Scotland vs Cyprus

**Pretty Boy** · 09-06-2019 08:40 AM

Belgium beat Cyprus 2-0, they received 3 points.

Scotland beat Cyprus 2-1. We received 3 points.

That's all the sinking in that really needs to happen. After the debacle of the 1st game winning the next 2 was all that mattered.

***CockneyRebel*** · 09-06-2019 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by hibbiedon

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55% don’t even want Scotland to be a nation

You just can't help yourself eh?

**~~The 90+2~~** · 09-06-2019 08:50 AM

We won, we build. People need to calm down there’s no easy games at international level.

***bingo70*** · 09-06-2019 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by 90+2

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We won, we build. People need to calm down there’s no easy games at international level.

Try telling that to the Russians.

***CockneyRebel*** · 09-06-2019 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by tillguy

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He’s right....

Probably a bit to the left?
Really interesting football comments. Keep on track.

***Hermit Crab*** · 09-06-2019 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Keith_M

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Why would you take delight when things go badly? Posting ROFL emojis?

You're making yourself look like an idiot.

I'm not bothered a ****.

***Allant1981*** · 09-06-2019 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by bingo70

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Try telling that to the Russians.

Yip, and plenty of teams won by 3 or more goals in the last few days, to suggest as some have done there are no easy games in wrong, Scotland just arent very good but we need to build on the win last night and move forward. 3 points was what was needed and 3 points was gained so all in all a decent night

**Sir David Gray** · 09-06-2019 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by Hibrandenburg

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Germany only managed a 2-0 win against Belarus.

Belarus, let that sink in.

Oh yeah, the world champions France got beat by Turkey, Turkey Ffs, they used to get hammered 10-0 regularly about 20 years ago. You need to face the fact that football has changed in the last couple of decades. 3 points is all that matters at this stage.

Around 20 years ago, Turkey were beating Germany and The Netherlands in qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. It's a shock that they've beaten France yesterday but they're not exactly pushovers.

***danhibees1875*** · 09-06-2019 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Sir David Gray

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Around 20 years ago, Turkey were beating Germany and The Netherlands in qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. It's a shock that they've beaten France yesterday but they're not exactly pushovers.

France should be expecting to win though.

Spain should beat the Faroe Islands more than 4-1 and Germany should win more than 2-0.

The point is that it's the 3 points that matters for us.

***Hibrandenburg*** · 09-06-2019 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Sir David Gray

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Around 20 years ago, Turkey were beating Germany and The Netherlands in qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. It's a shock that they've beaten France yesterday but they're not exactly pushovers.

Ok then 30 years ago. Showing my age

***JimBHibees*** · 09-06-2019 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

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Belgium beat Cyprus 2-0, they received 3 points.

Scotland beat Cyprus 2-1. We received 3 points.

That's all the sinking in that really needs to happen. After the debacle of the 1st game winning the next 2 was all that mattered.

The only bottom line that matters. These games at the end of a season are never easy especially for a guy just in the door. Good 3 points some good stuff some stuff we can do better as Clarke himself said after the game.

***Hibbyradge*** · 09-06-2019 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by 90+2

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We won, we build. People need to calm down there’s no easy games at international level.

For us ...

**Since452** · 09-06-2019 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by ben johnson

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Football is on the up in Cyprus. Their club sides have had great results in Europe recently. They looked a very competent side tonight. We just had one of the best players in the world in our side. Let that sink in

There's been a lot of money ploughed into the Cypriot game. They're not a bad side. As others have said Belgium only beat them 2-0 and they're one of the best teams in the world.

**Pretty Boy** · 09-06-2019 10:01 AM

I don't think it's I correct to say there are no 'easy' games at international level. For most countries with a full time football infrastructure and a half decent talent pool games against the likes of San Marino, Andorra, Gibraltar etc should be fairly routine and can be made to look'easy'.

There has definitely been an evolution in the quality of teams from states borne from the break up of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Latvia have been to a major tournament since Scotland last were. Croatia, Slovenia, Czechia and Slovakia are either regular or increasingly regular fixtures at major tournaments in the last couple of decades. Bosnia. who qualified for the last World Cup and are ranked 24 in the world, were beaten by Cyprus in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. In the same campaign Wales, who beat Belgium on their way to qualifying, only beat Cyprus 2-1 and 1-0. Belgium scraped a 1-0 away win thanks to a goal in the last 5 minutes. I don't think any of them found games against Cyprus easy.

Cyrpus don't win a lot of games but they don't take many hammering either. They are well drilled and a 1 goal win is comparable to what better teams than us have managed in recent times.

**where'stheslope** · 09-06-2019 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

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I don't think it's I correct to say there are no 'easy' games at international level. For most countries with a full time football infrastructure and a half decent talent pool games against the likes of San Marino, Andorra, Gibraltar etc should be fairly routine and can be made to look'easy'.

There has definitely been an evolution in the quality of teams from states borne from the break up of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Latvia have been to a major tournament since Scotland last were. Croatia, Slovenia, Czechia and Slovakia are either regular or increasingly regular fixtures at major tournaments in the last couple of decades. Bosnia. who qualified for the last World Cup and are ranked 24 in the world, were beaten by Cyprus in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. In the same campaign Wales, who beat Belgium on their way to qualifying, only beat Cyprus 2-1 and 1-0. Belgium scraped a 1-0 away win thanks to a goal in the last 5 minutes. I don't think any of them found games against Cyprus easy.

Cyrpus don't win a lot of games but they don't take many hammering either. They are well drilled and a 1 goal win is comparable to what better teams than us have managed in recent times.

Adding to what you say, I would also say that the so called smaller teams have some of their players playing in different countries full time, while the rest are part time.
Before we had a lot of players playing all over the European scene and most were in top teams in England.
I even remember we had discussions about only picking players playing in the Scottish football system???
Now we are looking for players who's granny had a nip of whisky, to try and improve our playing pool???
A new manager is not going to fix everything, but he can help by applying pressure to his bosses to lift Scottish football into the 21 st century and not spend its money on Hampden which is a big white elephant!!!
We've lost our way in football, relying on Rangers and Celtic to bring players to the pool, but even they in recent years have relied on foreign imports to boost their team performance.
Only time will tell if we can ever get it right, but I fear it will not be in my lifetime!!!!!

**MWHIBBIES** · 09-06-2019 10:43 AM

Decent result, Cypriot football is much stronger than it was 10 years or so ago.

**Borderhibbie76** · 09-06-2019 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES

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Decent result, Cypriot football is much stronger than it was 10 years or so ago.

Decent result but an absolutely brutal performance and not one that fills u with hope for the newr future.

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**B.H.F.C** · 09-06-2019 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Borderhibbie76

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Decent result but an absolutely brutal performance and not one that fills u with hope for the newr future.

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New managers first game. We aren’t suddenly going to start knocking it about like Brazil.

I’m no quite sure what folk are expecting. It’s got to start somewhere.

**~~My_Wife_Camille~~** · 09-06-2019 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

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New managers first game. We aren’t suddenly going to start knocking it about like Brazil.

I’m no quite sure what folk are expecting. It’s got to start somewhere.

Rightly or wrongly a lot of expectation will be based on Clarke turning Killie round almost overnight imo

**MWHIBBIES** · 09-06-2019 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Borderhibbie76

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Decent result but an absolutely brutal performance and not one that fills u with hope for the newr future.

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He's been in the job for a couple of weeks, would be ridiculous to judge him now.

**Smartie** · 09-06-2019 11:11 AM

One of the main qualities I'll be looking for from the team going forward is the ability to grind out three points when not playing well, and we can pick the bones of the problems with the performance after. They made a decent start doing just that last night.

I have no idea what people are expecting from this team. Have you not seen any of Scotland over the past 20 years? How many times have we dropped points in games like that last night, against opposition of similar strengths or weaker than Cyprus currently are?

There will be lots of games like that at international level - get used to it. Countries like Northern Ireland and Wales haven't qualified for tournaments by blasting teams away by 7 or 8 goals - they've done it by winning consistently, especially at home, against weaker teams and by not losing many goals. Many wins are in tight games by the odd goal and if you do that most of the time you find yourselves in contention for qualification.

England, France, Germany, Spain and the like could reasonably expect to take 3 or 4 off Cyprus, but they wouldn't turn their noses up at any win.

There was a lot to be pleased about last night, a little bit to work on but some of the criticism is plain ridiculous.

***pollution*** · 09-06-2019 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by hibbiedon

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55% don’t even want Scotland to be a nation

Off track this comment, however incorrect the figure.....

**ben johnson** · 09-06-2019 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Borderhibbie76

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Decent result but an absolutely brutal performance and not one that fills u with hope for the newr future.

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If that had been Germany winning with a late goal it would be a case of they win when not playing well and would be praised for doing so
The mans just in the door let’s hold off judgement until the Euro campaign is over.

**Borderhibbie76** · 09-06-2019 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES

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He's been in the job for a couple of weeks, would be ridiculous to judge him now.

I'm not judging him and happy we won but that was really poor imo ...Brophy looked like a fish out of water and was a strange choice to lead the line imo...real tests ahead but we need to massively improve on last night

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**Since452** · 09-06-2019 11:48 AM

No disrespect to Cyprus as they're a handy side but I'm glad Clarke's first game was against them at home and not the Belgians or Russians. It's 3 points and a decent start for him.

**~~The 90+2~~** · 09-06-2019 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by bingo70

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Try telling that to the Russians.

True. The french would back me up though.

**SChibs** · 09-06-2019 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Since452

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No disrespect to Cyprus as they're a handy side but I'm glad Clarke's first game was against them at home and not the Belgians or Russians. It's 3 points and a decent start for him.

Russia aren't as good as we seem to be making them out to be. They are a couple of places below us in the rankings and that's despite having a decent world cup