We actually do have the makings of a good team if fit and available for selection.
Last night the team had no balance, no composure and no idea! I said as much as soon as the team sheet came out! You can’t put Caldwell in midfield and expect him to be the ball playing midfielder, that job was Morrison’s but he is not good enough or brave enough to do that and always slowed the play down! Caldwell should only have been in there to look after Pandev, which he clearly was not asked to do which is why they caused us so many problems in between defence and midfield. Levein likes to portray a thoughtful, methodical and tactically clever man. Last night proved once and for all that he really has no idea, that team selection should send shockwaves through the corridors of the SFA! Forrest should have been switched centrally sooner to get him involved in the play instead of Hutton totally ignoring him and neglecting his defensive role! There are players that should be nowhere near the Scotland team and Mackie is another who is clearly not good enough and another of Leveins EPL pets, he, along with Morrison should not be considered good enough for first pick. Miller was always going to play up front and although he scored last night his overall movement and hold up play was nowhere near good enough, had Rhodes been on from the start in both matches I truly believe he would have scored a couple of goals, but we will never no?
There should have been half time changes to give the team impetuous and balance, but it didn’t happen so we carried on with the same old rubbish. Miller and Webster should have been removed and replaced with Adam and Snodgrass putting Caldwell back in defence and bringing balance back to the team. We should have then switched to a 4-2-3-1 (Morrison and Adam as the two, with Snoddy and Forrest either side of Maloney,) replacing Mackie as the stiker with Rhodes no later than 30 minutes to go!?
Our next team should be
(Away against minnow 4-2-3-1)
McGregor
Hutton Caldwell Berra Bardsley
Fletcher Adam
Commons Naismith Forrest
Fletcher
With many variations, Snoddy for Commons, Maloney for Naismith, Rhodes for Fletcher.
(Away line up against a major team 4-3-2-1) Variations as above, easily switching between 4-4-2 and 4-5-1
McGregor
Hutton Caldwell Berra Bardsley
Fletcher Brown Adam
Commons Forrest
Fletcher
Please lose the ego Craig or lose your job!
Lose the ego, or go!
posted on 12/9/12
a million times better than what we had out last night.
posted on 12/9/12
We will still qualify, have no fear.
Doom and gloom merchants on here.
posted on 12/9/12
Yep, McArthur would do a job too. Not sure why he wasn't in the squad, was he injured? Seems to have been playing regularly.
posted on 12/9/12
I do wish people would stop harping on about Steven Fletcher, he is not going to be our saviour. The man is not interested in playing for Scotland, he has made that abundantly clear. Forget about him, he's overrated IMO anyway.
posted on 12/9/12
thing with brown is, although he is not technically gifted he leads by example. his workrate is first class. you can be sure if brown was in the team last night there midfield would have been closed down all night and not allowed to pick holes in our defence.
every team needs a player like brown
posted on 12/9/12
Mcarthur played for wigan last time but said he wasnt totally match fit in that game therefore wasnt included for these games.
posted on 12/9/12
Fingers
McArthur played last game for wigan tho. Hutton has been nowhere near a 1st team squad at Villa. Didn't stop his selection for Scotland.
Likewise Miller is a spa$tic but is always 1st pick
posted on 12/9/12
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/james-mcarthur-is-keen-to-get-fit-for-wigan-1306934
posted on 12/9/12
I do wish people would stop harping on about Steven Fletcher, he is not going to be our saviour. The man is not interested in playing for Scotland, he has made that abundantly clear. Forget about him, he's overrated IMO anyway
............................
Not saying he will be our saviour, but he will improve our team dramatically with one up top - and score goals! And its LEvein he doesent watn to play for not Scotland. I would like to tel him to GTF but we are not that well off to do so!
posted on 12/9/12
Not saying he will be our saviour, but he will improve our team dramatically with one up top - and score goals!
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He's never been a goal machine though, he's never been a 20 goal a season man anywhere he's been. Even Miller has had 20+ seasons on a few occasions, I don't think Fletcher has ever had more than 11-12.
He's decent but I don't think we're as desperate for him as some fans make out. Yes we could do with the squad depth but IMO he's not worth grovelling to.
I don't remember him actually saying he wouldn't play for Levein. As far as I'm aware he just said he didn't want to be considered for selection....BY TEXT!!!
He didn't even have the decency to call up Levein and talk about it.
If he feels he has been treated unfairly then why hasn't he said something about it? He has had about 2 years to make some kind of statement.