Scotland v Lithunia

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Just been told that Strachan described C. Martin performance as "outstanding". Can anyone confirm this?, if true Strachan should go now.

He did indeed.

[Gribz 743]

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.

[Uilleam 5,618]

I watched, for my transgressions, the entire game, courtesy of Messrs Sky Sports. How much were the SFA charging those poor saps who actually attended?

 

Frankly, for a must win game, it was piss poor. In fact it was not merely piss poor, it was Marks' and Spencer's piss poor. In fact, it was not merely Marks' and Spencer's piss poor, it was Nurse Cafferkey's Ebola infected piss poor.

 

On almost immediate reflection, last night, I suggested that it may have been better to lose the match, and, as a consequence, to suffer a quick clean demise, rather than to endure what, ineluctably, seems will be a longer, slower, death of 1000 cuts, or of half a dozen draws (no matter how "brave"). I see, in the bright light of morning, no reason to change my mind.

The National Manager, or Coach, or however he is styled, is clearly struggling. I think he should be retained until failure is unavoidable. During this period of -what?- a year, the SFA should identify a leet of potential candidates, and on The Bauchle's departure, appoint the preferred candidate, giving him (her?) a few dead rubbers to bed in, prior to the next campaign.

 

Of course, a major difficulty is that Red Dwarf, and his partner in crime, represent pieces in rasellikfc jigsaw of influence and control, and any changes in their status will be dependent upon their usefulness, or otherwise, to that particular rat's nest. To expect an appointment without the imprimatur of the King Across the Water, or His Regent at the piggery, may be

startlingly naive.

 

All of this presupposes that I give a damn. Maybe the fact that I have written it means I do.

[Rousseau 9,782]

I'm not sure what Scotland's style is? Someone on twitter rightly said it looks like a ragtag bunch of individuals. As ineffective as Rangers are at the moment, at least there's a recognisable style. The only reason they got the draw was because they resorted to lumping it into the box at every opportunity, even allowing CB's to go forward when there was a free-kick in their own half. In open play they didn't have a scooby!

 

Of course the talent pool is poor, but surely there's a group of players there that someone -- obviously not Strachan -- can fashion a decent team and playing style out of? I always think that a national side should be based on a club side, in terms of style and core of players. Clearly Rangers, and begrudgingly Celtic, are trying to play the game a certain way; why not fashion a team from that? Get Wilson (yes, not the best but he can fit into the style) and McKay in, Tierney, Griffiths, Forrest etc. Bannan can pass the ball well, McArthur is a good worker, Burke has a good future and will learn a hell of a lot more in Germany than in the UK. Surely there is a half-decent team there that can play a better style of football?

Edited October 9, 2016 by Rousseau

[the gunslinger 3,366]

40 quid a ticket.

[alexscottislegend 2,166]

I watched, for my transgressions, the entire game, courtesy of Messrs Sky Sports. How much were the SFA charging those poor saps who actually attended?

 

Frankly, for a must win game, it was piss poor. In fact it was not merely piss poor, it was Marks' and Spencer's piss poor. In fact, it was not merely Marks' and Spencer's piss poor, it was Nurse Cafferkey's Ebola infected piss poor.

 

On almost immediate reflection, last night, I suggested that it may have been better to lose the match, and, as a consequence, to suffer a quick clean demise, rather than to endure what, ineluctably, seems will be a longer, slower, death of 1000 cuts, or of half a dozen draws (no matter how "brave"). I see, in the bright light of morning, no reason to change my mind.

The National Manager, or Coach, or however he is styled, is clearly struggling. I think he should be retained until failure is unavoidable. During this period of -what?- a year, the SFA should identify a leet of potential candidates, and on The Bauchle's departure, appoint the preferred candidate, giving him (her?) a few dead rubbers to bed in, prior to the next campaign.

 

Of course, a major difficulty is that Red Dwarf, and his partner in crime, represent pieces in rasellikfc jigsaw of influence and control, and any changes in their status will be dependent upon their usefulness, or otherwise, to that particular rat's nest. To expect an appointment without the imprimatur of the King Across the Water, or His Regent at the piggery, may be

startlingly naive.

 

All of this presupposes that I give a damn. Maybe the fact that I have written it means I do.

 

Agree with most of what you say but it's not as simple as Strachan being Celtic-minded; for example, Martin has no Celtic links and he would not have preferred Robertson to Tierney if he was. That said, if we drop points v Slovakia it really is all over. Just who replaces him is a problem; wish it could be Lars Lagerback.

[Uilleam 5,618]

40 quid a ticket.

 

Not cheap; and nowhere near value.

Personally, I would not give the SFA couterfeit coin, but the support, whose most prominent trait, admittedly, seems to be masochism, are being milked.

 

And The Bauchle is on what, c 400K GBP? To preside over a shambles ?

[Uilleam 5,618]

Agree with most of what you say but it's not as simple as Strachan being Celtic-minded; for example, Martin has no Celtic links and he would not have preferred Robertson to Tierney if he was. That said, if we drop points v Slovakia it really is all over. Just who replaces him is a problem; wish it could be Lars Lagerback.

 

I think that he would have been sacked (he should have been) after his last flawed, failed campaign, if there was not malign influence at court. It is useful to certain power brokers to keep him in place, it seems. The argument that there is no alternative holds no water, as it rarely does. If Red Dwarf walked under the Cathcart bus tomorrow, would the National XI continue without a Manager/Coach? The argument that there is no one better is flawed, too, if only because he has failed, and shows every sign of failing again. Last night was, for the greater part, a bloody shambles, after all. There must be a reason that the SFA is hell bent on rewarding serial failure.