Scotland's path to Euro 2016

Big game tonight away to Poland, after their win against Germany we are at a disadvantage already. Beating them 1-0 in a friendly without Lewandowski is one thing but getting a good result after they beat the World champions and with two of their best players back is a totally different prospect.

I would be happy enough with a draw but if we lose we'll probably be looking at third at best even at this early stage, just hope Naisy gets his shooting boots on, his finishing has been abysmal in the first two games and Fletcher please just shoot as opposed to trying to act like Francesco Totti.

Thought you played well against Germany. Unlucky not to get a point.
Hope we can have a good performance against them tonight.

Can see Scotland getting a point tonight.

Pretty good first half, had most of the ball without creating too much. Very much doubt this is going to finish 1-1.

At last we have the first mistake of Strachan's reign. Why did he take off both strikers at once? Anya (nearly typed Enya!!) looks good though.

Russell Martin = rock. He'll drop Lewandowski out of his pocket as they fly over Munich

Yea Martin was fantastic again. Decent result, i think we can beat them at home.

Anyone else off to see the game on Friday?

Im not but my brother and the usual crowd are going.

Gonna be a tricky game for us.

Would take a point.

Should be a great atmosphere, two great sets of fans and a tight game no doubt. Hopefully it's close to 60000 capacity, we absolutely have to win if we are to get ahead of the eight ball but i'd probably bank on 1-1 or something like that.

I'd go with a 1-1.

If we manage a win, 10 points from 4 games would be great.

Would take a point. Still keep us in a great position when Poland visit Dublin on the 29th march.

I will be there.

Something inside me is saying this will be a 0-0 draw but I hope I am wrong. A win for us would be massive and move us above Ireland with tough fixtures out of the way. A draw would be a good result for Ireland and less so for us and a defeat does not bear thinking about. Massive game.

Not to be picky craig, but we would still be a head of you, even if you win, on goal difference.

Should be a good game, with a great atmosphere.

We need something, as the Poland game will be very tough to.

I'm pretty sure it goes on head to head, though i'm not always sure as some site's have it on head to head and other's goal difference.

Ah ok.

monty junior wrote:I'm pretty sure it goes on head to head, though i'm not always sure as some site's have it on head to head and other's goal difference.

Exactly. That is my understanding as well.

yeah they look to head to head first when teams are tied now on points, i would take a point as we are away but if we win we could be on way to the euros again. meanwhile keano has decked a 'fan' last night, hope it doesnt distract us too much. im going for us to win 2-1 v the scots

What must be remembered as well is that the group has a lop-sided look to it at the moment as both Ireland and Poland have three points on the board from the virtual walkover match V Gibraltar who Scotland have yet to play.

I am looking forward to this one. 2-1 to scotland.

It's an absolutely disgusting day, but i can't wait, could end up being complete dross but the atmosphere will make up for it. I think we can edge it but i still think it will be a draw, which isn't really much good.

Well done Scotland.

Good game, despite the result.

Well done Scotties.

It was as expected. Close, dirty and scrappy.

Great result for Scotland and one that I was not expecting, this now condenses our chances of qualifying into 3 games, assuming we're going to take 6 points from Gibraltar and anything we get out of the German's is a bonus, we need to beat Georgia again and then I think 4 points against Ireland and Poland will see us through, It'll be tough but I think we can do it.

Well that beat the divil.  The Scots ran circles around us and then arrowed us in the guts and then left our carcasses in a heap to dry rot in the mid-day sun (well the sun bit might be an exaggeration in wintertime Scotland

The Scots showed that they were pretty cute with a football and had many chances.  The Irish showed once again that their main issue is always that most of them don't know what a football is, nevermind how to kick one on the ground rather than eternally trying to head the damn thing!

Anyway, totally, totally deserved by the Scots.  Deserved to win by more too.  The only real football team on the field.

Thanks mate, I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the Irish fans were great. Hard to always be objective but i thought the result was about right, we played better football and created more chances but there really wasn't a whole lot in it. Robertson at LB is going to be a star, Fletcher still lacking a real strikers instinct and it costs us, excellent performances from Naismith and Mulgrew surprisingly. In a decent position now but there's a long way to go.

Anya always looks a threat. Tbh never heard of him before these qualifiers.

The occasion got to McGeady i think.

As i said before Marshall is a top top keeper.
Looking good for Scotland, think you will match us with the Gibraltar score.

You should beat Georgia away to.

Long long way to go mate, i thought McGeady was pretty good in the second half, he obviously got a lot of abuse but the Irish fans got behind him after half time and he improved. Marshall is good he would have been at Arsenal but for his inflated price tag, i actually rate him third of our three, Gordon is the best though when he's actually fit, the guy could have been world class, has absolutely everything but got injured a remarkable amount for a goalie. 

Anya's a weird one, he was a complete journeyman until a couple of years ago then really got his chance at Watford. He has so much pace and flair, he's great to watch, though he suits us playing away more than at home. We just need a striker that can put away chances, Fletchers a good player but not a goalscorer, Rhodes would have been perfect as he's a genuine poacher but Strachan seems to have no interest in calling him up.

I was at the game.last night and actually mentioned that I think Gordon will be the #1 before the end of the qualifiers.


I thought we were excellent last night, it wasn't a game for the purists but it was a game you couldn't take your eyes off, before a ball was kicked I felt we were the better football team but Ireland would be more powerful, went to plan I think, was impressed with the way thr ref handled it too, on another night we could have saw 2 or 3 red cards but it was nice to see some real challenges. 

Our weakness remains at CB, we just don't have competiton for places there, the boys in that posiiton have did well but we need more, long long way to go, I don't see us battering Gibraltar,  Scotland would probably take a couple of 3-0s right now from those fixtures.

Georgia will be a tough one for us, with the Republic and Poland both winning there the pressure will be massive gor us going there, those type of games are the games we tend to struggle - its getting exciting now, there is genuine belief that all three Countries (excluding Germany) can qualify. Ireland are just a typical Martin O'Neill team though, if you best them then you'll have to go to war.

Don't think Anya has had a bad game for Scotland yet, the boy is everything good about Scotland these days

Bit of a pointless match tonight facing Northern Ireland's second team. Fletcher almost scored after 3 minutes! 

Anyone heading to Hampden on Sunday? I feel i've kind of been robbed spending 40 odd quid to watch us take on Gibralter, just hope we can bag a few!

monty junior wrote:I feel i've kind of been robbed spending 40 odd quid to watch us take on Gibralter

what a mug. more fun watching paint dry, than watching scotland vs gibralter

How am i a mug for watching my national team play a qualifier? That's the kind of attitude which led to Wales playing in front of two men and their respective dogs for years!

And to be fair, if you're going to go to a game, at least go to the one where Scotland are likely to score a load of goals!

I went to the Ireland game and it was a fantastic atmosphere, the game wasn't too bad either. Even though there was only one goal! 

Pretty pointless game last night and my god Fletcher, please stop shooting at the goalkeeper, i'd much rather play Rhodes up front who is an actual goalscorer though he needs more help. Play him with Naisy and let the goals flow on Sunday, absolutely no excuse not too.

Fletcher is the better all-round option. Rhodes did not have the same threat up front in the second half as we did in the first with Fletcher playing. Sure Fletch may not score goals but he is very good at link-up play which is alien to Rhodes and is key to our game plan. Besides how many games have we lost with Fletcher in the side due to him missing chances? I can't recall one lately.

Fair enough, the thing is Fletcher when he get's himself in decent positions is a good finisher he just lacked the instinct that Rhodes has. Whoever starts on Sunday need's to contribute a couple of goals, anything like than 4-0 is inexcusable, even horrendous Georgia beat them 3 zip, away!

monty junior wrote:Fair enough, the thing is Fletcher when he get's himself in decent positions is a good finisher he just lacked the instinct that Rhodes has. Whoever starts on Sunday need's to contribute a couple of goals, anything like than 4-0 is inexcusable, even horrendous Georgia beat them 3 zip, away!

Rhodes is more a goalscorer yes I agree but as in what both give to the side I would say Fletcher offers more - however I have a feeling both will start the match today. You say 4-0 is inexcusable but I'd say t would be more disappointing but in no way shape or form will it reflect any worse on our qualifying hopes than say a 8-0 win would offer. Three points are the only thing that matters today and I won't be dismissing our hopes if we only win 4-0 as qualification will hinge on how we do in Georgia and Ireland away more than how much we beat Gibraltar by.

A game Scotland will brush aside. Nice easy 3 points to move closer to the top spot.

Made it tough for themselves early on.

4-1 up now.
Just a matter of how many second half.

Been helped by some shocking defending. That second penalty was awful, looked like the defender didn't know how to tackle.

Maybe not as easy as first thought!

But, the goalkeeping and defending is just worse than Semi-professional level. The goalkeeping for the 2nd and 3rd goal was just so unnatural it was like mimicking singing ad the defending is just as bad. I'd be embarrassed to see that at Sunday League level.

The win was the most important thing. Sure it was by no means a good performance yet we still won 6-1 which says a lot. These games we always look uncomfortable in so it was no surprise there was some rough waters today but we, at the moment, are very good at getting the results regardless of performance.

We were behind the goals so maybe didn't pick up player's positioning so well but the back 3 was a terrible idea with two forward thinking full backs and on the break they looked a threat which was pretty worrying. Found the game hard to get excited by especially when i was sat next to a bunch of 8 year old's! On another day Fletcher could have had 6 and Rhodes finish at the end 

Still in a decent position but a long long way to go!

I think if we lose to you in Dublin it will be the end for Ireland.

We will be 5 points behind. OK, so we still have Gibralter away and Georgia home(would expext 6 points).

You have the return games with both teams to. Would expect Scotland to get 6 aswell.

I think we will lose to Germany home and away to Poland.

Massive massive game tomorrow, not just for this campaign but for the future, i read if we win or draw we confirm a pot 2 seeding for the WC qualifying, as well as that we would all but eliminate ROI from the scrap for the top 3. If that's not incentive i don't know what is.

ROI have to win to keep in with a good chance of qualifying, they will probably start fast and also need to win to not drop in to pot 4 for the WC qualifiers, with not much quality young players this could be their last chance to qualify for a while.

Huge game, probably won't be pretty but i'd take a draw, i think that's what we'll play for which worries me as although Fletcher is a good player he is not a good goalscorer or certainly hasn't been since his first big injury at Sunderland.

Just about exactly as I see it but not sure we'll actively play for a draw. That isn't Strachan's way. Sure we will look to keep it tight at the back but with pace we will look to hit them on the counter. True that Fletcher is not a prolific goalscorer but his link-up play is an often under-played talent that he has that our other striking options don't. Like you if offered I'd accept a draw and I'd be confident of a play-off place but lets be greedy and get the win.

Yea that's right, if Anya can get at Brady on the counter providing they push up early we could get them with the sucker punch. The main thing is not to concede early when they'll have the whole of the aviva behind them, i really hope we start Gordon, i like Marshall but Gordon is a magnificent goalkeeper, the amount he saved Celtic last season in Europe and is basically in world class form. We will need it. 

Apparently we'll have 7 or 8 thousand fans inside the stadium, try and get to McCarthy as much as possible as he missed the first game. Broony to lay down a marker early on him, would kind of serve him right for missing the Euro's if we get there and Ireland don't for turning his back on his country. McGeady, meh not so bothered about him, McCarthy is the better of the two.

Feeling nervous about this game tomorrow.

As you say, if we lose, thats it for us.
A win is a must.

Just hope we start as we played in second half against Poland.
We have to come out firing, put Scotland under pressure the the get go.

Think it may end in a draw, which wont favour ourselves.
Should be a great atmosphere.

monty junior wrote:Yea that's right, if Anya can get at Brady on the counter providing they push up early we could get them with the sucker punch. The main thing is not to concede early when they'll have the whole of the aviva behind them, i really hope we start Gordon, i like Marshall but Gordon is a magnificent goalkeeper, the amount he saved Celtic last season in Europe and is basically in world class form. We will need it. 

Apparently we'll have 7 or 8 thousand fans inside the stadium, try and get to McCarthy as much as possible as he missed the first game. Broony to lay down a marker early on him, would kind of serve him right for missing the Euro's if we get there and Ireland don't for turning his back on his country. McGeady, meh not so bothered about him, McCarthy is the better of the two.

I am comfortable with either Marshall or Gordon in goal - both great goalkeepers. I would say this is the team we will line-up with:-

1. David Marshall (Cardiff C.) 19th Cap
2. Alan Hutton (Aston Villa) 45th Cap
3. Steven Whittaker (Norwich C.) 30th Cap
4. Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) 18th Cap 2 Goals
5. Russell Martin (Norwich C.) 19th Cap
6. Shaun Maloney (Chicago Fire) 41st Cap 6 Goals
7. James Morrison (WBA) 39th Cap 3 Goals
8. Scott Brown (Celtic) (Capt.) 45th Cap 4 Goals
9. Steven Fletcher (Sunderland) 21st Cap 4 Goals
10. Steven Naismith (Everton) 38th Cap 5 Goals
11. Ikechi Anya (Watford) 15th Cap 2 Goals

And if we keep it tight at 0-0 we have pace to burn in reserve with the likes of Forrest, Robertson and Russell which can be unleashed late on.

Eire vs Scotland
The ultimate blueprint for football mediocrity

Well done Scotland.
Fair play.