International Players Thread

[GazzyB]

I think Gordon's age has a bit to do with it as well, he's probably wanting to play as many minutes as he can in a Scotland shirt while he still can.

From a Scotland POV Gordon is a great keeper, but from a Motherwell POV it's a bit disappointing Kelly never got that elusive first cap when he was the 2nd keeper in the squad.

[Ya Bezzer!]

On 3/30/2022 at 10:07 AM, Spiderpig said:

Gordon kept us in it.....It was a friendly  ffs the result does not matter these matches are all about getting players game time, and having a look at the new faces brought into the squad.  Clarke brought Kelly into the squad as he obviously thought he was up to the standard required and then does not play him its a nonsense, over the 2 games he should have had some game time.

We want to keep the good run going through the play off matches.

If we qualify Kelly and Clark will probably get their chance  in the WC build up.

[numpty]

Ross Tierney setting up the second for Ireland U-21's there. (Before being immediately subbed along with the goalscorer.)

[steelboy]

I'm looking at the u21 team that's about to kick off and wondering how Dean Cornelius isn't in there given that he had a better season than most of the midfielders in the squad.

Scott, McKinstry and McAlear aren't involved either.

 

[Ya Bezzer!]

1 minute ago, steelboy said:

I'm looking at the u21 team that's about to kick off and wondering how Dean Cornelius isn't in there given that he had a better season than most of the midfielders in the squad.

Scott, McKinstry and McAlear aren't involved either.

 

U21 selections have been utterly bizarre for a while.

Turnbull barely played for a start.

The focus seems to be on English based youth team players with no or little first team experience.

[steelboy]

4 minutes ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

U21 selections have been utterly bizarre for a while.

Turnbull barely played for a start.

The focus seems to be on English based youth team players with no or little first team experience.

The boy Leonard from Brighton was horrific in the previous game and got subbed at HT yet starts again today despite not playing any football in the ten weeks since that game. It makes no sense at all.

 

[texanwellfan]

Glad our players and ex players have managed to avoid being part of the last two shambolic performances against Ukraine and Ireland. I don’t think Clarke likes Turnbull. He should at least get a shot to prove himself. 

[dennyc]

Clarke might as well just stick to a squad of 16 players. A good number of the current squad must wonder why they gave up their holidays just to carry the kit. The regulars have played an excessive number of games this season and it showed today and against Armenia and Ukraine.  I get that these are tournament matches, but even when it's meaningless games Clarke trots out his favourites. Refuses to give bench players meaningful game time to see what they can contribute. And the result?  Against Ukraine when needing a goal and the usual strikers running on empty, he moves Hanley to centre forward and ignores the strikers left  sitting on the bench as they have no international experience under their belts. Total and utter mismanagement.

No doubt Clarke will trot out the usual excuses. His post match interviews are an insult to fans who make the effort to go along. Ask them if they thought Scotland did well against the mighty Armenia, as Clarke and his media buddies reported.

 

 

[mfc]

That was absolutely shocking from scotland today,the alarm bells must be ringing after that,we look like we're going backwards pretty quickly.clarke is clueless,he couldn't set a subbuteo team up properly.

[Ya Bezzer!]

1 hour ago, dennyc said:

Clarke might as well just stick to a squad of 16 players. A good number of the current squad must wonder why they gave up their holidays just to carry the kit. The regulars have played an excessive number of games this season and it showed today and against Armenia and Ukraine.  I get that these are tournament matches, but even when it's meaningless games Clarke trots out his favourites. Refuses to give bench players meaningful game time to see what they can contribute. And the result?  Against Ukraine when needing a goal and the usual strikers running on empty, he moves Hanley to centre forward and ignores the strikers left  sitting on the bench as they have no international experience under their belts. Total and utter mismanagement.

No doubt Clarke will trot out the usual excuses. His post match interviews are an insult to fans who make the effort to go along. Ask them if they thought Scotland did well against the mighty Armenia, as Clarke and his media buddies reported.

Hanley and Cooper get rinsed every week at club level.  Gilmour can't even get a game at Norwich, Patterson the same at the worst Everton team in a long time.  McTominay has been described  as 'the worst ever Manchester United midfielder'.  Andy Robertson continues to talk big and then fall completely flat in an international shirt.  McGinn at least has a few goals but for every good game he has there are two or three absolutely rotten ones.  Callum McGregor is one of the most overrated player in Scottish football history, a good player at Scottish Premiership level but pretty much found out every time he plays up a level.  Che Adams is never an international striker. Armstrong is hopeless in a Scotland shirt.  

And that's the core of our team.

Tierney has usually done well for us but most of the 'big' names flatter to deceive.

[Spiderpig]

1 hour ago, dennyc said:

Clarke might as well just stick to a squad of 16 players. A good number of the current squad must wonder why they gave up their holidays just to carry the kit. The regulars have played an excessive number of games this season and it showed today and against Armenia and Ukraine.  I get that these are tournament matches, but even when it's meaningless games Clarke trots out his favourites. Refuses to give bench players meaningful game time to see what they can contribute. And the result?  Against Ukraine when needing a goal and the usual strikers running on empty, he moves Hanley to centre forward and ignores the strikers left  sitting on the bench as they have no international experience under their belts. Total and utter mismanagement.

No doubt Clarke will trot out the usual excuses. His post match interviews are an insult to fans who make the effort to go along. Ask them if they thought Scotland did well against the mighty Armenia, as Clarke and his media buddies reported.

 

 

Scotland are feckin brutal and will continue to be until they get rid of Clarke he is a clueless fud as a coach leaving talent like Campbell and Turnbull on the bench and giving game time to at best  average unknown English players whose granny once ate shortbread ie Jacob Brown.

 

[Ya Bezzer!]

Poor old Barraclough getting booed.

Not that surprising though!

[weeyin]

19 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

Scotland are feckin brutal and will continue to be until they get rid of Clarke he is a clueless fud as a coach leaving talent like Campbell and Turnbull on the bench and giving game time to at best  average unknown English players whose granny once ate shortbread ie Jacob Brown.

 

To be fair to Clarke he took over a team, a bunch of players and an organization that was beyond shambolic. He brought some organization and stability to the squad that settled things down and even had us qualifies for the Euros.

That organization, along with his loyalty to players and reluctance to chop and change has always been the way he operated and was what the Scotland set-up needed at the time.

Whether he's the man to move us further forward will be determined in the next few games I suspect, but I agree that the time for guys like Turnbull getting a start is long overdue. We definitely need something more progressive to be put in place now.

[Spit_It_Out]

I am still salty about the World Cup loss going to be in my 50s by the next time we can qualify but then who would be someone to take us to the next level?I really don't think it's Clarke but he has more or less going to keep himself in the job until he doesn't want it.

I just don't trust the SFA to put a decent plan in place. I do think we have the talent just don't think we have people to appoint someone to take us to the next level on a regular basis.

 

[dennyc]

Clarke was likely seen as a safe pair of hands to take over what had become a shambles. And he did steady the ship. Credit to him for that.  But now he is a barrier to progress. More intent on not losing than trying to win. And how's that working out?  How to stiffle our opponents appears to be his game plan.

Then of course he plays favourites and the likes of Christie, McTominey, Armstrong, Hanley, Hendry get undeserved game time ahead of apparent squad fillers such as Turnbull, Ferguson, Campbell, SOD and Souttar..... who was a revelation when he was brought in. Others have not even had the chance to show what they can do in squad get togethers. Jason Kerr and Ryan Hardie spring to mind. Where on earth did Jason Brown come from?

 Certain players appear undroppable no matter how many poor games in a row they have, McGinn and MacGregor as prime examples. In my opinion he is also influenced by the media, so players such as Hickey, Patterson, Ralston, Stewart are fast tracked at the expense of others. And where is his forward planning? Who has been blooded in case Gordon gets injured? Inexperienced strikers left on the bench against Ukraine where he preferred to move Hanley forward rather than take a risk on two strikers with less than 90 minutes of game time between them. Despite a couple of meaningless games where Clarke could have have given them a proper run out, just in case..

But in my opinion the issue goes a lot deeper than Stevie Clarke. Anybody who has watched the U21s will witness a mirror image of the senior team. Gemmill has failed miserably and the latest performance against Denmark was just as worrying as we witnessed yesterday.  The entire set up needs overhauled and braver/ innovative Management put in place.

We likely have four meaningless Nations Cup games coming up. It would be encouraging to think Clarke might give others a chance, with a view to the future. But I wont hold my breath on that one.

[Kmcalpin]

2 hours ago, dennyc said:

2 hours ago, dennyc said:

But in my opinion the issue goes a lot deeper than Stevie Clarke. Anybody who has watched the U21s will witness a mirror image of the senior team. Gemmill has failed miserably and the latest performance against Denmark was just as worrying as we witnessed yesterday.  The entire set up needs overhauled and braver/ innovative Management put in place.

 

You're spot on Denny. Stevie Clarke (Yes there are questionmarks over him), is the least of our problems. The SFA and indeed the whole system needs overhauled, before we're going to progress. I've been saying this for years,  IF, and its a massive IF, we get our act together now, its going to be at least 8 years before we have a realistic chance of qualifying for a finals.  I won't hold my breath.

[Spiderpig]

I see, neither Turnbull or Campbell are starting for Scotland tonight, and no O'Donnell either I see no point in bringing players into a squad for a series of 3 games and giving them no game time at all. 

[Richie]

Both DT and Campbell on as subs

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[weeyin]

Thought wee Al was going to get a debut goal there.

[Spiderpig]

7 minutes ago, Richie said:

Both DT and Campbell on as subs

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 

Happy they got sone game time but wee Al getting 5 mins at the end when we are 4-1  up against 10 men is a feckin nonsense,

[wellsince75]

2 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

I see, neither Turnbull or Campbell are starting for Scotland tonight, and no O'Donnell either I see no point in bringing players into a squad for a series of 3 games and giving them no game time at all. 

agreed - S'OD should have been told to enjoy his hols. he gave his all during last years tourney - came back fecked as no rest/no pre season.    He needs a proper break.  

[spudmfc]

1 minute ago, wellsince75 said:

agreed - S'OD should have been told to enjoy his hols. he gave his all during last years tourney - came back fecked as no rest/no pre season.    He needs a proper break.  

I think hes done as a Scotland RB way down the pecking order now,even hickey,a left back getting in in front of him

[steelboy]

3 minutes ago, spudmfc said:

I think hes done as a Scotland RB way down the pecking order now,even hickey,a left back getting in in front of him

I doubt we will see Hickey at right back again or SOD. Patterson has the shirt with Ralston as back up. Ramsay going to Liverpool will probably see him in the squad too if he gets loaned out.

[Yodo]

Well Stevie Clark showed tonight he doesn’t rate Liam Kelly . A nothing friendly and he doesn’t give him a half hope nothing happens to Gordon in the future cause we haven’t tested another goalkeeper in a international match 

[Mad Dog]

Don't understand Gordon being in the squad at all. Need to start giving someone else a go.