Scotland vs Serbia and Macedonia

[bdu98196]

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

Of course he will, he is stubborn to the core and now as the press, fans and other peers in football are calling for a change and giving Rhodes a start, Levein will stand firm and refuse to make changes. Its his way of showing authority whether he thinks its the right decision or not.

Last campaign when we were 2-0 down against Spain, we looked strong when we took control of the game and pushed forwards, highlighted by the 2 goals scored against the worlds best team, there were times against the Czech team at Hampden when I thought they were there for the taking but we never pushed on and changed game plan. Yes not conceeding and remaining tight at the back is the first priority however we do leak goals and seem to always leave it too late to push forwards. With guys in the team like Forrest, Morrison, Maloney, even Hutton we have wide players that can really cause problems and get balls in the box, but not much use having those options if we continue to play narrow through the middle and expect Miller to lead the line.

[starchief]

I think Levein is absolutely right to play it tight the majority of the time. "Forrest, Morrison, Maloney, even Hutton" are all not playing for the Man Utds, Chelski's etc for a reason (maybe we could forgive Forrest). Having an attacking team with sub-standard players spells doom. That's what Burley and Vogts tried - disaster! McLeish and Smith played defensive and but for a bit of luck....

But he is too stubborn. Sometimes you have to throw off the shackles. A 0-0 at home doesn't bode well. At least a last 20 mins with some in-form attackers has to to be tried. In fact, having Miller run them ragged for an hour, then getting on a genuine goalscorer may be the ideal scenario. We need to take that risk at home with time left. If not then, when? In Serbia???

(oh, by the way bdu, I think that's probably what you mean, so I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you)

Edited September 11, 2012 by starchief

[ICTPaisley]

Scotland to win by two goals tonight and keep our chances alive!

[starchief]

Not sure what the personnel mean as regards line-up. Surprised Snodgrass has been dropped, would have thought Adam needed a game to get fit, so again a surprise. Naismith's probably our best attacker too. No Rhodes of course. Think it might be an ICT 4-2-3-1.

McGregor

Hutton - Berra - Webster - Dixon

Caldwell - Morrisson

Maloney - Forrest - Mackie

Miller

I'd have taken two out of three of that attacking midfield but just think we lack a bit of passing ability.

[Yngwie]

Oh dear. The 2 year road to Rio is over in its first week.

[Kingsmills]

How depressing. no realistic hope of qualification for yet another world cup. a reasonably competent squad by recent standards but a hopelessly inept manager.

[Pele_Is_God]

He is a cretin.

[tm4tj]

We are rubbish.

That is all.

[+Fraz]

Levein

If it wasn't for Sha**er we'd have been well beaten.

[Renegade]

And that is the end of that.

[Kingsmills]

Gordon Strachan anyone ?

[+DoofersDad]

All in all a pretty sh*te night for the 4 home countries.

Scotland Held at home by the team ranked 97 in the world

England held at home by Ukraine

Wales being gubbed 6-1 by Serbia (who are ranked only 3 places above Wales)

and probably worst of all, Northern Ireland being held at home by Luxemburg!

Team GB anyone?

[SMEE]

Levein is "slightly disappointed" and thought Macedonia were an "extremely good" team. Well.....may as well walk away now Levein

[Kingsmills]

Would rather watch Scotland struggle against the Faroe Islands than contemplate a Team GB.

[bdu98196]

This team has some good players, possibly when everyone is fit a squad thats better than the Scotland squad which made the last World cup in 1998, but they are being let down by the very poor tactics the manager employs. Leveins pig headed-ness will see that Miller continues to lead the line alone as an act of defiance against fans, media etc preventing Rhodes etc playing or changing formation. We are at home against a lower rated and quality team, so why leave a player like Adam on the bench when we already have quality like Brown and Fletcher missing - we should always play the strongest 11 not the 11 the manager wants in order to make statements, which I'm begining to sense is the case and people on her think the ICT manager is an ego-maniac!!!

[starchief]

I don't see how this squad is better than the 1998 World Cup squad:

1 GK Jim Leighton 24 Jul 1958 Aberdeen

2 MD Jackie McNamara 24 Oct 1973 Glasgow Celtic

3 DF Tom Boyd 24 Nov 1965 Glasgow Celtic

4 DF Colin Calderwood 20 Jan 1965 Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

5 DF Colin Hendry 07 Dec 1965 Blackburn Rovers (ENG)

6 DF Tosh McKinlay 03 Dec 1964 Glasgow Celtic

7 FW Kevin Gallacher 23 Nov 1966 Blackburn Rovers (ENG)

8 MD Craig Burley 24 Sep 1971 Glasgow Celtic

9 FW Gordon Durie 06 Dec 1965 Glasgow Rangers 1990

10 FW Darren Jackson 25 Jul 1966 Glasgow Celtic

11 MD John Collins 31 Jan 1968 AS Monaco (FRA) 1990

12 GK Neil Sullivan 24 Feb 1970 Wimbledon (ENG)

13 FW Simon Donnelly 01 Dec 1974 Glasgow Celtic

14 MD Paul Lambert 07 Aug 1969 Glasgow Celtic

15 MD Scott Gemmill 02 Jan 1971 Nottingham Forest (ENG)

16 DF David Weir 10 May 1970 Hearts of Midlothian

17 MD Billy McKinlay 22 Apr 1969 Blackburn Rovers (ENG)

18 DF Matthew Elliott 01 Nov 1968 Leicester City (ENG)

19 DF Derek Whyte 31 Aug 1968 Aberdeen

20 FW Scott Booth 16 Dec 1971 FC Utrecht (NED)

21 GK Jonathan Gould 18 Jul 1968 Glasgow Celtic

22 DF Christian Dailly 23 Oct 1973 Derby County (ENG)

Is Berra, Webster and Caldwell better than Boyd, Calderwood, Weir and Hendry? Our strikers are between the aging Miller, the Championship reserve Goodwillie and the never-played-in-the-top-division Rhodes. Give me the top level performers of Durie, Gallacher and Jackson any day. Lambert, Collins and Burley would all be first choices in our current line-up.

It goes back to the SPL. When the likes of Celtic and formerly Rangers were bidding millions and paying their players tens of thousands a week, whilst Aberdeen and Dundee United were losing the likes of McGuire and Allen to reserve squads and lower status teams as they could barely keep a squad together, it means any youngster with a hint of promise will go to a team that doesn't care about developing 'one of their own'.

I'd like Strachan myself but don't see any prospect of him, or even Sir Alex, getting us to the World Cup on a very mediocre squad.

[bauhaus]

Only change I would have had to last nites team would have been Rhodes starting instead of Miller. Charlie Adam is a good player but had a poor game v Serbia, mainly reflected in his poor decision making.

Think Macedonia caught Scotland cold, and they were the better team throughout, in fact would have thought they were the home team.

Only blessing is we are just two points behind Belgium, Croatia and Serbia, although we are they only team to have not played away. Result means we dont need a big result away, we need two big results away, probably not losing away to the top 3 and beating two of them. Slip slip slipping away down the rankings. Now only if we had a Blackie in that team , mind you he might have made a difference

[ictchris]

Terrible performances, timid, negative, one-paced. Levein showed almost as soon as he took the job that he was out of his depth, too negative and lacking in the confidence in himself to do the simple thing.

[bauhaus]

Anyone but Strachan, cant stand that we nyaff. Id have the Orange man Jimmy Calderwood ahead of him, or get Walter Smith back, or King Kenny

[lukemackay]

Or give Levein till the end of the campaign? The group were in anyone can beat anyone. He said himself when he took the job 2014s his target if he doesn't turn it around hell leave but give him the chance he got us very close to the euros if it wasn't for a diving Czech we probably would've been. In this group anything can happen. We've started at a disadvantage but a win against Wales could turn things in our favour.

[ictchris]

Anyone but Strachan, cant stand that we nyaff. Id have the Orange man Jimmy Calderwood ahead of him, or get Walter Smith back, or King Kenny

You would have Jimmy Calderwood ahead of Gordon Strachan? Strachan took Celtic to last 16 of the Champions League several times with limited players. Calderwood has a comparable record to Levein and he would be another disaster. Smith wouldn't be that bad an appointment, he steadied the ship last time.

Or give Levein till the end of the campaign? The group were in anyone can beat anyone. He said himself when he took the job 2014s his target if he doesn't turn it around hell leave but give him the chance he got us very close to the euros if it wasn't for a diving Czech we probably would've been. In this group anything can happen. We've started at a disadvantage but a win against Wales could turn things in our favour.

They should sack him immediately, we have zero chance of qualifying. Nothing Levein has done in his time in the Scotland job shows any potential for us to turn this situation around.

[ICTPaisley]

Normally my Scottish optimism lasts for at least a year. This time it's buried after 4 days. Roll on euro 2016 where there's an extra 8 places!

[Renegade]

The worst thing that can happen now, is that Scotland beat Wales and that buys him some more time. It's a bit like that game against Liechtenstein that was won by pure luck and completely undeservedly, but saved him his job.

I'd have sacked him for the 4-6-0 fiasco myself.

[ictchris]

You only need to look at a few comparable nations to see what a different having a good manager makes to a national side.

Ireland have Trappatoni (albeit funded by Dermot Desmond) and they qualified for a tournament with a limited squad. They were roundly pumped in the finals but at least they got there.

Norway re-appointed Egil Olsen in 2008 and has lead them into the top seeding pot for the current qualifying tournament.

[Yngwie]

Normally my Scottish optimism lasts for at least a year. This time it's buried after 4 days. Roll on euro 2016 where there's an extra 8 places!

But which pot of balls will we be in by then?