Some things never change....

[tokelyisvictorious]

Macedonia 0-1 Scotland

Game over. No chance of qualifying on that show. Burley is all talk and no walk.

Even if we do pick up a point or 3 away to Iceland, with duds like Broadfoot and Maloney in the team, what chance do we stand??? None whatsoever.

For me Burley has gone back to the "pick an old firm player if theres no-one else" tactic and its failed miserably. A pathetic showing and then he has the audacity to come out after and praise the performance? Is he off his head??

We lost all momentum in the friendly games, and everyone lost their confidence. Not helped by injuries and the heat but if we are to live up to the tags of upstarts Macedonia are the type of teams we need to beat.

Still, can't wait for the next game, good to have something to moan about now caley are the new footballing side of the spl.

[Glen Mhor]

Pretty depressing display this afternoon. The Iceland match on Wednesday has now turned into a crucial game for our World Cup prospects.

Just why is it that Scotland managers have an Old Firm fixation ? They certainly aren't the best players in Scotland and their sides are shored up by slightly more talented foreign players.

Far more imagination required in team selection Mr Burley.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

One poor game in hot conditions with a weakened team and all is doom and gloom. It is impossible for even the world's greatest team to walk through every game undefeated.

Scotland need to regroup and start again. If Holland draw in Macedonia is that their tournament over?

Where is the faith? Answers on a post card to Mr Craig Brewster, HowdoIkeepeveryonehappyeveryweek, The Heathmount, Introvertedness, Grassabennett-Shire

[HumbersideDude]

With all the optimism I can muster I just cannot see us qualifing now.

We needed a minimum 4 points thiis week, thats obviously not going to happen. A draw on wednesday will be a good result after yeterdays display. So 1 point after 2 games iwould not be good.

A point away to Norway is the best we could hope for there

0 points away to Holland.

3 points home to Macedonia.

3 points home to Iceland.

1 points home to Norway.

1 point home to Holland.

10 points will not be enough in this group.

then Berti voghts sorry George Burley will be off and we will be back to where we were 4/5 years ago

[Yngwie]

No wins in any of our last 6 games, and I don't even recall us ever looking like winning any of them.

We are not as good as we perhaps came to believe we were, and nowhere near as good as our FIFA ranking suggests.

[SMEE]

Maloney did more in the 20 mins he was on than the majority of the team managed in 90! At least he has a sense of urgency about him and pings the shots in.

Edited September 7, 2008 by SMEE

[chris123]

With all the optimism I can muster I just cannot see us qualifing now.

We needed a minimum 4 points thiis week, thats obviously not going to happen. A draw on wednesday will be a good result after yeterdays display. So 1 point after 2 games iwould not be good.

A point away to Norway is the best we could hope for there

0 points away to Holland.

3 points home to Macedonia.

3 points home to Iceland.

1 points home to Norway.

1 point home to Holland.

10 points will not be enough in this group.

then Berti voghts sorry George Burley will be off and we will be back to where we were 4/5 years ago

We will beat Norway home and away, they are worse than us at the moment, we even beat them away from home under Vogts.

We will also win in Iceland. That coupled with the fact that other teams will take points of each other (the mighty Norway that apparently we can only take 2 points from were held at home by Iceland yesterday) will be enough to see us at least give it a go.

Writing a team off after one match is pathetic, there is plenty of time and games.

As you say, we will take a point from Holland, that will put us on 16 points. That would then mean that every other second place team must get more than 23 points, which is not going to happen

Edited September 7, 2008 by chris123

[tokelyisvictorious]

The thing is we've seen it too many times before and we know the signs when we see them, and yesterday was a glaring warning to the entire squad.

I'd be more than delighted for Scotland to turn it around and qualify but i can't see it. The last round of qualification games were the best for 10 years but it was based on the feel good factor around the scottish game and the belief plus momentum after beating France. I don't think putting on a decent second half showing against macedonia will spur on the boys to anything great this time.

[clacher_holiday2]

Could be worse, Marius Nicolae played in Romanias 3-0 home loss to Lithuania!

[tokelyisvictorious]

hahahaha serves him right. Although i heard he has scored 2 in 3 for dinamo. He can play when he wants to.

Back to Scotland, i fear that this game and subsequent failed qualification attempt will drag the scottish game back into the mire. A lot of national pride hangs on the next few games.

At least Khan got a battering.

[MissICT]

why is scotland In genral being so negative?

This is not the way forword!

[SMEE]

"why is scotland In genral being so negative?

This is not the way forword!"

I think if you watched the game, this would have been self evident

[MissICT]

supposed!

I missed the game

oh well!

[Drochit Blue]

I'm not at all convinced Burley is the right man for Scotland. His club sides passed the ball around nicely but never played as if they could dig out a result if they had too......and besides is he still drinking too heavily..allegedly?

[Guest couchpotato]

......and besides is he still drinking too heavily..allegedly?

Afetr watching yesterdays attempts i'd hazard a guess a guid few more of us will be drinking too heavily

[tokelyisvictorious]

call up roscoe and all his problems will be solved

[Council Juice]

I'm not at all convinced Burley is the right man for Scotland. His club sides passed the ball around nicely but never played as if they could dig out a result if they had too......and besides is he still drinking too heavily..allegedly?

I dont think as a team we played altogether that badly. Stupid (non existent) free kick, 5 minutes in, cost us and two stone wall penalties in a second ignored by a fairly poor ref (he didnt do a lot wrong but failed at the big and ultimately decisive ones.)

Our tempo however was slow and it's fairly evident that playing Miller and McFadden together was and never will work well.

Burley wants to turn us into a better footballing side - we'll get nowhere with that attitude.

Smith and McLeish made us solid and hard to beat with which we could then build on to try and get a result. We were very dangerous as a team from set pieces and alot of emphasise was placed on that. With players like Hartley, Robson, Maloney, Ferguson (not right now) able to deliver we have many options in the team to do just this.

I dont honestly think Burely is or ever was the right man for the job but we had few options available and even to me he seemed the best bet.

He again needs to build from the back. If we dont concede we cant get beat and if we nick a goal or two we can hold on to that. A tight dogged organised spirited passionate side has always been Scotlands calling as we never were the greatest and never will be in terms of playing the game. Not unless that atom experiment in France goes tits up and takes out mainland europe.

Miller and McFadden have both been fantastic for Scotland over the last few years, no doubt about that and CAN play in the same team in my opinion. Not as a front two but supporting with their pace and skill a central striker who simply puts anything that comes to him in the net. Boyd and O'Conner are probably the two only suitable candidates for this just now. (perhaps Fletcher in the future or eh Barrowman???!!!) The two supporting strikers would have to get back as well and would have a tough shift but thats the only way i can see those two working together in front of three centre mids (such as Fletcher, Hartley, Robson) with Maloney or Commons replacing the tiring ones.

And a Scotland boss is going to one day need the stones to tell McFadden that yes he can do the unthinkable and unexpected and thats why he is there but it is a team game. He cost us against italy by being greedy when he could have squared and missed THAT sitter. They also need to learn to take him off if he isnt doing the business which there seems a reluctance to do. When Faddy aint playing well he tends to offer nothing. Not even a moment of magic. Id rather have a lazy swine like Boyd there who turns shoots and BANG but does nothing else.

I also see no problem picking OF players particularly if they are regular or even semi regular. This includes Boyd, Hartley, Maloney, Robson, McManus, Caldwell for definite and should include the likes of Thompson(plays every week solidly and dependably) Wilson ( I think he's a decent full back and when Naysmith or Hutton are unavailable Alexander wont cut it and doesnt get forward, but he needs to stay fit and keep playing)

and yes even Broadfoot (yes he is limited, but does he play out of position and every week, yes. Has he improved drastically over the last 6 months with this role, Yes. Has he played top level football? Was in Europe after christmas and played most games including the Uefa Cup final against a top side. Is he fairly dependable and not let the side down? from what i've seen yes) For these reasons and the fact he is versatile, very fit (can "run" all day) and willing he should be in the squad. As cover yes but definitely there. In fact id rather play him over Alexander.

Id even take the likes of out of sorts whittaker in the squad over Alexander as he offers more.

The reason OF players are in the Scotland team is that, even if semi regluar for their respective clubs, they are the best outwith the English top flight available. If there were better options available they WOULD be playing for the OF.

Broadfoot is limited but i'd only have Darren Barr ahead of him of the options available.

Can anyone give better players than the ones listed such as Whittaker. If they can, then think to themselves have they played well enough for a while to merit the Old Firm bidding ?2 for their man?

[VIVA LAS TOKLEY]

Don't think we should be all doom and gloom just yet. This game may come back to haunt us in 12 months but there is still along way to go. We have a better national side than we have had in recent years, let's all get behind them.

Only thing about Saturday that really got my Goat up was Fletcher, why was'nt he subbed (surely not just cause he play's for Man U) He was P!sh.

[Kingsmills]

Three points from Iceland on Wednesday will leave our prospects looking a lot brighter. Anything short of that then our qualifying hopes will indeed be hanging by a thread.

[tokelyisvictorious]

If there isn't 3 points in the bag against iceland then we can wave goodbye to any hopes we might have.

Bring Back Berti

No, seriously, at least berti hads the right idea. Burley has a great squad at his disposal and has managed to make us look amateur again.

[MissICT]

I really hope scotland qualify!