Scotland v Costa Rica (and Friday's other internationals)

[Sauzee16]

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Don’t think we’ve got a particularly good crop at this level, but no matter what, we should be beating the likes of Andorra etc
Gemmill has brought in Peter Houston as his assistant .....

Fair enough but like you said we should be pumping Andorra. Houston? Sums it up. Actual disgrace.

[Sir David Gray]

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Don’t think we’ve got a particularly good crop at this level, but no matter what, we should be beating the likes of Andorra etc
Gemmill has brought in Peter Houston as his assistant .....

If only the Scotland U21s had the same resources as their Andorran counterparts.

[CockneyRebel]

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My apologies. I didn't understand the point of friendlies until you explained.

Although when you say "it may make friendlies pointless as a whole". Can you explain? Because if the point of a friendly is "for a manager to assess options", how can they be pointless?

It becomes pointless if too many players are used - have a plan/strategy in mind and play the team you feel can implement it, then you might learn something. Giving 16 or more players a run out gets you no further forward IMO. I'm not so daft that I can't see that too many friendly games appear to be a complete waste of time (changing the whole team at half etc.). I am not defending the way they are used but they could/should be a useful exercise if used more wisely.

[brog]

TBH, really nothing has changed in the 50/60 years I've spent watching Scotland. Average OF players get caps before outstanding non OF players. Alex Cropley 2 caps, King Pat 16, Roy Aitken 57 & Tommy Boyd 72 sums it up for me. Then we have the Anglo perspective. For many years it was said that a Scottish duck became a swan as soon as they crossed the border. Again nothing has changed. 10 English based players started last night & with the exception of the outstanding Andy Robertson there was little to excite, & I support the inclusion of Ritchie & Paterson. McD & McT ambled about the midfield hitting square passes to each other & McB was like Simon Murray without as good a first touch! No shape, structure, cohesion or long term vision. It was ever thus! To paraphrase our marketing slogan of a few years back, The future is sh*te!

[GreenCastle]

I was under the impression friendlies also affect FIFA ranking points ?

Which affects seeding for tournaments ?

[Sauzee16]

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I was under the impression friendlies also affect FIFA ranking points ?

Which affects seeding for tournaments ?

I think it’s marginal otherwise we could just play the Farris and San Marino ever friendly. This new tournament against Albania & Isreal will count more forwards rankings for the actual Euros and WC draws.

[bingo70]

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It becomes pointless if too many players are used - have a plan/strategy in mind and play the team you feel can implement it, then you might learn something. Giving 16 or more players a run out gets you no further forward IMO. I'm not so daft that I can't see that too many friendly games appear to be a complete waste of time (changing the whole team at half etc.). I am not defending the way they are used but they could/should be a useful exercise if used more wisely.

Exactly what I am thinking and a good post.

‘Getting to see players’ is only of any use if they’re surrounded by players who are likely to be starting most games. Making wholesale changes and playing such an inexperienced side makes it completely pointless.

Imo there should be the core of the team you’d expect to start if it was a competitive game, a couple of other experiments to give people a game makes sense but imo last night was completely pointless and a total waste of time.

Said it last night but McLeish wouldn’t have learned one thing from last nights game.

[Brightside]

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I was under the impression friendlies also affect FIFA ranking points ?

Which affects seeding for tournaments ?

It does... we should be playing friendlies against dross.

[Just Jimmy]

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It does... we should be playing friendlies against dross.

we are the dross that people play friendlies against.

mctominey and mcginn should have been tried in the usual team that would start. if Griffiths isn't fit then someone else should start for him.

bring others as subs.

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[Blaster]

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Exactly what I am thinking and a good post.

‘Getting to see players’ is only of any use if they’re surrounded by players who are likely to be starting most games. Making wholesale changes and playing such an inexperienced side makes it completely pointless.

Imo there should be the core of the team you’d expect to start if it was a competitive game, a couple of other experiments to give people a game makes sense but imo last night was completely pointless and a total waste of time.

Said it last night but McLeish wouldn’t have learned one thing from last nights game.

Spot on

[Billy Whizz]

What was the attendance at Hampden last night?

[Leithenhibby]

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we are the dross that people play friendlies against.

mctominey and mcginn should have been tried in the usual team that would start. if Griffiths isn't fit then someone else should start for him.

bring others as subs.

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Unfortunately true...

[Leithenhibby]

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What was the attendance at Hampden last night?

According to the Scotsman - 20,488

"The wisdom of staging such a less-than-glamorous friendly at Hampden rather than a smaller stadium elsewhere in the country was always debatable. When even with the hundreds of free tickets handed to schoolchildren the attendance was only 20,488, that folly was fully exposed. It was expected that McLeish’s first game, and his fresh-looking squad, might put a few on the gate. It probably did. Only very few, alas".

[Smartie]

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Exactly what I am thinking and a good post.

‘Getting to see players’ is only of any use if they’re surrounded by players who are likely to be starting most games. Making wholesale changes and playing such an inexperienced side makes it completely pointless.

Imo there should be the core of the team you’d expect to start if it was a competitive game, a couple of other experiments to give people a game makes sense but imo last night was completely pointless and a total waste of time.

Said it last night but McLeish wouldn’t have learned one thing from last nights game.

You could drive a bus through the centre of that defence - that area must be changed.

Patterson is a good attacking threat but suspect defensively. Worth persevering with though, in what has become a problem position for us.

That midfield didn't work at all and should not be repeated in a competitive match. There are midfield places up for grabs.

Andy Robertson is the real deal, and we must find a way to play both him and Kieran Tierney.

McBurnie looks raw, far from the finished article but at least looks like he wants to be there (unlike Cairney - a player of great reputation and promise who looked lost and hopeless and seriously harmed his chances of being considered for a prominent role in forthcoming games).

Leigh Griffiths is hugely important to Scotland's fortunes - with him fit we look a different team, without him we struggle.

It is hard to argue that the team shouldn't be built around the core of Celtic players who play week in week out together, including Champions League games (THE highest level, not playing against Burnley and Swansea every week).

Maybe the English Championship isn't where we should be looking for all of our International talent. Players playing week in week out in the Scottish league, playing consistently well and enjoying their football may be just as good at transferring their form to International level as players who just about hold their own in a grossly over-rated league?



That's what I took out of it. Just one of five (?) friendlies before we play a "proper" game again.

If McLeish learns then it's been worthwhile. I like McLeish, always have. He was a good manager for us, a good manager for Scotland and I think he'll do fine, even if he had a ropey team selection and limp performance in his first friendly in charge.

[Mikey]

N Ireland v S Korea coming up on Sky 424. Kick off is 2pm.

[Calidad]

Thankfully I didn’t get get to watch the game last night, but I’m not surprised that it was uninspiring, especially with Eck at the helm.

I think Tierney needs to play LB, and Robertson LM. Perhaps in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

After Leigh though, the options up front look nigh on woeful.

Patterson, McGinn, Hanlon, Armstrong, McGregor etc need to be given opportunities to play themselves into international football whilst they’re still comparatively young. They could form a decent core in years to come. But by sticking with the never-has-beens, they’ll never get that chance to develop.

Why can’t a single Scotland manager in recent years grow sold balls and shakeup the Scotland side by injecting youth and taking some risks?

[Sauzee16]

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Thankfully I didn’t get get to watch the game last night, but I’m not surprised that it was uninspiring, especially with Eck at the helm.

I think Tierney needs to play LB, and Robertson LM. Perhaps in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

After Leigh though, the options up front look nigh on woeful.

Patterson, McGinn, Hanlon, Armstrong, McGregor etc need to be given opportunities to play themselves into international football whilst they’re still comparatively young. They could form a decent core in years to come. But by sticking with the never-has-beens, they’ll never get that chance to develop.

Why can’t a single Scotland manager in recent years grow sold balls and shakeup the Scotland side by injecting youth and taking some risks?

Hanlon is close to 30 and not good enough. It’s the same with Hearts fans calling for that Souter boy to play when he reminds me on Hanlon about 7 years ago. Both good players but not internationalists.

[Calidad]

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Hanlon is close to 30 and not good enough. It’s the same with Hearts fans calling for that Souter boy to play when he reminds me on Hanlon about 7 years ago. Both good players but not internationalists.

Who are our international quality CB’s?

[Sauzee16]

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Who are our international quality CB’s?

Berra and Hanley are about the best we have at this current time. I would also suggest Martin and Tierney if need be. Hendry Lindsay and the sheep lad are very good prospects.

[Mikey]

Cracking free kick there from Northern Ireland to equalise.

[SeanWilson]

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Costa Rica are ranked 26th in FIFA rankings - qualified for the World Cup ahead of USA and others...not sure why people are so surprised we failed to win in the first outing of a new squad...thought it was a reasonable performance tbh - particularly with lots of change in the squad..

Because, it's seemed fairly obvious that with a different formation and personnel, we'd have beat them quite easily?

[brog]

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Hanlon is close to 30 and not good enough. It’s the same with Hearts fans calling for that Souter boy to play when he reminds me on Hanlon about 7 years ago. Both good players but not internationalists.

Paul Hanlon turned 28 in January, that's not nearly 30.. Russell Martin who you propose in another post is 32. I would take Hanlon before any of our centre backs last night.

[bigwheel]

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Because, it's seemed fairly obvious that with a different formation and personnel, we'd have beat them quite easily?

that's such an easy thing to say and impossible to prove other than hindsight management views...the fact is they are a higher performing international side than us, and therefore the assumption that we should win is flawed.

secondly, it's a friendly - it was simply about McLeish seeing what he had and trying a few things out - the score is irrelevant..other than those who want to make a "thing" of it..

[Sauzee16]

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Paul Hanlon turned 28 in January, that's not nearly 30.. Russell Martin who you propose in another post is 32. I would take Hanlon before any of our centre backs last night.

I was talking in reply to giving youth a chance at the back. Hanlon is a fantastic Hibs player and I would say captain until his career is through and a fine one he’s had but I don’t think he’s international class. Russell Martin is a better defender imo.

[SeanWilson]

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that's such an easy thing to say and impossible to prove other than hindsight management views...the fact is they are a higher performing international side than us, and therefore the assumption that we should win is flawed.

secondly, it's a friendly - it was simply about McLeish seeing what he had and trying a few things out - the score is irrelevant..other than those who want to make a "thing" of it..

I get all the excuses people are chucking about, however the reality is - this was his first match in charge of the national side, there should have been a statement of intent, friendly or not. The selection was nothing short of bizarre.

[bigwheel]

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I get all the excuses people are chucking about, however the reality is - this was his first match in charge of the national side, there should have been a statement of intent, friendly or not. The selection was nothing short of bizarre.

it's an almost meaningless game...the only purpose is to get to know the players and learn something...you are making it out to be an important event..it isn't.

[Sauzee16]

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I get all the excuses people are chucking about, however the reality is - this was his first match in charge of the national side, there should have been a statement of intent, friendly or not. The selection was nothing short of bizarre.

Not really.

He didn’t choose the friendly. He went ahead regardless.

Check Michael O’Neil’s comments on when he first took the NI job.

For all I’m against GJP again getting the gig, yesterday was a get together followed by a match.

[Calidad]

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Berra and Hanley are about the best we have at this current time. I would also suggest Martin and Tierney if need be. Hendry Lindsay and the sheep lad are very good prospects.

See, that’s where we differ. For me, I believe we already know that Berra and Hanley are not good enough. They’ve been tried and tested and have come up short on a number of occasions. Why persist?

[SeanWilson]

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Not really.

He didn’t choose the friendly. He went ahead regardless.

Check Michael O’Neil’s comments on when he first took the NI job.

For all I’m against GJP again getting the gig, yesterday was a get together followed by a match.

Why not really? If I've got to have a weekend not watching hibs cause the national team have a ridiculous friendly organised, I'd at least like them to show us what the point in punting GS was.

[G B Young]

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According to the Scotsman - 20,488

"The wisdom of staging such a less-than-glamorous friendly at Hampden rather than a smaller stadium elsewhere in the country was always debatable. When even with the hundreds of free tickets handed to schoolchildren the attendance was only 20,488, that folly was fully exposed. It was expected that McLeish’s first game, and his fresh-looking squad, might put a few on the gate. It probably did. Only very few, alas".

Even with the hundreds of free tickets handed out I'm genuinely amazed they got even that many. It just wouldn't enter my thinking to attend such a non-event.