right now with the top clubs in Europe having mass input and putting this in place by 2020-2022. As for joining the English league, that ship has sailed. Both OF would need to apply and start in the Conference. Again the only way around this I see is if the Premier League make the Championship in England a Premier League 2 then they would perhaps find Rangers and Celtic more appealing than Rotherham and Huddersfield etc.

Watched a bit of the Man U game, great start by Wolfsburg. Van Gaal thinks man Utd are capable of winning it, I would say they are miles off Bayern and Real at the moment. Although Smalling is finally starting to look like a defender for them.

I think there is enough there to beat Poland which would pretty much guarantee play off spot unless we somehow didn't beat Gibraltar. But Strachan has to play form players this time, playing Fletcher upfront last time out was a mistake. There isn't much between the goalkeepers, at the peak of their form all 3 are top notch. Id go Marshall Whittaker Martin Mulgrew Hutton Anya Brown Fletcher McArthur Maloney Naismith

Week 2, Chelsea and Arsenal both slip up. Something very wrong at Chelsea. I think Mourinho has lost the dressing room after the doctor issue and his comments over players. As for Wenger, what is he thinking not playing Cech. Ok they have Man Utd at the weekend but you cant wrap players up. 5 changes to a winning team. He seems to be putting his eggs into the premier league basket. They wont get out the group now, a double header against Bayern next, they will be lucky to get 1 point. What does he see in Ozil, they guy is undropable and un-sub-able yet does nothing.