2008/2009 Season Thread

[RossP]

The most promising youngster since Mark Burchill!

But yeah that pisses me off as well, as soon as a player signs for Rangers or Celtic he automatically gets picked for Scotland, even if they were totally overlooked before. Kirk fucking Broadfoot is the best example, also Gary Caldwell, Scott Brown, Barry Robson...

...and who built Burchill up to be the next Michael Owen? The Sun, The Daily Record... not his coaches/managers. Same goes for Mackie and even that boy Payne for the Dons (next Beckham!). This boy has been built up by managers across Europe from his performances in the Under 15/16/17 International Tournaments. He is the real deal.

Broadfoot is an honest, hard working player who deserved a call up. Even Burley said he has limited ability, but he'll die for Scotland which is all I can ask. Scott Brown got called up and capped whilst a Hibs player, as did Caldwell and Robson. They started getting more games for Scotland when they were proving themselves against the best teams in Europe... which I think is a better guage of an International player than games regularly against Gretna and Caley! If they can prove themselves in the Champions League i'd want them called up as well. If Dundee United or Hibs were playing regularly in Europe they'd get the same chance I feel.

[Alkaline]

...and who built Burchill up to be the next Michael Owen? The Sun, The Daily Record... not his coaches/managers. Same goes for Mackie and even that boy Payne for the Dons (next Beckham!). This boy has been built up by managers across Europe from his performances in the Under 15/16/17 International Tournaments. He is the real deal.

Broadfoot is an honest, hard working player who deserved a call up. Even Burley said he has limited ability, but he'll die for Scotland which is all I can ask. Scott Brown got called up and capped whilst a Hibs player, as did Caldwell and Robson. They started getting more games for Scotland when they were proving themselves against the best teams in Europe... which I think is a better guage of an International player than games regularly against Gretna and Caley! If they can prove themselves in the Champions League i'd want them called up as well. If Dundee United or Hibs were playing regularly in Europe they'd get the same chance I feel.

I totally agree Ross. There is nothing wrong with the way players are called up for Scotland at the moment.

[Guest]

I remember Stephen Payne. He was the next Beckham! Before he became an alcoholic.

[Sam 45]

Stephen Payne is on my list of favourite Aberdeen players. I've no issue with Scott Brown playing for Scotland, much rather him than Barry 'Sideways Pass' Ferguson.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

Stephen Payne is on my list of favourite Aberdeen players. I've no issue with Scott Brown playing for Scotland, much rather him than Barry 'Sideways Pass' Ferguson.

Barry the Crab is also in league with Satan, which is something I'm sure Scotland supporters are not keen on.

[Nev]

I think Satan would be a great shout at centre-half actually. Better than Davie Weir, anyway!

I don't get the hype about Barry Ferguson. Sure, he can pass a ball 10 yards in a straight line and chips in with the odd goal, but he rarely contributes in a meaningful manner and when all your passes are to the nearest player, not a lot CAN go wrong. He'd be nowhere near my Scotland team.

Nothing wrong with getting John Fleck involved if he maintains his promising form up until the Holland game - I'm a firm believer in in-form players being picked for the squad so if he's in-form...

Incidentally, David Villa - what a boy!

[Camie]

Nothing wrong with getting John Fleck involved if he maintains his promising form up until the Holland game - I'm a firm believer in in-form players being picked for the squad so if he's in-form...

In-form? How many games has he been in-form for? I'd rather wait a bit than risk taking on a 17 year old who's only played about 5 first team starts.

[Nev]

He's got in the Rangers team by being "in-form" and has kept his place by being "in -form". If he continues that form up until the Holland game, he'll likely have been "in-form" longer than any other member of the squad.

It doesn't matter if he's played 5 games or 500, if he's good enough he's old enough. And by christ he's a better option than Kenny "Fucking" Miller

[waltz]

For all I can't stand him, Kenny Miller plays well for Scotland most of the time, and I think Burley recognises that.

[french_disko]

He's got in the Rangers team by being "in-form" and has kept his place by being "in -form". If he continues that form up until the Holland game, he'll likely have been "in-form" longer than any other member of the squad.

It doesn't matter if he's played 5 games or 500, if he's good enough he's old enough. And by christ he's a better option than Kenny "Fucking" Miller

I can't help but think he's been rushed into the Huns teams to appease the fans & keep them happy while they simultaneously lose money hand over fist after crashing out of Europe, paying millions in wages to players that don't play & try to flog Ferguson & Boyd.

And the media are caught in the hype, deflecting the real story & keepin Walter in a job that he would have been booted out of months ago if it was any other team.

Rangers tried to flog Boyd for the same ammount they bought Kyle lafferty in the summer for, FFS.

For "in form" read "in the Daily Record".

[The Milner]

The most promising youngster since Mark Burchill!

But yeah that pisses me off as well, as soon as a player signs for Rangers or Celtic he automatically gets picked for Scotland, even if they were totally overlooked before. Kirk fucking Broadfoot is the best example, also Gary Caldwell, Scott Brown, Barry Robson...

scott brown, barry robson and caldwell were involved with scotland before they signed for celtic.

Fleck hasnt earned the right to be called up to the scotland squad yet, You really cannot judge form off the back of two starts and three subs appearances.

[Scorge]

Thinking about heading to the Fortress for our big game with the Pars tomorrow, any of the Glasgow-based among you reckon it will be called off?

[Lemonade]

scott brown, barry robson and caldwell were involved with scotland before they signed for celtic.

Fleck hasnt earned the right to be called up to the scotland squad yet, You really cannot judge form off the back of two starts and three subs appearances.

They were involved, but they weren't an automatic pick, which they are now.

[Nev]

I can't help but think he's been rushed into the Huns teams to appease the fans & keep them happy while they simultaneously lose money hand over fist after crashing out of Europe, paying millions in wages to players that don't play & try to flog Ferguson & Boyd.

And the media are caught in the hype, deflecting the real story & keepin Walter in a job that he would have been booted out of months ago if it was any other team.

Rangers tried to flog Boyd for the same ammount they bought Kyle lafferty in the summer for, FFS.

For "in form" read "in the Daily Record".

Aye, Rangers are certainly f'cked and trying everything possible to keep the fans happy, but by all account's they were looking for Fleck to make the breakthrough at the start of the season.

I appreciate more than most the levels of hyperbole the press spout whenever the "bright new prospect" appears at any level of the game, but there's no denying he has had a positive impact at Castle Greyskull, and the praise is coming from players and coaches rather than just Jim Traynor and his ilk.

By no means am I screaming for him to be included in the starting XI (even at Kenny Miller's expense), but if he's impressing more than established internationals at club level, why not get him involved?

[Lemonade]

How many other "wonderkids" have impressed in their 'rookie' season and then faded into obscurity though when it's revealed that they're actually not very good? Look at Maurice Ross, Chris Burke, David Marshall, Stephen Hughes et al there's a lot more I don't have time to name.

[Alkaline]

They were involved, but they weren't an automatic pick, which they are now.

I'm not sure that anyone can be regarded as an automatic pick when they first start at international level (obviously there are some exceptions). More exposure to European level football has obviously made them more likely to be automatic picks.

I'm failing to see how so many people can't understand that. The Old Firm are usually regularly playing at a higher level than all the other teams in the SPL so Scottish players there if they are playing well at that level should be getting the nod in my opinion. It should be about how people are playing at the time and their level of experience at playing at a particular level when players are being considered for International teams.

John Fleck looks like a good prospect and could maybe be utilised at squad level at the moment but a good run in the U-21s and an eye kept on his development at Rangers would be a better bet at the moment. Early exposure at that sort of level, especially against opposition like Holland, could be detrimental to his confidence and development. It would be a pretty big gamble to take.

[Lemonade]

I'm not sure that anyone can be regarded as an automatic pick when they first start at international level (obviously there are some exceptions). More exposure to European level football has obviously made them more likely to be automatic picks.

I'm failing to see how so many people can't understand that. The Old Firm are usually regularly playing at a higher level than all the other teams in the SPL so Scottish players there if they are playing well at that level should be getting the nod in my opinion. It should be about how people are playing at the time and their level of experience at playing at a particular level when players are being considered for International teams.

John Fleck looks like a good prospect and could maybe be utilised at squad level at the moment but a good run in the U-21s and an eye kept on his development at Rangers would be a better bet at the moment. Early exposure at that sort of level, especially against opposition like Holland, could be detrimental to his confidence and development. It would be a pretty big gamble to take.

What about when one half of the filth gets knocked out of Europe in the qualifying round? Should their players then be first choice for Scotland when they are playing on the same level as the rest of the poor dumb oiks in the SPL?

[Alkaline]

What about when one half of the filth gets knocked out of Europe in the qualifying round? Should their players then be first choice for Scotland when they are playing on the same level as the rest of the poor dumb oiks in the SPL?

How does one season affect that? They've still played at that level before. How many players in any of the other squads in the SPL have any Champions League/English Premier League experience?

[The Milner]

They were involved, but they weren't an automatic pick, which they are now.

barry robson isnt an automatic pick except for the squad which he was when at united when he finally broke into the squad. Scott Brown was always going to be a top player for Scotland he is the best midfield player we have and caldwell was always going to be one of the two centre halfs who play, again because he is better than anyone else, nothing to do with celtic, plus him and brown were both very young when they signed for celtic so they wouldnt have been first choice scotland picks by then.

Im not saying fleck should be in the squad but those three players are better than anyone else in that position at the moment, plus they regularly play champions league football which gives them the edge over players like Darren Barr, Berra or Lee Millar even.

[The Milner]

What about when one half of the filth gets knocked out of Europe in the qualifying round? Should their players then be first choice for Scotland when they are playing on the same level as the rest of the poor dumb oiks in the SPL?

The simple fact is that most of the old firm players are better than the scottish players playing in the rest of the spl, i dont like to say it as a dons fan but it would be a farce to see zander in the centre of defence against holland.

Anyway Kris Boyd never got a shot and he is a rangers player so it doesnt always work that way.

[Johnny Mac]

caldwell was always going to be one of the two centre halfs who play, again because he is better than anyone else, nothing to do with celtic, plus him and brown were both very young when they signed for celtic so they wouldnt have been first choice scotland picks by then.

Caldwell is fucking terrible.

Russell Anderson was twice the player when he was at the Dons, and that's just one example.

But hey, he never got a chance, and now never will.

[The Milner]

Caldwell is fucking terrible.

Russell Anderson was twice the player when he was at the Dons, and that's just one example.

But hey, he never got a chance, and now never will.

rubbish, caldwell can at least put his foot on the ball and play it along the ground, he has been solid for celtic for the best part of his career there.

I was an Anderson fan but the simple fact is he went down the road and did nothing, if he really was good enough someone would have snapped him up before keane went on his crazy spending spree on rubbish players.

[stuartmaxwell]

cowden vs mo game is off

cowden also going to the wall with the welsh 90k saga!

see that thread on pie and bovril??? urgh!

[Johnny Mac]

rubbish, caldwell can at least put his foot on the ball and play it along the ground, he has been solid for celtic for the best part of his career there.

I was an Anderson fan but the simple fact is he went down the road and did nothing, if he really was good enough someone would have snapped him up before keane went on his crazy spending spree on rubbish players.

Absolute nonsense. You seem to have been listening to all the shite Caldwell speaks about himself being a ball playing cultured defender.... or at least that's what he'd like to be. Watch him in the next few games. He regularly gets found out in Europe and at international level (from what i've witnessed anyway). Total donkey.

Anderson went down the road and did nothing? Nae really, he had a string of injuries culminating in this most recent terrible one. He hardly had a chance. If Anderson had stayed at the Dons and stayed fit and in the form he was he'd have been a Scotland regular by now. Fair play to him though, he made the move that was best for him at the time and it sadly hasn't worked out.

[The Milner]

Absolute nonsense. You seem to have been listening to all the shite Caldwell speaks about himself being a ball playing cultured defender.... or at least that's what he'd like to be. Watch him in the next few games. He regularly gets found out in Europe and at international level (from what i've witnessed anyway). Total donkey.

Anderson went down the road and did nothing? Nae really, he had a string of injuries culminating in this most recent terrible one. He hardly had a chance. If Anderson had stayed at the Dons and stayed fit and in the form he was he'd have been a Scotland regular by now. Fair play to him though, he made the move that was best for him at the time and it sadly hasn't worked out.

hey im a huge dons fan and i loved anderson but its a pointless argument, he has never really done it at a good level, and never will. caldwell plays champs league football regularly and is a regular international. If Anderson was that good he would have got a chance with scotland before he moved down the road, but he was never really considered. Again i loved Anderson when he was at the dons but i just get this feeling he was never quite good enough for TOP level football.

Caldwell has had some awesome matches for Celtic in europe against some of the top players in the world, he has proved he can live upto that standard when he is on his game sadly Anderson never has or will.