TheDarkKnight

Nah. McLean started. He did OK. His flexibility is great. Played on the left of three attacking midfielders, believed it or not. Personally speaking, Ryan Gauld should've been called up. He'll probably jump ship and play for Canada. Best of luck to him. He hasn't been given a chance with Scotland. Will be nice for him to get some international recognition.

Exactly. It'll take a good team to stop France from winning the Euros.

0:0 in the previous competitive match. The Norway match was a glorified friendly. We tried a back 4 (didn't work. Shock, horror). McLean got a rare start and Gilmour and Dykes were rested. Robertson, Hickey and Tierney are injured. That's three EPL defenders. Then there's Gunn. It was a good match. Fair result.

Strangest match. Came back twice and threw they win away chasing the goal that would've put us in Pot 2. I have no issues about the result. It's probably Another piece of proof, if proof was needed, that Scotland haven't produced center backs capable of playing in a back four at this level since the late 80s/early 90s. Hopefully we revert to a back three during the Euros. We have to. Clark isn't good. Brown doesn't seem like he'll ever be good enough. McLean's versatility is a blessing. We need to find an anchorman and a striker from somewhere. The sooner we get Gunn back the better. I'd rather play Bryan than Clark. I can see Ben Doak being a wildcard for the Euros. All-in-all we've been superb. Finishing four points behind Spain. Great stuff. So proud if the manager, the coaches and the players. Special praise for ex Norwich and Rangers goalkeeper Chris Woods who belted out "Flower of Scotland" before the previous two matches - Class player and a class guy. Also, Jan Åge Førtoft is a classy guy. He's been so magnanimous and complimentary towards Scotland over our two matches. Just a shame they couldn't join us. Were off to Germany.

Honestly, I don't know. I dread when we play with a back four. It's the main reason we wete in the wilderness for 20 years. The formation stated isn't written in stone. Hopefully it's a back three with Hendry, McKenna and McLean. And hopefully Stuart Armstrong is a typo.

FFS it's another back 4!

Look at those shoes. When Sunak loses the general election he's got a spot as Kusty the Clown in "The Simpsons" live action movie.

He wouldn't have exactly replace Kane. No one can do that. It's like when Owen replaced Shearer. Two different players, but both world class. Without any off the field shenanigans (and a more mature attitude) he would be getting serious game time for Manchester United and England and banging the goals in. He had the world at his feet. I saw him loads with the United youths and the the full team. Most players don't transition but he did. That's the thing, there's only 3 years separating Toney and Watkins with Kane. I can actually see Kane playing for England till he's about 35. That puts the mockers on Toney and Watkins, unless Southgate's successor plays with two strikers.

I would start a Scotland vs Norway thread but it would most likely get spammed by people who "don't care about Scotland." (they care enough to take minutes and hours from their life to post insults) A 2:0 win or better and Scotland will be in Pot B for the draw. Not everyone thinks wee teams like us should even be there. if only the elite qualified, England wouldn't win a single match. Kenny McLean came on and played at left back in the previous match. I can see him starting there tonight. I certainly trust him more than I trust Taylor. Would rather start Doig, though.

Agreed. And people are giving me the "big 'uns" about Scotland being a minnow. Without a shred of irony. If it was a fan of Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany, etc, I would be silenced. But come on. England fans could never do that against a fan of the aforementioned countries. Much like the current teams, some England fans are flat-track bullies. Exhibit A is the entirety of this thread.

Without doubt, the most elitist and Toryesque thing I've ever read on here. Embarrassing. It equals the people who said that Norwich City should be banned from the EPL as they are perpetual "cannon fodder." Keep out the riff-raff, eh? Enjoy your Prawn sandwich and champagne.

Fixed it for you.

To Manchester City:

There's also no obvious candidate to replace Harry Kane. It should've been Mason Greenwood. He's the most natural finisher I've seen since Fowler and the most powerful since Shearer. No chance of that now.

Agreed. I didn't watch the match live. (Was watching Scotland u2s beat Belgium 0:2) I did watch the match later, though. Take away the OG and it was 1:0. The starting XI was crazy. A center back at left back. A right back in midfield. Rashford is void of confidence But It's systematic of the problems facing Southgate (and his successor). He has to reply on a much maligned Harry Maguire simply because there are no better alternatives. The main issue is in midfield. Anyone who denies it just isn't living on this planet. England don't have a deep lying playmaker. They don't have a midfielder who has the ability to control the tempo. Rice is a good anchorman he he doesn't have the passing ability to dictate tempo. Harry Kane's heatmap summed it up. He spent most of his time either side of midfield. He's forced to do that as he doesn't receive service. Gallagher is a number 10. Henderson is on his last legs. Trent isn't a midfielder. For me, Gareth Southgate is performing miracles. Reaching the previous European Championships was an averachievement. England will beat the majority of teams, but their lack of a deep lying playmaker will expose them when they come up against teams like France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, etc, in later stages of tournaments Southgate should be applauded. I have a feeling that he'll only be appreciated when he's gone. His successor has a big job on his hands. Things will get worse judging by the percentage of foreigners in the EPL. -- England: £434.70m - Ranked 4 Malta: £8.4m - Ranked 171 Just goes to show his ridiculously inflated the EPL is and English players are.

It's also the same with Manchester City. I don't remember Maine Road being filled to the gills when City were in Division 2. Who knows which English club will be bought next. The aforementioned Prawn sandwich muncher will be praying to his Donald Trump shrine that it's Norwich City.

In terms of the Super League: Contrary to popular belief It's not just owners who are elitist and look down their noses at the "have nots." There's a fallacy that 100% fans of 100% English football clubs are salt of the earth, homespun people who champion working class heroes. It's a myth. You just have to remember the Chelsea fans who were all wearing ushankas at Stamford Bridge when Abramovich bought the club. In recent times Newcastle fans wearing tea-towels on their heads when they were purchased by the Saudi's. Hell, even here a person said, without an ounce of irony, i might add: "The Euros should be reduced back down from 24 to 16. Serves nobody any purpose having cannon fodder like Albania and Scotland there." Absolute snobbery. People like that must've choked on their Prawn sandwiches when Greece won the Euros or when Leicester won the EPL. I remember people saying that the likes of Norwich should be banned from the EPL as they are always cannon fodder. So it's rich reading about an Norwich City being so elist as well as being void of self awareness.

It's where the Oil and Gas comes from that have propped up the UK economy since the 70s. Just ask the Prime Minister. His wife's family are going to rake in £1.5billion from the new North Sea llicenses. Insider trading.

Also, if England draw tonight. You know what I'll say? Absolutely nothing. What do I care. Sorry I don't. We have bigger fish to fry. Lots of people here care about Scotland enough to diss us. Which is the sweetest thing.

More xenophobic insults. God knows what the treatment would be if I were black or Asian. Best not think about it.

Not by the end of the season they won't be. Newcastle, Villa and Tottenham will probably run out of steam.

Broken record, much. Gilmour is a starter for a top 6 EPL club. Deal with it. If you honestly think that Kelvin I've-been-fused-used-to-the-Manchester-City-bench Phillips or Jordan I'm-on-semi-retirement Henderson would start in front of him then fair enough. Sport is all about opinions.

Any excuse to post this: With Indian meals every dish uses the same spice pallette. There's usually 2 or 3 variables. Create your own spice mix (I make King Masala) and a curry gravy and I'll save £100+ a month.

Let what go? I never said a word. Read the thread, mate. Scotland being insulted on two pages. I agree. napoleon complex. Try insulting Braziil, Spain, aitaly, Argentina, etc. And see how long it'll last. It's interesting that I'm the one NOT getting banned. Might have to do with the wee clique throwing insults around. The admins aren't stupid. Anyway. Back to the game: Scotland should've won. Georgia spent 90 minutes rolling around feigning injury.