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Back to Reality

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comment by Silver (U6112)

posted on 21/11/23

Pot 1 will include hosts Germany along with Portugal, France, England, Belgium and Spain.

Pot 2 is now confirmed with Turkey, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Romania and Austria.

Pot 3 sees Scotland joined by the Netherlands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Pot 4 is made up of Switzerland, Italy, Serbia, Playoff winners A [Wales, Poland, Estonia TBC from Path B], Playoff Winners B [Israel, Iceland, Bosnia, Ukraine] and Playoff Winners C [ Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, Kazahstan].

Good group - Belgium, Austria, Wales?
Bad group - France, Turkey, Italy?

posted on 21/11/23

Good
Germany, Albania, Scotland, Georgia

Bad
France, Denmark, Scotland, Italy

Also want to avoid
England, Spain
Turkey
Switzerland

comment by Silver (U6112)

posted on 22/11/23

comment by Call Sign (U3627)
posted 30 minutes ago
Good
Germany, Albania, Scotland, Georgia

Bad
France, Denmark, Scotland, Italy

Also want to avoid
England, Spain
Turkey
Switzerland
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Can we draw Georgia after having them in our group? Why would you want them or any country equally adept at the dark arts - its too stressful, man!

posted on 22/11/23

The good thing about playing Georgia in the tournament proper is that we wouldn't need to play them in Georgia itself, where we are obviously cursed.

posted on 22/11/23

I think we are far better than Georgia and in a major tournament I think we would perform better than them. They have the dark arts but in a neutral stadium that IMO will end up packed with Scots will feel like a home game for us

posted on 22/11/23

comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 1 day, 15 hours ago
True on the fitness point and players being interested, don’t think other points on tactics are correct. Gio has a structure and tactics, just it was slow and rigid. Beale tried to do something after summer, just didn’t work. Clement has made changes and working so far, clearly has more width for a start and quicker on the ball/more direct.

Youth has at least been given a chance for us since Beale left largely due to injuries and Beale’s daft signings but still, Lovelace very unfortunately got injured on his start but looked positive. McAusland then been given a chance and taken it. Was disappointed to see Balogun play over King more recently.

Given how well McAusland has done, when he never really stood out would like to see some of our other players get a chance. Never understood why Robbie Fraser hasn’t been given a chance. But Bailey Rice appears to be one who looks a real talent for us.
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I would disagree that McAusland never really stood out. First season in the Lowland League he was electric at times. Cant remember what game it was but I do remember him scoring a hat trick in the first half an hour of a game down at Dumbarton.

Like any (esp young) wide player he will be a bit up and down. For me his biggest issue was he played a second season in the Lowland league and IMO absolutely stagnated.

A second season in that league the worst thing for his development at that time. He nearly went on loan to the Netherlands but it didnt work out - and I know the club were really pushing to get a foreign loan for him.

Whilst I agreed he is a good young player I would say the hype about him is slightly OTT. He has deficiencies in his game that will only become apparent once he has played 10-20 games. If he can find the consistency, cut out the daft bookings (he was the most booked player in the B team) and improve his finishing then we might have a first team player.

He has loads of positive attributes though so in Ross's case its just a case of putting it all together and ironing out the creases - because he has shown the one big thing that not all young players do - which is that he has the mentality and hunger to step up. Some kids go to pieces at that point and some become men. So far Ross is looking like the latter.

IMO Robbie Fraser had the same issue with a second season in the Lowland League. Yes he stepped up to captain the team but he definitely plateaued in terms of his form. I agree it does seem a bit weird that he has never really been given a sniff of the first team though.

comment by Silver (U6112)

posted on 22/11/23

Think you maybe highlight why Rangers binned the Lowland - not physical enough so players plateau quickly against players that couldn't even make journeyman hammer thrower level.

posted on 22/11/23

Aye Rangers binned it because the quality is really pretty poor.

I do think there is a level of physicality in the LL above what the kids have previously experienced.

The younger players deffo get a benefit out of it for the first couple of months as they adjust to the physical challenge of playing against men.

After they get wise to that its just a bit of a waste of time because technically the OF players are generally a level or three above.

posted on 22/11/23

comment by Humble Hamish (U21959)
posted 1 minute ago
Aye Rangers binned it because the quality is really pretty poor.

I do think there is a level of physicality in the LL above what the kids have previously experienced.

The younger players deffo get a benefit out of it for the first couple of months as they adjust to the physical challenge of playing against men.

After they get wise to that its just a bit of a waste of time because technically the OF players are generally a level or three above.
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I think they physicality comes in the shape of the style of play not in the physical shape of the opponents. the part timers they are up against are often slower and in poorer physical shape then the colt teams that are full time. Iv watched a fair few of their games, teams are not overpowering them at all. the physicality comes in the shapes of usually late fouls. but like you said they quickly wise up to it and dont hold the ball as long and stuff.

if the colt teams cant progress up the leagues then of course they will stagnate.

comment by Silver (U6112)

posted on 22/11/23

Think there's another angle that they are playing even longer with the same players, team personalities, confidence levels, coaches, shapes, movements that most of them have known since a very young age when they are at the stage they need to start working out how to play with older strangers, how to take criticism - constructive and otherwise - exert their own personality within a new team environment, get the confidence their skills underpin, learn darker arts and as you say learn they have even less time on the ball.

posted on 22/11/23

comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 19 minutes ago
Think there's another angle that they are playing even longer with the same players, team personalities, confidence levels, coaches, shapes, movements that most of them have known since a very young age when they are at the stage they need to start working out how to play with older strangers, how to take criticism - constructive and otherwise- exert their own personality within a new team environment, get the confidence their skills underpin, learn darker arts and as you say learn they have even less time on the ball.
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back in the day it used to be just bring a younger player into the senior training and let the senior team "bully" , sorry use banter to test and probe the boys makeup, see if he has the character to handle it etc....

hard to think you can get away with much of that nowadays

posted on 22/11/23

comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 14 hours, 13 minutes ago
Pot 1 will include hosts Germany along with Portugal, France, England, Belgium and Spain.

Pot 2 is now confirmed with Turkey, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Romania and Austria.

Pot 3 sees Scotland joined by the Netherlands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Pot 4 is made up of Switzerland, Italy, Serbia, Playoff winners A [Wales, Poland, Estonia TBC from Path B], Playoff Winners B [Israel, Iceland, Bosnia, Ukraine] and Playoff Winners C [ Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, Kazahstan].

Good group - Belgium, Austria, Wales?
Bad group - France, Turkey, Italy?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany or Belgium.
Austria.
Switzerland or one of the playoff teams.

posted on 22/11/23

Austria are a strong team ... no way I want them , Albania or Hungary before Austria IMO.

posted on 22/11/23

comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 3 hours, 36 minutes ago
Think you maybe highlight why Rangers binned the Lowland - not physical enough so players plateau quickly against players that couldn't even make journeyman hammer thrower level.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The West of Scotland Premier Division would've been a better option. A much stronger league than the LL.

posted on 22/11/23

comment by Humble Hamish (U21959)

Fair, I can’t confess to have watching more than one Lowland game. Tried to follow results and had thought Aaron Lyall had been more impressive than him in last year. Agree with your overall thoughts on McAusland though.

Fraser seemed to step up well last night for Scotland u21s although final ball was poor at times. Expected he’d have a shot more due to injuries at left back.

posted on 22/11/23

Balogun has been excellent for us and King needs a loan out. Never looked anything better than absolutely average when he's played for the first team.

Clearly got potential as he's so highly rated but development is only stalling now, no route to game time so get him loaned out in the Scottish Premiership. Show us he can stand out somewhere.

posted on 22/11/23

comment by JukeboxJunkie (U10162)
posted 1 hour, 52 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 14 hours, 13 minutes ago
Pot 1 will include hosts Germany along with Portugal, France, England, Belgium and Spain.

Pot 2 is now confirmed with Turkey, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Romania and Austria.

Pot 3 sees Scotland joined by the Netherlands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Pot 4 is made up of Switzerland, Italy, Serbia, Playoff winners A [Wales, Poland, Estonia TBC from Path B], Playoff Winners B [Israel, Iceland, Bosnia, Ukraine] and Playoff Winners C [ Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, Kazahstan].

Good group - Belgium, Austria, Wales?
Bad group - France, Turkey, Italy?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany or Belgium.
Austria.
Switzerland or one of the playoff teams.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
England or Belgium - Good teams with soft underbellies and weak mentalities.

Pot 2 - On our day any of them but preferably avoid the Danes.

Albania, Romania, Austria, Turkey, Hungary in that order.

Pot 4 - Ideally Luxembourg but avoiding Italy is essential. Poland, Switzerland and Ukraine would all be concerning pot 4 sides tbh. Although the Swiss are playing badly.

posted on 22/11/23

comment by HB Maybe Beale wasn't the mastermind (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 23 minutes ago
Balogun has been excellent for us and King needs a loan out. Never looked anything better than absolutely average when he's played for the first team.

Clearly got potential as he's so highly rated but development is only stalling now, no route to game time so get him loaned out in the Scottish Premiership. Show us he can stand out somewhere.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You’re saying this as if both Souttar and Davies haven’t had howlers recently. Balogun has been excellent since he stepped in, but they were games King could’ve easily had an opportunity. We’ve seen enough from Balogun other seasons to see the howlers he has as well. And simply we need to give youth more of a chance. Club expenses are way ott for value we get, best way to sort that is to use the young players that are thought of that highly as backup.

A loan for King would be good if he could get it at a decent Prem team. But also think he could do just as well stepping in next to Goldson.

posted on 23/11/23

Feel a bit sorry for king tbh. He was kind of hung out to dry - played as an 18 year old kid thrown into CL games with guys like James Sands by his side. He even played one game at Ibrox with Ryan Jack as his CB partner - a cup game I think it was.

Sure he made a couple of mistakes but then they all did over the period.

I am not entirely convinced by King but I agree completely he would benefit from a loan at a st mirren or someone like that. See what he is really made of.

That said I think he would benefit from getting out of glasgow and developing the independent side of his character a bit more. He is very close to his family and in particular his mum who goes to pretty much every game. There comes a point where he needs to grow into an independent adult. The club supported Lowry in in moving into a flat with his girlfriend because his situation at home wasn't ideal.

Sometimes we forget these kids arent footballing robots and still have to grow up as people and deal with some of the background stuff.

posted on 23/11/23

Robbie Ure showing up really well for Anderlecht B in the Belgian second division. Will be interesting to see if Anderlecht give him a chance, they usually do give their kids a chance. With likes of Gilmour, Wilson, Mebude etc moving away, not giving players chances just going to continue to drive the best players away.

comment by lauders (U9757)

posted on 23/11/23

To think Si Ferry tried to sign Ure at EK

posted on 24/11/23

The trouble is no manager has seen enough in King to throw him in with Goldson.

Which suggests he's been out performed by Souttar/Davies. Both reasonably good players imo so no shame there.

Just think he's wasting time now, he really needs a loan to another team in the league. Surely the likes of St Johnstone would play him. With a run of games hopefully we will see the talent emerge.

posted on 24/11/23

comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 18 hours, 30 minutes ago
Robbie Ure showing up really well for Anderlecht B in the Belgian second division. Will be interesting to see if Anderlecht give him a chance, they usually do give their kids a chance. With likes of Gilmour, Wilson, Mebude etc moving away, not giving players chances just going to continue to drive the best players away.
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If anyone has seen Robbie Ure play over the past couple of seasons they would have noticed one key issue - his finishing is actually pretty poor.

Any Celtic fans who were at the Parkhead B team OF game last season might remember Ure going through on goal 1 or 3 times and choking badly.

He was a decent enough player and may mature but like Dali Mebude before him - his finishing for a striker was nowhere near good enough.

Rory Wilson was the one that got away and Gers were desperate to keep him.

posted on 24/11/23

*2 or 3 times 😩

posted on 24/11/23

comment by Humble Hamish (U21959)
posted 2 hours, 16 minutes ago
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 18 hours, 30 minutes ago
Robbie Ure showing up really well for Anderlecht B in the Belgian second division. Will be interesting to see if Anderlecht give him a chance, they usually do give their kids a chance. With likes of Gilmour, Wilson, Mebude etc moving away, not giving players chances just going to continue to drive the best players away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone has seen Robbie Ure play over the past couple of seasons they would have noticed one key issue - his finishing is actually pretty poor.

Any Celtic fans who were at the Parkhead B team OF game last season might remember Ure going through on goal 1 or 3 times and choking badly.

He was a decent enough player and may mature but like Dali Mebude before him - his finishing for a striker was nowhere near good enough.

Rory Wilson was the one that got away and Gers were desperate to keep him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Know consistency was an issue for him, but struggle to think he could be any worse than Dessers. Very low bar to be fair, and think Ure needed a move/loan but was more the point that he has gone elsewhere and is doing well, so what are our better youngsters going to think.

Was the younger Mebude I was meaning, who also turned down a contract with us to move to City

Point wasn’t actually on the quality of specific players - was that our best youngsters aren’t offered a chance when they do stay, so why would the next Wilson/Mebude stay. There going to see quite clearly it’s better to move.

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