Scotland games v USA and Norway

[Liams]

Just a wee quick not to say these three starting for scotland. As much as i hate scott brown as a celtic player its great to see three players that came through our youth system playing for scotland! All played in the 2007 final too!

[RIP Bestie]

Just a wee quick not to say these three starting for scotland. As much as i hate scott brown as a celtic player its great to see three players that came through our youth system playing for scotland! All played in the 2007 final too!
Wonder what Deek and GOC are thinking watching that. Those two could and should have had a barrow load of International goals between them by now and probably been looking forward to a World Cup in Brazil next year.

[stoneyburn hibs]

Regret not going tonight, the squad look to be invigorated under WGS.
A nothing game and look at the players involved, Brown, Fletcher etc. Nae danger would you have seen that under the last manager, the wee man has funked up our national team.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Watching the Chile game, cant imagine an ex-Stirling Albion player ever played for England?

[Billy Whizz]

Watching the Chile game, cant imagine an ex-Stirling Albion player ever played for England?

Go on, who

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Go on, who

Jay Rodriguez of Southampton was on from the start.

[HibbyAndy]

Watching the Chile game, cant imagine an ex-Stirling Albion player ever played for England?

Was it no Morton ?

[Billy Whizz]

Was it no Morton ?

The beano's

[LancsHibs]

Conway is pish on the left hand side!

[RIP Bestie]

Conway is pish on the left hand side!
Why Bannen on right and Conway on left?

[Sylar]

Why is Anya only on the bench and Conway playing? Anya is a far better option.

[Jonnyboy]

I stopped watching when they brought the rifleman on :wink:

Actually, I've been watching Portugal v Sweden and it was a decent game

[Alfred E Newman]

Pointless game. lost interest in the first half.To think the fixture card is blank tomorrow because of this. Crazy.

[HibbyAndy]

Pointless game. lost interest in the first half.To think the fixture card is blank tomorrow because of this. Crazy.


Correct.I ****in hate International football !!!!!

[eastterrace]

Pointless game. lost interest in the first half.To think the fixture card is blank tomorrow because of this. Crazy.

yes watching scotland is worse than watching hibs under fenlon, still could be worse imagine being through at that dump paying to watch .suppose the week end was kept free in case we were in the play offs

[Paisley Hibby]

Pointless game. lost interest in the first half.To think the fixture card is blank tomorrow because of this. Crazy.

Spot on. :agree:

[SteveHFC]

Just back from Hampden.


Possibly one of the worst and coldest games i have ever been too :greengrin

[Hibercelona]

The quality in the final 3rd was abysmal. Fletcher never got a sniff the whole game.

These games may seem pointless, but it gives the manager an opportunity to experiment with the squad and throw some of the young boys on. For some reason, we rarely ever seem to do this, regardless of who the manager is.

[Speedy]

The quality in the final 3rd was abysmal. Fletcher never got a sniff the whole game.

These games may seem pointless, but it gives the manager an opportunity to experiment with the squad and throw some of the young boys on. For some reason, we rarely ever seem to do this, regardless of who the manager is.

We gave young Gordon Greer his first cap tonight :greengrin

[brian6-2]

The quality in the final 3rd was abysmal. Fletcher never got a sniff the whole game.

These games may seem pointless, but it gives the manager an opportunity to experiment with the squad and throw some of the young boys on. For some reason, we rarely ever seem to do this, regardless of who the manager is.

He's picked the best players available to him on merit. Why on earth when we are in a period of transition would you want to fill the squad with kids and take another pumping?

Alan Hutton aside i would say everyone in that squad deserved to be.

And maybe there would have been more youngsters in the squad if they didnt have a game the night before.

[Sylar]

He's picked the best players available to him on merit. Why on earth when we are in a period of transition would you want to fill the squad with kids and take another pumping?

Alan Hutton aside i would say everyone in that squad deserved to be.

And maybe there would have been more youngsters in the squad if they didnt have a game the night before.

No way Craig Conway deserved to be in their ahead of Anya - he's been exceptional for Scotland in the past 2 games. We missed both him and Morrison.

[brian6-2]

No way Craig Conway deserved to be in their ahead of Anya - he's been exceptional for Scotland in the past 2 games. We missed both him and Morrison.

Conway has been on form for brighton so deserved his place in the squad. Strachan has already said conway would start against usa and anya against norway. its a friendly, if it was competative ive nae doubt anya would have been in from the start.

[Bristolhibby]

Remember Stracs has to tinker and see if players can "step up".

What better place to do this than in a friendly?

J

[lucky]

Surely because it was a friendly he was giving squad players a chance. As for Greer, GS knows that we need a good pairing and back up. I could not careless about Scotland but at least under GS they are not getting hammered

[macca70]

Totally disagree with this experimenting theory.

The guys like Conway will be on the bench for competitive games, what do we think will happen by giving him a chance in a pointless friendly? He's not going to turn into Maradonna, come the next competitive game, he is back on the bench and Anya is in.

We should be fielding our absolute strongest 11, whether its a friendly or competitive game.

International get togethers is valueable time to gain continuity and get a settled 11 gelling together. Why waste it playing bench warmers that will never sniff a start in competitive game, come a time when they do need to be used due to injuries then they slot in but we need to get a settled 1st team established.

With the age of most that 1st team we have, play them together every game and we could have a decent settled team for quite a few years.

[brian6-2]

Totally disagree with this experimenting theory.

The guys like Conway will be on the bench for competitive games, what do we think will happen by giving him a chance in a pointless friendly? He's not going to turn into Maradonna, come the next competitive game, he is back on the bench and Anya is in.

We should be fielding our absolute strongest 11, whether its a friendly or competitive game.

International get togethers is valueable time to gain continuity and get a settled 11 gelling together. Why waste it playing bench warmers that will never sniff a start in competitive game, come a time when they do need to be used due to injuries then they slot in but we need to get a settled 1st team established.

With the age of most that 1st team we have, play them together every game and we could have a decent settled team for quite a few years.

disagree completely. its the sole purpose of friendlies at this point of the season.

are you saying hibs should bash out thier top 11 every pre season games? not give fringe/youth players a go?

[macca70]

disagree completely. its the sole purpose of friendlies at this point of the season.

are you saying hibs should bash out thier top 11 every pre season games? not give fringe/youth players a go?

Yeah, to gain continuity, play best 11 every game.

So what did we establish, Conway is still a fringe player and Anya comes in for competitive games. Start Anya then give Conway last 20/30 mins.

Scotland don't have the luxury of a massive pool of top talent that we can afford to play weakened starting 11's. it's hardly as if the fringe players need the match fitness as they start every week for their clubs. That's why clubs playing fringe players in friendlies is different, it gives them match fitness.

Start your best 11, get them gelling together and gain continuity.

After Norway the Internationals won't meet up again til March and then we probably only have a handful of friendlies before our next qualifying campaign. At which point our starting 11 could have had 5 or 6 games together whereas wasting friendlies by playing bench warmers, we'll go into a qualifying campaign where our strongest 11 are playing together for the 1st time.

Start your strongest 11 and bring on fringe players for the last 20 or 30 mins to give them a bit of international exposure.

What was the point of England playing those Southampton players, just to confirm that they aren't quite good enough to start and will be part of the World Cup squad but not starters. Which they know was always going to be the case. With only 3 or 4 friendlies before the World Cup they should be starting the strongest 11 to give them as much game time together to gel and get some continuity going into the World Cup.

[brian6-2]

Yeah, to gain continuity, play best 11 every game.

So what did we establish, Conway is still a fringe player and Anya comes in for competitive games. Start Anya then give Conway last 20/30 mins.

Scotland don't have the luxury of a massive pool of top talent that we can afford to play weakened starting 11's. it's hardly as if the fringe players need the match fitness as they start every week for their clubs. That's why clubs playing fringe players in friendlies is different, it gives them match fitness.

Start your best 11, get them gelling together and gain continuity.

After Norway the Internationals won't meet up again til March and then we probably only have a handful of friendlies before our next qualifying campaign. At which point our starting 11 could have had 5 or 6 games together whereas wasting friendlies by playing bench warmers, we'll go into a qualifying campaign where our strongest 11 are playing together for the 1st time.

Start your strongest 11 and bring on fringe players for the last 20 or 30 mins to give them a bit of international exposure.

What was the point of England playing those Southampton players, just to confirm that they aren't quite good enough to start and will be part of the World Cup squad but not starters. Which they know was always going to be the case. With only 3 or 4 friendlies before the World Cup they should be starting the strongest 11 to give them as much game time together to gel and get some continuity going into the World Cup.

Thats complete madness!!

No, conway is a decent player who deserved his call up and his chance to prove himself at that level to see if he may get a call up in future which is the point of these games. strachan has already said conway would start in one, and anya in the other. why play the same team in both games? why start anya both games? im sure wee franco zola would be delighted with that!! (and again, im 100% if it was a competative game anya would have started)

It would be near impossible for any national team to get its strongest squad for 2 frendlies, injuries, call offs and club demands. Strachan knows his best 11, whether he ever gets to pick them all free from injury is another thing.

I agree completely with the side he put out, the result itself spoke volumes after they pumped us 5-1 with an even stronger 11 on the park. thats the value of frendly matches.

you would struggle to find any manager on the face of the earth that would agree with your view of playing your best eleven in every friendly match.

[blackpoolhibs]

Totally disagree with this experimenting theory.

The guys like Conway will be on the bench for competitive games, what do we think will happen by giving him a chance in a pointless friendly? He's not going to turn into Maradonna, come the next competitive game, he is back on the bench and Anya is in.

We should be fielding our absolute strongest 11, whether its a friendly or competitive game.

International get togethers is valueable time to gain continuity and get a settled 11 gelling together. Why waste it playing bench warmers that will never sniff a start in competitive game, come a time when they do need to be used due to injuries then they slot in but we need to get a settled 1st team established.

With the age of most that 1st team we have, play them together every game and we could have a decent settled team for quite a few years.

How do you know what your strongest side is if you don't try different players out?

Anya had to start somewhere, he was not first choice for us 3 games ago? :confused:

[McKenzie]

Totally disagree with this experimenting theory.

The guys like Conway will be on the bench for competitive games, what do we think will happen by giving him a chance in a pointless friendly? He's not going to turn into Maradonna, come the next competitive game, he is back on the bench and Anya is in.

We should be fielding our absolute strongest 11, whether its a friendly or competitive game.

International get togethers is valueable time to gain continuity and get a settled 11 gelling together. Why waste it playing bench warmers that will never sniff a start in competitive game, come a time when they do need to be used due to injuries then they slot in but we need to get a settled 1st team established.

With the age of most that 1st team we have, play them together every game and we could have a decent settled team for quite a few years.

What if Conway comes in and plays a stormer? How do we know how good he is in the side without playing him?

Based on your theory a promising youngster should never be given a chance if you are to play the strongest 11 at all times. Therefore, for example, say Januzzaj(sp) at United would never have been discovered because he's not in the "strongest 11". That risk Moyes took paid off, why should Strachan not be afforded the same?

[macca70]

What if Conway comes in and plays a stormer? How do we know how good he is in the side without playing him?

Based on your theory a promising youngster should never be given a chance if you are to play the strongest 11 at all times. Therefore, for example, say Januzzaj(sp) at United would never have been discovered because he's not in the "strongest 11". That risk Moyes took paid off, why should Strachan not be afforded the same?

Because he gets his chance when someone is injured, then he comes in.

And gets 20/30 mins here and there and full 90 in U21's.

[brian6-2]

Because he gets his chance when someone is injured, then he comes in.

And gets 20/30 mins here and there and full 90 in U21's.

He's 28 mate.

[macca70]

How do you know what your strongest side is if you don't try different players out?

Anya had to start somewhere, he was not first choice for us 3 games ago? :confused:

Do at what point do you stop trying players in new positions to get some continuity?

Do we not have a International B or development team, I thought something like that already existed.

We need to get a steady starting 11 then other players will get there chance to prove themselves coming on as subs or as any of the starting 11 aren't available.

[erin go bragh]

Just back from Hampden.


Possibly one of the worst and coldest games i have ever been too :greengrin

The Ayr semi at Hampden ( beat 1-0)wins the above for me , fin baltic that night .

Ggtth

[Onceinawhile]

He's 28 mate.

I think he's talking about januzaj

[Jonnyboy]

How do you know what your strongest side is if you don't try different players out?

Anya had to start somewhere, he was not first choice for us 3 games ago? :confused:

Dinnae you go bringing common sense intae the argument :greengrin

[macca70]

He's 28 mate.

As per the post I was replying to, I wasn't specifically referring to Conway, I was referring to any promising youngster.

[Hibercelona]

Macca, how would a manager know what his best 11 are, if he simply plays the same 11 players every single time?

Friendlys are a good opportunity to throw a few young lads in to see what they can do.

Having other players in the squad and treating them like spare parts, won't do much for their moral.

Friendlys give them a shot to impress against some high quality sides. Managers should be encouraged to do this, not discouraged.

All in my own opinion of course.