Scotland vs Serbia and Macedonia

[lukemackay]

As it says on the tin.

What do you think the score will be, and reaction afterwards.

Myself i think well knick it. 2-1.

Serbia have individuals but I think we have a well gelled team think that will take us through the game in the end.

[+Fraz]

Glorious defeat.

[SMEE]

Envisage the scene....the last game of the Qualifiers....Scotland Narrowly miss qualifying......and we hear those immortal words "if only we hadnt dropped points in the opening two games"

BUT...hopefully we will win

[KennySim93]

Cheeky wee elbow from Naismith on one of the Serbia players. If the referee had seen that, there would be no doubt that he would have been sent off.

[RiG]

Naismith is a complete throbber.

[SMEE]

Im planning puttin money on them scraping a draw with Macedonia on tuesday.

[lukemackay]

I notice a lot of people moaning about the result. Which is fair enough. But i thought the performance was good we were a decent striker away from a win imo. Miller had his peak while he was at oldco for me. Won't cut it anymore.

Time for mackie or Rhodes to be given the chance or even play both up front for Macedonia.

All in all not the best way to start but il take it with a long way to go yet.

[SMEE]

I would play Mackie and Rhodes from the off on tuesday, and i would play Forrest from the start too. We need someone who will take the ball and run at them and cause probems. Forrest can do that.

Edited September 8, 2012 by SMEE

[CaleyD]

Why can't Levein accept that playing Tokely and Munro would have guaranteed us the win!!!

[bdu98196]

Can't believe its yet another campaign and we are persevering with Miller to lead the line, the guy doesnt have a great strike rate at club level far less Internationals - yes he works hard but if he is playing as the lone front man he needs to find the net. If we cant resolve the Fletcher situation then we have to give Rhodes the chance - its time for the new generation and by all accounts the biys record shows he has an eye for goal!!!

[Renegade]

Scotland will be going nowhere with that dud Levein in charge IMO.

[lukemackay]

But he's bringing the young talent through. Even if he doesn't get us to a tournament he can say he gave players like Forrest, Rhodes, Hanley, and Dixon their chance on the international stage. That's where he's been successful for us. He's brought through the backbone of the future.

For me i don't think millers got enough anymore but i have no gripes with the system. The 4-5-1 is probably the most utilised at international level and it is for a reason. It allows you to dominate games in the midfeild and with the right man up front will get you goals. Us with Rooney up top in the 4-2-3-1 for instance. We got plenty goals with that system.

[+DoofersDad]

Selecting the side with 2018 World Cup in mind, eh, Luke? Now there's a new optimistic spin on a disappointing performance in the first qualifying match.

There should be no planning for the future here. You don't reach the finals unless you qualify. You qualify by being top (or second) of your group and Scotland will not be top or second unless the best team available is picked for every game. Qualify for the finals in Brazil and the future will take care of itself.

[Renegade]

Youth or not, he's rubbish.

[lukemackay]

Highly constructive rene.

The youth are in the squad now so it's not preparation for 2018 he clearly feels these lads have something to offer now in this qualification stage. And he's been the ones whos brought them through. That's where leveins sucess is. The next 2 years could be leveins last if he doesn't get to rio but he's brought the team forward from hen burley was in charge so I don't think you can call him a failure.

Edited September 8, 2012 by lukemackay

[+Fraz]

Sorry Luke but imo developing the yoof is a job for clubs / Scotland U21s not full international qualifying games.

[CaleyD]

You're right Fraz, but with the whole Scottish Football setup so chronically disfunctional, then you can't criticise the first team manager for at least trying....as the saying goes "you can only piss with the c*ck your given"

Like it or not, it doesn't matter a jot who you put in charge of Scotland at the moment, we don't have the players at present to be competing any more than we are....nor will we have them if things are allowed to continue as is. That's not Leveins fault and he is undertaking a thankless and impossible task....and he's a fool to himself if he believes any different.

It's easy to look at a single game, or set of games and pick holes...but until everyone takes a step back and looks at the bigger issue and the wider problems then we'll lurch from one set of tournament qualifiers to the next with no improvement.

Everywhere you turn in Scottish Football it's a mitigating disaster, and at every level. The only people to blame are the SFA, along with those who have the power to change that regime but fail to do so.

[Renegade]

Highly constructive rene.

Wasn't meant to be constructive, more like a fact!

[starchief]

Which team selection, which tactics would see Scotland through? I just don't see any. S.Fletcher would have been a start but he decided not to play, so I couldn't count him. Berra and Webster would never get in the top half of the Premiership. Hutton can't get a game for Villa or Spurs before them. Goodwillie and Rhodes are playing in the Championship for a reason - well, Goodwillie, not even that.

Both Burley and Vogts tried the attacking approach. It worked as well as Motherwell did in Europe. We're best when we're boring unfortunately. Trouble is, that's still not very good.

I can't see another manager doing any better.

[bauhaus]

Levein will do as well as anyone managing Scotland, he is trying to do his best, and I can see what he is trying to do. Saturday could have gone a bit better, but for a few players no playing as well as they could. Dixon was a big plus, for a sixth choice, probably played as good as anyone. Hutton, Adam and Miller disappointed for me. I would have Rhodes, Forrest and Mackie starting on Tuesday. Adam needs to improve his decision making, but i would play him again, in a 442 instead of 4141.

Think we will win on Tuesday, even though Macedonia seemingly played Croatia off the park but lost.

Belgians will win the group, and it will be between us, Croatia and Serbia for the play off.

[bdu98196]

So long as we keep persevering with Kenny Miller ahead of alternative choices like Mackie as a lone front man or Rhodes as a 2 prong attack (push Naismith forward liek he does at Everton behind Jelavic) we will not score goals. Levein has set out his position regarding Fletcher but looking at his style of play and how he performs weekly in the EPL then he would score against International teams, its a shame this cant be resolved as IMO him & Rhodes are the two best strikers Scotland have produced in decades.

Rhodes and Forrest have to start on Tue, KM has missed far to many chances over the years as he isnt an instinctive finisher.

[dougal]

Sounds like Levein is going to persevere with Kenny Miller tomorrow night leaving out the form men Rhodes and Mackie yet again

Miller in my opinion should no longer be in the squad never mind the starting eleven, the day he went to play in a diddy league should have been the day he retired from international football

Don't get me wrong Miller has scored important goals for his country in the past but that's where it should remain

Serbia will finish third in the group behind Croatia and Belgium and after the draw on Saturday it means we will now be battling it out for fourth place with Wales and Macedonia

Dougal

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Scotland will finish bottom of the group and will be lucky to win a single game .

[lukemackay]

Scotland will finish bottom of the group and will be lucky to win a single game .

That's not being pessimistic that's just being plain stupid.

[culduthel]

As I have said before on here, supporting Scotland is the triumph of hope over experience. It is fascinating to see that there is still a small group of "suckers" being sucked in.