Scotland lose again !!

[SandyMcBlade]

It's been proved many times in the past, as we at the lane know only too well, the fault isn't with the players it's with the manager and who ever picked him....

 

[Paulus]

Scotland have this big chip on there shoulder that players in Scotland or those who have played there recently are obviously better than the ones that move down to England?

Naismith starts ahead of Mcburnie?
Mcginn instead of Fleck
Stuart Armstrong doesn’t start since his move to Southampton.

They need to realise there league is very very poor. Naismith come to England and struggled Mcburnie is one of the best prospects outside the premiership.

Tbf McBurnie is hardly blowing them away at Swansea (wasn't he on the bench?)
McGinn is playing in England
Armstrong isn't making the Southampton side at the moment

I was surprised Snodgrass wasn't playing. I do get why Fleck and Coutts haven't been picked, we can see what a great pairing they are but looking at Flecks record from the outside, he pissed off some of the Scottish establishment by his reaction to Rangers going bust and his career in England until last season was all lower league, he hasn't been an obvious pick and Coutts has had about 2.5 years of the last 5 years injured. I'd like to think that if they drive us forward from here on in McLeish has to start taking their claims seriously.

 

[HibbyBlade]

Scots are not touchy about players playing in England.

Our league isn't that poor

Scotland have this big chip on there shoulder that players in Scotland or those who have played there recently are obviously better than the ones that move down to England?

We really don't. Most of the squad play in England.

The Scottish League isn't that bad either, I think that's what we get a bit irked at; the idea that someone playing in the Championship would automatically be better than someone from say Aberdeen, Hibs or Hearts because, unless they play for a top team, they rarely are. We've had some right fucking dross playing for Scotland from Championship sides over the years (Chris Martin, Russel Martin, Chris Iwelumo, Jordan Rhodes, Grant Hanley, Liam Bridcutt, the list goes on....) and they've added next to nothing, certainly a lot less than Scottish based players.

 

[SteveBlade]

Scots are not touchy about players playing in England.

Our league isn't that poor


We really don't. Most of the squad play in England.

The Scottish League isn't that bad either, I think that's what we get a bit irked at; the idea that someone playing in the Championship would automatically be better than someone from say Aberdeen, Hibs or Hearts because, unless they play for a top team, they rarely are. We've had some right fucking dross playing for Scotland from Championship sides over the years (Chris Martin, Russel Martin, Chris Iwelumo, Jordan Rhodes, Grant Hanley, Liam Bridcutt, the list goes on....) and they've added next to nothing, certainly a lot less than Scottish based players.

Łet's be reight, it's basically League 1/2 standard with a couple of teams about as good as whoever finishes 16th and 17th in the Premier League.

Scott Sinclair is pretty much the best player to have played in the SPL in the last few years.

A pairing of Gary Hooper and Michael Higdon would have been the best strike partnership in the history of the SPL.

 

[HibbyBlade]

Łet's be reight, it's basically League 1/2 standard with a couple of teams about as good as whoever finishes 16th and 17th in the Premier League.

Not strictly true. The standard is far more variable due to the smaller league size. I doubt you watch it.

Scott Sinclair is pretty much the best player to have played in the SPL in the last few years.

Ah, you definitely don't watch Scottish football. He was a one season wonder. He's been utter crap for two seasons on the trot. Often warming the Celtic bench and not even close to the best player in the league.

A pairing of Gary Hooper and Michael Higdon would have been the best strike partnership in the history of the SPL.

No it wouldn't. Also the SPL hasn't existed for about 5 seasons.

 

[SteveBlade]

Not strictly true. The standard is far more variable due to the smaller league size. I doubt you watch it.



Ah, you definitely don't watch Scottish football. He was a one season wonder. He's been utter crap for two seasons on the trot. Often warming the Celtic bench and not even close to the best player in the league.



No it wouldn't. Also the SPL hasn't existed for about 5 seasons.

Well and truly put in my place.

I was just being a dick to be fair.

 

[Baw Heid]

Judging by social media a fair amount of Scots much prefer players being selected from the SPL than in England. A lot are very touchy when you point out how poor their league is.

Very few fans give a shit where the player plays as long as the team does well. Strachan went out of his way to use Anglos and I would hope that continues although after the latest display I would expect Anglo Scots to be ripping up their passports

 

[HibbyBlade]

Very few fans give a shit where the player plays as long as the team does well. Strachan went out of his way to use Anglos and I would hope that continues although after the latest display I would expect Anglo Scots to be ripping up their passports

If we stick with McLeish I reckon you are right. Tom Cairneys "knocks" everytime Scotland have a competitive match that would tie him to the cause, hint towards a player keeping his options open.

 

[Paulus]

I know that if I was a fan of the Scottish National team I'd be suspicious of players getting picked with dubious connections and/or commitment to the team cause. Its clear that in general Scottish fans are very passionate about their team and I admire this in them so it must be difficult for some of them to square the circle of picking the best players available to the team against picking the players who wear their hearts on their sleeves and give their all for the shirt. I don't think this is clearly a case of Scottish based players against English based players as this thread on Tartan Army makes clear, it might be easy to pigeonhole it as that but in reality its a bit more complex. https://www.tamb.net/forum/index.php?/topic/12531-scottish-born-players/&tab=comments#comment-471244

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

 

[Davalon]

 

[Grizzly blade]

Scattergun approach needed and a completely fresh outside face with no allegences to any Scots side. Plus thick skin.

Call up as many as you can, get them down and see who can play your system. Don’t worry about upsetting a few.

Until a Scotland manager grows a pair they are fucked
No way should John Fleck not be In The Scotland squad. I haven’t seen a better Scottish midfield player at what he does. Not to say he should play every match but as an option he has to be there.
McGinn isn’t fit to lace his boots

 

[Stretch]

I wouldn't want to see Fleck or Coutts anywhere near that idiot Mcleish. They would be completely wasted under him and no doubt one of them would come back injured. Best they stay with us and focus on dismantling Derby.

 

[derfblade.3]

 

[Seth Rollins]

Lets hope they continue to overlook Fleck & Coutts. We dont need them involved with that load of crap!!

 

[pommpey]

Lets hope they continue to overlook Fleck & Coutts. We dont need them involved with that load of crap!!

Or injured, playing in pointless, cash generating noddy-trophy internationals.

pommpey

 

[metalblade]

Scottish football is a complete joke outside of Glasgow the rest are mostly just their to make the numbers up. Looking at Celtic their travels into Europe are a good gauge on the quality of Scotland's top teams they usually go out of the competition early to some obscure eastern European outfit. To be honest I'd back the present Blades team to beat any side at present from Scotland. Celtic in the Premier League LOL they would do a Derby County

 

[HibbyBlade]

Scottish football is a complete joke outside of Glasgow the rest are mostly just their to make the numbers up. Looking at Celtic their travels into Europe are a good gauge on the quality of Scotland's top teams they usually go out of the competition early to some obscure eastern European outfit. To be honest I'd back the present Blades team to beat any side at present from Scotland. Celtic in the Premier League LOL they would do a Derby County

You know Celtic and Rangers are currently sitting 3rd and 6th in the league right? Granted they have been fairly dominant in Scottish football over the years but proportionally having a few dominant clubs in the top division is not unusual. It can't have escaped your attention that the same clubs from every UEFA league keep playing in Europe every year, right?

With regards to Europe, The top two clubs in Scotland last year (Celtic and Aberdeen) went out of their respective European competitions to AEK Athens and Burnley (I'll let you know which far flung European countries those unknowns are from if you're struggling).

Rangers (who finished 3rd) haven't lost a game in the Europa League yet and are top of their group (that's a group with Rapid Vienna, Villarreal and Spartak Moscow btw).

Scottish football isn't the best league in the world, but if you want to slag it off you should do a bit of research.

 

[I should coco]

Scottish football isn't the best league in the world, but if you want to slag it off you should do a bit of research.

Doing research on anything would be a novel approach on here.

It seems we prefer to 'tell it like it like it is' and just shoot from the hip, bollocks and all.

I commend your restraint HibbyBlade and admire you leaping to the defence of your fellow countymen. Having said that, it must stick in your craw a bit, to find yourself defending the Old Firm.

 

[8lade]

To be honest I'd back the present Blades team to beat any side at present from Scotland.

I'll wager we'd beat the Scottish National side.

 

[pommpey]

You know Celtic and Rangers are currently sitting 3rd and 6th in the league right?

Celtic will still end up as Champions. In the past forty years, only three clubs have run out as Champions of whatever the top league in Scotland has been - the last but the Glesgae clubs being Aberdeen and Dundee Utd in the eighties, and you have to go twenty years previous to find anyone else outside of those four.

The cash sits with the Old Firm. The rest of Scottish football is there to make the numbers up. It's a two-horse race.

pommpey

 

[HibbyBlade]

I'll wager we'd beat the Scottish National side.

I don't doubt that for a second.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'm ashamed that Scotland are British.

Can we hold a vote in the rest of Britain to get them independence? They're like a millstone around the neck of our great country.

We'll ring fence Oil, Whisky and anything else of use, but set them free and build a wall.

Andy Murray also needs to decide if he's shit or British.

 

[super_pig]

Has Fleck a bit of “history” with McLeish?
Never mind.......If Fleck keeps putting in the 8/10s and we stay at top of the Champs............. Big Eck will look a Big Cunt.

yeah he played for Rangers. they don't like the Rangers lads.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I'm ashamed that Scotland are British.

Can we hold a vote in the rest of Britain to get them independence? They're like a millstone around the neck of our great country.

We'll ring fence Oil, Whisky and anything else of use, but set them free and build a wall.

Andy Murray also needs to decide if he's shit or British.

Someone needs to create a big enough pneumatic drill to allow us to cut them adrift, give the Faroes a big island.

Whilst we're at it, can we kick Wales adrift too.

 

[SwissBlade]

Someone needs to create a big enough pneumatic drill to allow us to cut them adrift, give the Faroes a big island.

Whilst we're at it, can we kick Wales adrift too.

Can we not transfer sub Scotland off for the Faroes?

 

[super_pig]

Doing research on anything would be a novel approach on here.

It seems we prefer to 'tell it like it like it is' and just shoot from the hip, bollocks and all.

I commend your restraint HibbyBlade and admire you leaping to the defence of your fellow countymen. Having said that, it must stick in your craw a bit, to find yourself defending the Old Firm.

i'm up here myself and never have problems with the Rangers lads. the Celtic lot are a different matter

 

[super_pig]

Celtic will still end up as Champions. In the past forty years, only three clubs have run out as Champions of whatever the top league in Scotland has been - the last but the Glesgae clubs being Aberdeen and Dundee Utd in the eighties, and you have to go twenty years previous to find anyone else outside of those four.

The cash sits with the Old Firm. The rest of Scottish football is there to make the numbers up. It's a two-horse race.

pommpey

Hearts are currently top just ahead of Hibs and Kilmarnock and Livingston are doing well Celtic are nowhere. ha ha

 

[Gimli]

Scots are not touchy about players playing in England.

Our league isn't that poor


We really don't. Most of the squad play in England.

The Scottish League isn't that bad either, I think that's what we get a bit irked at; the idea that someone playing in the Championship would automatically be better than someone from say Aberdeen, Hibs or Hearts because, unless they play for a top team, they rarely are. We've had some right fucking dross playing for Scotland from Championship sides over the years (Chris Martin, Russel Martin, Chris Iwelumo, Jordan Rhodes, Grant Hanley, Liam Bridcutt, the list goes on....) and they've added next to nothing, certainly a lot less than Scottish based players.

Just to pick up the point about someone from the championship not automatically being better than someone from say Aberdeen. Interesting that you use Aberdeen as an example - when Adam Rooney has moved from there to the almighty National League...

 

[itsinyerblood]

It occurred to me, since Jamie Murphy left us under the pretext of wanting to play for Scotland, how many games has he actually played for his national side?

It struck me as a not totally convincing reason for wanting to move. Money yes, I get that, and at least it's an honest enough reason for wanting to move, but moving to try and justify his worth to the national manager.....I'd be interested to know if he fulfilled his wish, or did he achieve far less than he hoped for?