Caley Stan

Can't comment on the Czech game as i was holed up in bothy gazing out at the Paps of Jura. By all accounts i made the right choice. In the conclusion to 'Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics', Jonathan Wilson predicts that we stand at the dawn of an ultra-defensive era in world football. The evolution of 4-5-1 and the death of the goal-poacher all point to one thing: 4-6-0. Visionary or chump? I'll judge Levein at the end of the group. John Robertson just spoke a helluva lot of sense on Sportsound. It's a decent group of players, Levein's an excellent organiser and the spirit is great. That's what i saw for the first 45 minutes at Hampden last night before being chucked out for smoking in the toilet - tears streamed down ma cheeks. The last half hour looked pretty decent from the Florida Park Bar. For the first time in a while i'm optimistic about the future of the Scottish national team and for the first time ever i'm seriously considering quitting smoking.

Yogi will take this on the chin. He's big enough and ugly enough to take whatever's thrown his way. He won't shirk the challenge. The boys gave him everthing but at the end of the day, that slice of lady luck just didn't fall his way. I'll miss him.

McGregor Hutton - Weir - McManus - Whittaker Fletcher - Brown Robson - Naismith - Morrison Miller I think this is the best available team going by current form and ability to play a disciplined defensive game. In Maloney, Dorrans, Steven Fletcher and Iwelumo we also have a range of attacking, potentially game-changing options on the bench. I expect Robson, Naismith, Morrison and Miller to start ahead of them beacause of their excellent defensive qualities. My biggest concern is how effectively we can protect our cenre-halfs from being exposed by pace. McCulloch would be handy there but he's suspended for the Czech game. Might Levein be tempted to ape Sir Walter by dropping a midfielder and playing Christophe Berra in a back 5? I don't think so, and the fact that there are only 3 fit centre-halfs in the squad suggests that he'll stick with a variation of 4-5-1. I don't think we should be intimidated by this Czech team. They've got some very talented players, and on his day, Tomas Rosicky could take us apart on his own, but recent results suggest that there is a mental weakness at the core of this team. Bring them on.

There aren't words to describe just how good that felt. We weren't spectacular and we didn't have to be, but everyone did exactly what they needed to - including a bouncing Section G. Richie looks very unfit and i still don't think Johnny is quite there yet - just imagine how good we'll be when it all comes together. I was thinking about moving to England until last week but i really don't want to leave this team.

Already here, bathing Sneckie sunshine.

I'm in. See y'all in the Innes.

Alex, i think Renegade has hacked into your account.

Not in 45, where the Lothian and Borders Crew look like they're at a funeral. 51's more like it. Johndo and Maryhill look like randy seals while San Miguel does his best impersonation of Snoopy on pills and Moff warms up for the Jesus surrounded by his disciples look which he perfects in pic 55. And yes, IHE, i can feel the fervour of the support. Great photos of Eric as well.

Highlights Eric took his goals really well. Great through balls from Ross and Hayes. The BBC have cleary edited out the noise of the away support as the result of some Zionist conspiracy.

That should be the team. Ross and Duncan did indeed play together in front of the defence yesterday and they looked like Khedira and Schweinsteiger. I wouldn't have Heston on the bench. He looks more like a fat Tory chef than a footballer.

Great post, Stan... a tad concise, but it certainly hits the spot. Have a green dot! If you take into account the state that i was in at the time then the green dot was well earned. Terry and Mo, Terry and Mo, Terry and Mo and Odhiambo. Terry and Mo, Terry and Mo, Terry and Mo and Big Fat Johndo. It's still spinning round my head. I didn't think we played particularly well yesterday. St. Mirren tried to play football but they lacked cutting edge. It was clear that Terry and Mo had spent the week drilling the defence on the basics and we looked far more solid there. Esson stepped up when he was called upon but they created very little. Upon that foundation we left it to Johnny and Eric to hit them on the break. Eric played with his head, dropping into pockets of space and dragging their centre-halfs out of position. St. Mirren seem confused by our formation and they would've found it a lot easier if they'd just stuck a midfielder on Eric because nobody else was really causing them problems. Hayes burst through a couple of times but he didn't look fully fit. Foran grafted up and down the left as he always does but he's going to need a good few games before he's back to his best. Rooney had nothing to play with. He manufactured a couple of half chances by himself but it would be unfair to slag him because he ran his socks off and got no service. Nick Ross deserves special praise and a POY point for a surprisingly assured performance in centre mid. Never shirked a tackle and tried to break forward with the ball when he won it. He's starting to look like a real player. We rode our luck a bit towards the end - thankfully the stewards let us stand for the whole game because there would've been a fair few moist buttocks in the away the end if they hadn't. My first away day for a long time and i have to say the support was fantastic. It's definitely a factor in our brilliant away form and the players and management know and acknowledge that. Danny Lennon - what a tool! As someone said on the platform after the game "Chris Kerr must be turning in his grave".

Terry and Mo.

Terry and Mo.

First away game of the season for me. Can't wait.

Levein's justified his selection on Sportsound just now. Robson and Naismith will track back more effectively helping us to keep the game as tight as possible in the early stages.

.....and one that didn't was Jay McEveley. Signed for Barnsley in the summer after a few years at Derby. Thrice capped for Scotland over the past three years. Highlights just how problematic the left-back position is for Scotland. O'Connor drafted in as a replacement for Iwelumo. Good move.

The left-back situation is interesting. Wallace and McNaughton were the only players in the original squad who play in that position for their clubs and with both injured i expected Levein to call up someone else. I assume he'll move Whittaker over there now that Hutton is fit but i have also heard alarming suggestions that Broadfoot could play there. The obvious concern with Hutton and Whittaker as the two full-backs is that they both lack basic defensive qualities which puts even more pressure on our already struggling centre halfs. Names that cropped up in the pub last night as potential replacements include Stephen Crainey, Callum Davidson and Gary Naysmith.

I'm back with Big Brian now. He seems to be congratulating the Hammies on their ability to waste time. Well done Hamilton, you really have turned one football's least pleasant features into fine art.

Brian Irvine's glass really is half empty. I didn't last long with MFR either - open all mics for me today.

I'm gutted tonight, having genuinely wished and believed that all 3 teams could go through. I watched the 1st leg of the Motherwell game and both legs of of the United tie. All were fiercely competitive games which showed relatively small Scottish teams punching above their weight. The biggest problem in Scottish football is that we think we're better than we have any right to be. We have a glorious European past but have done very little in Europe for 20 years. We are a small country who do just about as well as we can in European football. I'm amazed that that we haven't accepted it yet.

Think i'll try and pick one to distract me from a woeful night for Scottish teams in Europe: ---------------------McGregor------------------ Whittaker--------Weir------Berra---------Wallace ---------------------Hartley------------------- Robson----------Brown-----Fletcher-------McFadden ---------------------Miller-------------------- Back 4 still looks dodgy but what can you do. McManus? Other contenders for the midfield include McCulloch for the holding role, Morrison on the right side and Dorrans through the middle. They are all good options. Alan Hutton, Steven Fletcher and Kevin McNaughton won't be flying to Kaunus due to injurues and are in the squad for Liechtenstein game only.

Was it that horrible Partick game the week after the Challenge Cup Final?

He looks incredible in the highlights. Oozing with confidence, his touch and movement are delightful - and just look at the movement of Eric around him! Very exciting.

Goalkeepers: Marshall (Cardiff), McGregor (Rangers), Gilks (Blackpool) Defenders: Hutton (Tottenham), Berra (Wolves), Broadfoot (Rangers), McManus (Middlesbrough), Weir (Rangers) McCulloch (Rangers), Wallace (Hearts), Webster (Rangers), Whittaker (Rangers), McNaughton (Cardiff) Midfielders: Adam (Blackpool), Brown (Celtic), Dorrans (West Brom), Fletcher (Man Utd), Morrison (West Brom), Robson (Middlesbrough), Hartley (Aberdeen) Strikers: Boyd (Middlesbrough),Fletcher (Wolves), Iwelumo (Burnley), McFadden (Birmingham), Miller (Rangers) Naismith (Rangers) Notable absentees: Maloney - good start to the season and a previous regular. O'Conner - Fully fit and started the first Birmingham game. Levein type of player. Dundee United players - All ditched. Re-calls: Davie Weir, Paul Hartley, Steven Naismith and 'Nervous Kev' McNaughton return to the fold.

Quote from united fan on P&B: Well done to all who were there. Singing throughout clearly audible on Radio Scotland. They left their mic on the end and i was treated to a couple of minutes of undisturbed singing from ICT fans as they left the ground. Feckin magic.