scotland squad

[starchief]

It's not about the performance, it's all about the result...

...and we didn't get that.

Having no strikers didn't work at all. It just meant the central defenders could take their time when the ball was punted up. I don't think that extra player in midfield made any difference at all.

I wonder if Kenny Miller will be thinking 'if I'm not in the manager's plans against the top seeds, might as well retire'. It's no shame to lose away to the Czechs but to give ourselves little chance of scoring and every chance of conceding by allowing relentless pressure is just crazy.

No points and a deeply unenjoyable performance.

[caleymore]

When we went 4-4-2 it looked like an even game, pity the manager dosn't have the faith in his players to deliver.

The players on the park were well up for the contest but the set up din't suit anything but a nil nil .

Not impressed.

[lukemackay]

4-6-0 what is levein thinking it worked for rubin kazan against barcelona but its not going to work away

hutton didnt get the ball enough

the one chance we had was almost an o.g

[Georgeios]

Kenny lad wasn't played from the start because the huns have no other strikers, cast your minds back to Ferguson played 90 min the weekend before a mid week, gets injured oh but wait 90 mins again the next weekend, the OF govern the team select for the national squad.... i have no time for national football.

[Yngwie]

That was just so dismal. The only positive was that there was some very good defending/goalkeeping.

I wouldn't blame FIFA for taking steps to have Scotland thrown out of international competitions. At least teams like the Faroes, Liechtenstein etc play with a wee bit of ambition when they lose. Nobody would watch football if they knew it was going to be played the way Scotland played.

Not happy :irritated:

[WYNESS101]

4-6-0

Criag Levein :rotflmao:

Fecking joke

Edited October 8, 2010 by WYNESS101

[Hiro]

Football 1 - 0 Scotland.

At least I can sleep easy in the knowledge that I will never have to witness such a monstrosity of a formation and lack of ambition again. Surely to god 4-6-0 will now be taken out back and shot.

[tm4tj]

Typical Levein when he knows his team are second best. I know why he did it, but it wins us no friends.

Bottom of the barrel for Scotland, simply rubbish.

[WYNESS101]

GOAL: Spain 1-0 Lithuania : Llorente (47)

[stomach]

4-6-0

I read this formation in the paper and thought it was a joke, how wrong I was.

How can a team start with no forward?

This just proves Craig Levein hasn't a clue what he's doing. A quality manager like Jock Stein must be turning in their grave.

Mr Levein you should be ashamed or at least totally embarassed, because I am after watching that.

[Northern_jaggie]

it must be insulting to the players to undermine thier attacking ability so much so that they wont be allowed to show it AT ALL!

Far too much respect for a distinctly average side. He watched them several times and once live AND THATS THE BEST HE CAN COME UP WITH?

appologies for the caps but im totally raging with that result and more the performance - the worst iv ever seen.

I have simply lost all faith in scottish international football, i want to believe in it so much but I just cant. Im off for a sit down in a darkened room.

[The Mantis]

I've just watched that crap in the pub and I feel sorry for all the young lads watching it. For them Scotland have always been shyte. At least I had the privilege of seeing some decent players even 20 years ago. Mind you we had enough talent to give the Czechs a game but Levein decided to give them too much respect. How about you have some faith in your players Craig?

Plan A lasted about 70 mins, but there was no plan B. Shocking.

Edited October 8, 2010 by TheMantis

[lukemackay]

we would of beaten them with a 4-4-2 the czechs are no good at all they have 1 good player who doesnt play football regularly al our players are first team regulars

[+DoofersDad]

The most entertaining thing was someone describing the match as Tartan against Czechs. Sounds better than it reads but hey, we're scraping the barrel here.

[Johnboy]

It was the Rangers "backs to the wall" tactic that we saw against Man U a couple of weeks ago. I thought it almost came off for Levein - a draw would have been a great result.

It will be completely different against Spain....I'll stick my neck out now and forecast a win for Scotland - at worst a draw.

[Renegade]

Scotland got what they deserved and were quite rightly beaten. I read Jim McLean's column in the Daily Record yesterday and he says that now he's 71, he reckons he'll never see Scotland at a major finals again. To be quite honest I wouldn't be surprised if someone aged 21 will never see Scotland at a major finalsagain! Certainly not playing by 4-6-0, that's for sure.

[starchief]

It was the Rangers "backs to the wall" tactic that we saw against Man U a couple of weeks ago. I thought it almost came off for Levein - a draw would have been a great result.

It will be completely different against Spain....I'll stick my neck out now and forecast a win for Scotland - at worst a draw.

But it wasn't even that. I don't have a problem with teams playing negatively if that's the best they can do but even Rangers in Europe play at least ONE striker. All we did was get the ball then have to give it straight back for constant pressure.

It wasn't anti-football. It was a duck shoot.

(and Craig Levein bowing to the Old Firm is just ridiculous - much as I thought his tactics were dismal, he's very much his own man)

[ICTPaisley]

Is anyone actually surprised that we lost? I thought at best we could come away with a draw, and on another day we might have got that. Rubbish tactics and i just wish we had a manager with the balls to actually go into a game and attack. Its happening all the time these days in Scottish football, Rangers might have 4 points in the champions league so far but its boring as hell to watch. We do still have a massive chance though, we just have to focus on beating everyone else except Spain and beating the Czechs at home now. If we can do that then i'm sure we'll qualify, but we wont.

[robbylad]

it took me back to my youth playing goals and byes. break up the attack and hoof the ball up the park. good job it wasn't 3 corners, a penalty.

[Renegade]

I see Levein's saying today that the team played well and he got his tactics spot on! Seriously unbelievable stuff.

[rinomac]

I dread to think what formation he will line up against Spain with.

Last night wasn't a very good performance. Ok, I can understand he was wanting to play for a draw, but all we did was lump the ball up the park where we had nobody, and completely miss out all the men we had in midfield. It was just inviting the Czechs to have a go every time. We looked (marginally) better when Miller and Iwelumo came on, but it was far too late in the game by then.

[lukemackay]

next it'll be a 7-3-0 against spain

[ictchris]

We did only lose a goal from a set piece, which could have happened whatever the formation, but if you play with no striker you just invite pressure on yourself. It must have been terrible for someone like Graeme Dorrans, who played OK, to have to launch aimless long balls up the park simply because there was no-one there.

A better formation would have been:

-------------------McGregor-------------------

---Hutton-----Weir----McManus----Whittaker-----

-----------------Caldwell---------------------

---Naismtih---Dorrans---Fletcher----Morrison---

--------------------Miller---------------------

I just can't understand any reason to stick Mackie out wide instead of playing as above. 4-1-4-1 is hardly Ossie Ardiles style gung ho football. In fact, a player like Kenny Miller helps you defend from the front with his work-rate and energy. He'd also be able to pick up some balls played long and buy the defence a breather.

What a disaster Levein is proving. I thought he might be a good appointment but it seems he's out of his depth, as he was a Leicester. If things continue like this we'll finish behind Lithuania, the Czechs and Spain in the group and he'll be out on his arse. If this is Walter Smith's last season at Ibrox, we should get him back in.

[TopSix]

I agree with your point about Kenny Miller taking pressure off the defence. I hope he gets a start against Spain.

[Harry Chibber]

Losing doesn't bother me, there is no disgrace in losing 1-0 away anywhere in Europe but that has to be the most embarrassed I have ever been after a Scotland game.... even if we had drawn playing that way I would have been upset. Last night I felt as though we played the tactics of a lower tier country, a San Marino, Malta, Albania etc..

I don't think this is an over-reaction either, the manager gave up before we started last night and for such a proud nation we were made to look scared with a lack of faith.

getting angry the more I think about it