International Players Thread

[Ya Bezzer!]

3 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

My biggest gripe with VAR is that they now seem to be actively looking for reasons to disallow goals, yet they still spout the "we only get involved for clear and obvious errors " pish.

Tell me how spending 3 or 4 mins looking at an incident from every angle, slow motion, frame by frame etc, and drawing fancy lines on a screen to register someone off side by millimetres, is clear and obvious. The whole set up is ruining the game and needs binned.

Automated offsides and goal line technology seems to be working pretty well.

Would much rather have that than VAR.

[Spiderpig]

2 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

Automated offsides and goal line technology seems to be working pretty well.

Would much rather have that than VAR.

That's just as bad, Lukakus big toe nail deemed offside in Belgiums game the other week, how can that be 100% accurate to determine the position at the moment the ball was kicked. And if offsides are going to be judged in millimetres now then the beautiful game is truly fecked.

[weeyin]

27 minutes ago, Spiderpig said:

That's just as bad, Lukakus big toe nail deemed offside in Belgiums game the other week, how can that be 100% accurate to determine the position at the moment the ball was kicked. And if offsides are going to be judged in millimetres now then the beautiful game is truly fecked.

I agree, and I think the problem there is that the rules haven't kept up with the technology in a few instances.

Offside was originally introduced to stop a team having a player camped in the opposition penalty box and launching balls at them all day.

It evolved into what we have now, but in pre-VAR days there was obviously much more leeway and arguments were not about fractions of a millimetre.

Same with the handball laws. They were designed to eliminate the need for refs to establish intent, but instead have made things 100 times worse. And that's only amplified by the VAR reviews for "handballs" that nobody even noticed or questioned.

If they are insistent on keeping VAR, I'd be in favour of changing offside to mean a player has to be completely in front of the last man. Of course there still might be arguments about only being 1cm behind, but it would give a lot more leeway.

If they don't change the handball rule, then I like the idea of having different levels of infringement in the penalty box. I know there are indirect free kicks sometimes, but they are few and far between.

It seems crazy that a player saving a shot on the goal line gives up the same penalty as a defender on the edge of the box, back to goal when the ball traveling out of the box hits him on the back of the arm.

Of course, I'd much prefer scrapping VAR. The only excuse I have heard now for keeping it is "players without it will struggle when the play international or European games".  No mention of improving the quality of the game for the players or more importantly, the spectators. That pretty much says it all.

 

[Ya Bezzer!]

10 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

That's just as bad, Lukakus big toe nail deemed offside in Belgiums game the other week, how can that be 100% accurate to determine the position at the moment the ball was kicked. And if offsides are going to be judged in millimetres now then the beautiful game is truly fecked.

Well you are either onside or offside, there has to be a line.

No one would think you should give a goal if it was nearly over the goal line, why is offside different?

The main issue is delays to decisions, especially after goals, and the offside and goal line technology is yes or no and works efficiently.

[steelboy]

There should be a margin of error like in cricket which gives the attacker something like an extra 10cm to reflect the error in the cameras and determining when the ball was played.

[StAndrew7]

8 minutes ago, steelboy said:

There should be a margin of error like in cricket which gives the attacker something like an extra 10cm to reflect the error in the cameras and determining when the ball was played.

Aye, agreed. Is this not the daylight rule or whatever it is that Wenger has been suggesting for a while? 

There's all kinds of issues with the FPS of cameras used and their inability to pinpoint exactly when it's kicked etc.

Did they not put a suspended sensor in the ball for stuff like that this tournament? I think it's used to determine handballs/contact like the edge system in cricket.

[Spiderpig]

1 hour ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

Well you are either onside or offside, there has to be a line.

No one would think you should give a goal if it was nearly over the goal line, why is offside different?

The main issue is delays to decisions, especially after goals, and the offside and goal line technology is yes or no and works efficiently.

Nobody is arguing with the concept of offside, it's the interpretation of it with the new technology that's the problem.  Big toes, knees etc millimetres offside, that's impossible to judge if that was correct t when the ball was kicked, it's ruining the game and fan experience big time.

Also if VAR is here to stay it should apply at all levels of professional football and not only top flight games, euro competition and internationals etc. 

It was sold as only being used for clear and obvious errors that the onfield officials missed etc and not the forensic examination of every goal, offside, possible penalty etc that we are seeing now looking for reasons to disallow them.

[weeyin]

Theo comes on in the 77th minute for what looked like might be a famous win, but now we go to pens.

(Canda closing out a game using Motherwell tactics and conceding the equaliser in the 92nd minute).

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Ewan Wilson called up to the Scotland Under-21 squad.

[grizzlyg]

28 minutes ago, Toxteth O'Grady said:

Ewan Wilson called up to the Scotland Under-21 squad.

Great news, well done Ewan

[joewarkfanclub]

Great news. Well deserved.

Anyone know why the boys call him Dougie?

[Kmcalpin]

Well deserved. Please extend his contract.

[grumpy]

1 hour ago, Toxteth O'Grady said:

Ewan Wilson called up to the Scotland Under-21 squad.

What, before he has been linked with Rangers or Celtic? Someone didn't get the memo.

[steelboy]

3 hours ago, Toxteth O'Grady said:

Ewan Wilson called up to the Scotland Under-21 squad.

Hopefully he starts. The other left back in this squad hadn't played any senior football at all this season.

[wellfan]

13 minutes ago, steelboy said:

Hopefully he starts. The other left back in this squad hadn't played any senior football at all this season.

Do you think that fact will get in the way of Gemmill (and Clarke) picking their favourite players regardless of their current form and minutes with their parent clubs?! I hope my cynicism is misplaced and that Wilson gets the start he richly deserves. 

[steelboy]

22 minutes ago, wellfan said:

Do you think that fact will get in the way of Gemmill (and Clarke) picking their favourite players regardless of their current form and minutes with their parent clubs?! I hope my cynicism is misplaced and that Wilson gets the start he richly deserves. 

Gemmill's been a bit better recently with selections but he's missing 7 of his usual starters now so he's probably dreaming up something incredibly stupid for Friday.

 

 

[mio]

Can’t believe Gemmill is still in employment, just a yes man for Clarke. 
In saying that I cant believe Clarke is still in a job… and he completely glossed over his massive failings at the euros (and the previous euros) in that interview this week.

Anyway, personal gripes aside, young Wilson deserves the call up, he’s been excellent. Hopefully he plays.

[weeyin]

23 minutes ago, mio said:

Can’t believe Gemmill is still in employment, just a yes man for Clarke. 
In saying that I cant believe Clarke is still in a job… and he completely glossed over his massive failings at the euros (and the previous euros) in that interview this week.

I think Clarke did a good job of taking the most shambolic international setup I have seen in my lifetime and turning back into a team that could at least qualify for finals again. Even if the process wasn't pretty at times.

However, both finals severely exposed his limitations as a manager. I was willing to cut him some slack after the first one, but the most recent performance at the Euros proved not only had he not learned anything, but had actually regressed. The game against Hungary summed it up perfectly - a must-win game with zero shots on target.

I don't see any improvement while he his still in charge.

Congrats to Wilson, though - well deserved based on his recent performances.

[dennyc]

1 hour ago, weeyin said:

I think Clarke did a good job of taking the most shambolic international setup I have seen in my lifetime and turning back into a team that could at least qualify for finals again. Even if the process wasn't pretty at times.

However, both finals severely exposed his limitations as a manager. I was willing to cut him some slack after the first one, but the most recent performance at the Euros proved not only had he not learned anything, but had actually regressed. The game against Hungary summed it up perfectly - a must-win game with zero shots on target.

I don't see any improvement while he his still in charge.

Congrats to Wilson, though - well deserved based on his recent performances.

Agree 100%. And his recent interview was an insult to any fan who spent their hard earned cash going to Germany to support Clarke's Old Boys' Club.

"I've earned the right to try to get the team to another Tournament". Really?

He should have been punted as soon as the final whistle blew at the end of the Hungary embarrassment. We were a laughing stock. An honourable man would have walked.

Well done Wilson. Deserves his chance and shocking that he was not included in the original squad. Then again, will Gemmill even know who he is?

 

[wellfan]

4 minutes ago, dennyc said:

Agree 100%. And his recent interview was an insult to any fan who spent their hard earned cash going to Germany to support Clarke's Old Boys' Club.

The Clarke era is over. His recent shit is embarrassing and offensive to those of us who shelled out to go to Germany. It’s the beginning of the end for him now, which is a shame because he’s generally done well in terms of getting us to tournaments.

Delighted for Wilson. It must feel good getting called up after all those years of not being considered for any of the earlier age groups. 

[dennyc]

13 minutes ago, wellfan said:

The Clarke era is over. His recent shit is embarrassing and offensive to those of us who shelled out to go to Germany. It’s the beginning of the end for him now, which is a shame because he’s generally done well in terms of getting us to tournaments.

Delighted for Wilson. It must feel good getting called up after all those years of not being considered for any of the earlier age groups. 

I hope you are correct regards Clarke, I don't know anybody who thinks he should have been kept on after Germany. And that includes a good number of the Tartan Army who went over. They have a great time bar the football side of things though so not all bad. I reckon it will get pretty toxic if Poland hit the front.  But we are talking the SFA here so unless he walks I expect him to remain in charge..

I'm heading to Tynecastle and delighted Wilson might now feature. A pretty tough team to debut against though. Hope he does himself justice, if selected.

[grizzlyg]

24 minutes ago, dennyc said:

I hope you are correct regards Clarke, I don't know anybody who thinks he should have been kept on after Germany. And that includes a good number of the Tartan Army who went over. They have a great time bar the football side of things though so not all bad. I reckon it will get pretty toxic if Poland hit the front.  But we are talking the SFA here so unless he walks I expect him to remain in charge..

I'm heading to Tynecastle and delighted Wilson might now feature. A pretty tough team to debut against though. Hope he does himself justice, if selected.

Yup his press conference last week was embarrassing and media will quickly turn . Also for fans that paid a fortune and saw those performances to then hear him talk like that was an insult. However hopefully we do well in this nations league

[grizzlyg]

3 hours ago, steelboy said:

Hopefully he starts. The other left back in this squad hadn't played any senior football at all this season.

I have split loyalty as I know young Anderson and I played amateur football with his dad. I know he was very frustrated with sellik signing that Brazilian on loan (apparently now worth 20 million! Ba boom)

However I hope Ewan gets a chance

[joewarkfanclub]

Mixed feelings about Clarke.

I think he has done generally very well getting us to 2 finals, but there ARE serious question marks over his decision making in the summer.

Persisting with a back 5 v Hungary after Tierney was injured and given Ralstons limitations at LWB was borderline criminal, and not spinning the wheel earlier in the second half when we needed to win was inexplicable.

That said, I didnt see any point sacking him at that point when the only obvious alternative was David Moyes (same mindset, same players).

I dont really care about his press conferences this week. I just want to see evidence on the pitch that he has looked openly at things and come to some positive conclusions.

If he gets the team right tomorrow night and he wins the game, then he will have bought himself some time with this footsoldier.......

[steelboy]

11 hours ago, grizzlyg said:

I have split loyalty as I know young Anderson and I played amateur football with his dad. I know he was very frustrated with sellik signing that Brazilian on loan (apparently now worth 20 million! Ba boom)

 

When I've seen Anderson play he's good on the ball but he's very small for a defender. He needs to get away from Celtic anyway and get playing.