Nice to see we're not resorting to them...oh wait
Seriously it's not as bad as we're making out, it just means our future's no longer in our own hands. The Czech's have got Spain and Lithuania (who they lost to at home) left to play so there's a good chance they're going to drop a lot of points there or even pick up none at all. If we hold up our end of the bargain and win our next two games then it's back on!
Knee jerk reactions
posted on 3/9/11
Playing with 11 players within 25 yds of the goal and giving the ball away is no way to keep a 1 goal lead.
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To be fair that's what we've done since Berti Vogts left. It's what Smith and McLeish did, they just got lucky in some games, the team wasn't playing any better and we still didn't qualify.
Even if we do spend the big bucks on a coach we don't have the players. It was painfully clear for all to see that individually the Czech players had better ability. Their touch was a class above as was their passing.
England and Ireland have both shown a big name well paid coach doesn't make a huge difference in the end. You can't polish a scheidt.
Until we develop top players from a young age we will NOT qualify for anything. Whining about the odd penalty decision, substitution, selection etc makes no odds, we are not good enough (2 or 3 players aside) to make it to a tournament.
What manager we have will make little difference to that.
A win today would have papered over cracks, even a flukey qualification would paper over the cracks. Fact is most of players are of very limited ability compared with the world's best. This is what we have to change. We have to re-develop our grass roots football, something that does seem to be happening. Yes days like today hurt at the time but those expecting qualification are the real deluded bunch.
posted on 3/9/11
I think quebecelt and drunken hobo should get a room together their blind hatred for levein and houston should keep them going all thruogh the night.
posted on 3/9/11
Aye and Hobo is the only arab on here who doesn't wear blinkers when talking about those 2 dunderheids.
posted on 4/9/11
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 4/9/11
always depresses me the negativity of these folk that think that this is Scotland's place.
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It's not negativity it's realism!!
We are not good enough to qualify, it's no accident we've not been to a world cup/euros in 13 years.
It wouldn't matter who our manager is, Kenny Miller still wouldn't have a touch, Caldwell still can't defend to save his life and we still couldn't find a decent left back or left winger.
To say we haven't improved under LEvein is ridiculous. Under Burley the players weren't interested, didn't look organised and had not chance in most games. This has changed under Levein. We're scoring goals, the players are trying hard and do look more organised. Unfortunately we're in a much harder group and even at their best our players arn't good enough.
I'm not saying we should accept the standard. Things have to improve but it won't be this team. The only way is to get the kids playing properly. So many other countries have done it and reaped the benefits.
posted on 4/9/11
CL seems to have the players respect and there's no question there is more unity to the team. Can't fault the players for effort either.
What's annoying is we played poorly yesterday, fair enough it happens, but Levein insists we played well when we clearly didn't.
Some progress has been made in terms of spirit and team work but Levein has to end the love ins with his favourites like Wilson, Naismith, Caldwell...
Caldwell will play on tues cos there's no one else, Miller won't cos he's suspended think Brown may be out for tues too but will he actually DROP the likes of Morrison and Naismith who were poor and gave us no width.
He should be picking wide players on what they can do offensively not cos they're a favourite or cos they'll track back and defend.
Positives yesterday were we created two good goals and that's it but don't try and tell us it was a good performance, big improvement required for tuesday.
posted on 4/9/11
db - Who has said the team hasn't improved under Levein? To go backwards from Burley would have been quite a feat.
The problem is though, that this is Levein's limit, he will not get any better. I've seen it over the years at Tannadice. He came in after the mess of the manager before, steadied the club and then got it going forward. He brought in better players, had them playing better and we were making progress. But, once we got us up to 5th in the league, that progress suddenly halted. His flaws started to become more and more obvious. He had favourite players that would play absolutely no matter what - Lee Wilkie even when he couldn't walk would get a game, Jon Daly would play absolutely every minute even if he was having a howler, he'd play other players out of position in order to play Scott Robertson which ruined the whole balance of the team and was known to play Wilkie as a striker. He reached his limit at Tannadice and had built a team that was too good for him. He bottled important games and rarely allowed the team he built to play with the freedom they needed. In Conway, Buaben, Swanson and Gomis we had possibly the best passing midfield in the SPL, but all too often his instructions would be "lump it up to Daly" and it'd undo all of his good work. I don't think we ever once thumped a team under Levein, because one goal was always enough to him - shame that isn't how football works.
He will never learn from his mistakes, partly because he doesn't thinks he's ever made a mistake. He just doesn't deserve the job.
posted on 4/9/11
EDDIEVH
Bit harsh on Morrison and Nasimith who have both played well in recent games and are two of our better attacking players.
Morison was poor and Naismith got kicked off the park, which again the ref did little about. Naismith is also not a left winger so can't really be blamed for being out of position.
posted on 4/9/11
" Naismith is also not a left winger so can't really be blamed for being out of position."
But you defend the manager who played him out of position?
Good to see you defend the diddy who plays for Rangers though.
posted on 5/9/11
It's true db that Naismith and Morrison have been probably our best 2 players over the last year or so but they were both shocking on Sat and nobody should be above being dropped.
I'm actually glad there are a couple of suspensions and injuries to force CL into some changes.
CL said he wanted 2 players battling for every position but he won't have that if he picks his favourites come hell or high water.
I think Hobo may well be right, CL has steadied the ship but it's looking like he's reached his peak of what he's capable of.