Guest Gladstone Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 For what it's worth this is what my cousin seems to think of it all...We need to make a mediocre team difficult to beat - Press & JournalWe need to make a mediocre team difficult to beat Published: 18/11/2009LIKE Mary Queen of Scots before him' date=' George Burleys daring escape from his personal Loch Leven was sadly short-lived. He has at last been led to the Tower, leaving the pretenders to vie for the throne, albeit no longer one quite jewelled and lustred enough to have them cooking up Macbeth-style plots to do away with each other.Whoever is eventually burdened with leading Scotland will, by definition, be handcuffed by the blatant and appalling lack of basic technique and intelligence displayed by the nations footballers, coached and directed wrongly from an early age.That is an unsustainable situation which must, in the long term, be remedied, but its immediate effect is the main quality for which the SFA must look in Burleys successor must be the ability to make a deeply mediocre team difficult to beat.To that end, two candidates stand out from the crowd. Its slightly unfortunate for the SFA they are the two who are currently already in employment, Craig Levein and Walter Smith.Levein would certainly be a less contentious choice, a young and articulate man who specialises in setting his teams up to break opponents rhythm, but is so highly regarded and safely ensconced at Dundee United that extracting him from Tannadice would likely require the repayment of all the fines he has paid into SFA coffers in recent seasons plus interest.Not so for Smith, who, with Ibrox cutbacks looming, will likely be a free agent long before Scotlands next competitive fixture. Having dragged a hopeless Rangers team to a Uefa Cup final and a Scottish Premier League title since his previous Scotland stint, Smith is eminently qualified to helm this sinking international ship, but has too much water passed under the bridge for the SFA and the Tartan Army to welcome him back?Outside the box, recently sacked Darren Ferguson ticks plenty of the boxes principally cost-free availability though one doubts whether the job Barry Fry accused him of having lined up was as thankless as the Scotland one and theres every chance by the time Messrs Peat, Ogilvie, McRae and Smith synchronise their bulging diaries enough to get brainstorming, hell already have handed his Peterborough P45 over to a Championship or Premier League payroll department.John Collins is another impressive young man who could start yesterday, but sadly his football philosophy is too advanced and artistic to successfully firefight with a squad which must include such anti-footballers as Stephen McManus and Kenny Miller. Collins could do some serious damage in a more grass-roots position, putting him in charge of such an untrustworthy talent pool as the senior Scotland squad would inevitably lead to his quickfire loss to the game which would not be in anyones interests.Chris Crighton is the editor of Dons fanzine The Red Final[/quote'] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 From what I saw of the qualifiers, Fletcher was average at best, but when he gets the ball, his surrounding players just seem to do fuck all. I think the difference is that the players surrounding him at United are better, and seem to interpret the next move quicker (probably due to having more time together on the training pitch, I assume). As Roy Keane once said "The first game I played under Clough for Forest, the only advice he gave me was "When you get the ball, give it to another man in a red shirt". I practically made a career out of it". There's only so much Fletcher can do, and if the players around him aren't interpreting the next move, he's not going to come out of it looking good. I'm not sure Fletcher is set to be a leader just yet, and certainly not relied on, but he's getting closer to filling a Roy Keane type role (without the flamboyant aggression or telling Dwight Yorke to "Go fuck yourself") all the time. He needs to be given more of a free defensive role to simply shut down and pressure the oppositions midfield. For United, it's Carrick, Scholes or even Giggs now that controls the game in the middle, whilst Fletcher just runs about, making life difficult for whoever has the ball and shutting down their creative outlets. He's certainly very good at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 From what I saw of the qualifiers, Fletcher was average at best, but when he gets the ball, his surrounding players just seem to do fuck all. I think the difference is that the players surrounding him at United are better, and seem to interpret the next move quicker (probably due to having more time together on the training pitch, I assume). As Roy Keane once said "The first game I played under Clough for Forest, the only advice he gave me was "When you get the ball, give it to another man in a red shirt". I practically made a career out of it". There's only so much Fletcher can do, and if the players around him aren't interpreting the next move, he's not going to come out of it looking good. I'm not sure Fletcher is set to be a leader just yet, and certainly not relied on, but he's getting closer to filling a Roy Keane type role (without the flamboyant aggression or telling Dwight Yorke to "Go fuck yourself") all the time. He needs to be given more of a free defensive role to simply shut down and pressure the oppositions midfield. For United, it's Carrick, Scholes or even Giggs now that controls the game in the middle, whilst Fletcher just runs about, making life difficult for whoever has the ball and shutting down their creative outlets. He's certainly very good at it.Yeah. Exactly why playing him in an attacking role for Scotland is dumb as fuck.Football is a very simple game, if you only ever give the ball to your team-mates, the opposition won't score against you. That's lesson number 1 that I learned as a kid. A utility man like Fletcher is a brilliant way of effecting this. But like you say, guys like Brown / McFadden / Kenny fucking Miller / et al need to make themselves available when he has the ball. I've seen (and played in a couple) amateur teams tear other teams apart by using this philosophy. If everyone on the pitch is hungry for the ball the entire time, and always looking to move into space, show for the ball etc. it's almost impossible to defend against, and openings in the defence are bound to come at some point.Fuck me, I'm going to send a CV to Gordon Smith just now. I think I could do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Hitler Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I reckon someone like Frankie Boyle should get the job. We are gonna get gubbed wherever we play all over the World, whoever takes the job. Least if we take in Frankie we'd get a laugh in the post-match interview.I know we all go on about Burley being shite, and maybe he was! But I think whoever takes the job will have the same fate, for a good few years to come yet. I think we need to get rid of that twat Smith, totally restucture the SFA, so when the up and coming talent is ready, we have the right people in place to bring success. There is more than one person accountable for the position we are in at the moment, Burley was just an easy scapegoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphas Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 that twat Smith.While we are on the subject...Just saw the back of the EE, its got an article with Gordon Smith saying that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor may get back into the national set-up. The next manager has a free hand to pick whoever he wants.I reckon this is a fucking joke. While I'm all up for the best players representing Scotland, what message does this send out? "OK players, disrespect your manager and let everyone down but we'll let you back in after a while." Why can't any footballing authority stick to the punishments they hand out? The Eduardo debacle is a good example of that.McGregor is a decent keeper but I'm not even sure Ferguson is good enough to get back. However, the SFA should stand by their decision regardless of whether they'd get picked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 While we are on the subject...Just saw the back of the EE, its got an article with Gordon Smith saying that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor may get back into the national set-up. The next manager has a free hand to pick whoever he wants.I reckon this is a fucking joke. While I'm all up for the best players representing Scotland, what message does this send out? "OK players, disrespect your manager and let everyone down but we'll let you back in after a while." Why can't any footballing authority stick to the punishments they hand out? The Eduardo debacle is a good example of that.McGregor is a decent keeper but I'm not even sure Ferguson is good enough to get back. However, the SFA should stand by their decision regardless of whether they'd get picked.Barry Ferguson got off with this shit with Le Guen as well. The player should never be bigger than the team or the manager.I wish Ferguson had never pulled the stunt, and to be honest, he shouldn't have been given the lifetime ban - it was disproportionate. But having given him the ban, it should stand.I'm not so bothered about McGregor - we have the keepers to deal with him being absent. I would like Ferguson available for selection because he is good midfielder. He wouldn't necessarily be a first team pick for me unless he starts to earn his place, but he's an experienced head that should be in the squad. That all said, I think we have to move on and forget about him. Pulling them back into the squad makes a mockery of the decision and the SFA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I'm not so bothered about McGregor - we have the keepers to deal with him being absent.Not really, he's leagues better than Langfield, Marshall, Gallacher, Turner and Alexander in my opinion. The only Scottish keeper better than him is Gordon, though the gulf between those two is about the same as between McGregor and the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Not really, he's leagues better than Langfield, Marshall, Gallacher, Turner and Alexander in my opinion. The only Scottish keeper better than him is Gordon, though the gulf between those two is about the same as between McGregor and the rest.He's a very good keeper and would be number 2 behind Gordon if he was made available for selection. He does have a really bad attitude though. I think the other keepers are very good keepers, but yes McGregor is miles ahead of them ability wise, and I guess it would do Gordon good to know that number 2 and 3 aren't Langfield and Marshall, given that they're never going to oust him from number 1 spot, whereas there could be a possibility of McGregor shifting him if McGregor was on the form of his life and Gordon had a dip in form.But he still shouldn't be given the nod to come back in my opinion. The decision was made. The aim was to stand up and make an example of 2 important players, and say that this sort of shit will not be tolerated. The message would be all wrong if they were allowed back in.I think they will be allowed back though. On that basis, they have to make massive apologies to everyone concerned, and they have to earn their places in the squad. I.e. I wouldn't say one day, right you guys say sorry and bang you're in the first team squad. I'd make them play a couple of B Squad games or something first, and they have to be seen to be putting a shift in at any level they're asked to before being punted back into the squad and then eventually if they earn a place, back in the team. There's no doubt the pair of them are fucking prima donnas and need to learn they don't have a god given right to be in the team. They've been shunted from the squad for a while, but since they've been gone, the squad has been pish, so it's not much punishment if they come back in straight away under a new (hopefully better) manager and things start to go better again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Sky Sports | Football | Internationals | News | Kinnear keen on Scotland jobScotland are saved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Gutted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I hear it was a completely blatant handball in the run-up to the France goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Hand of Frog. Ireland deserved to win that, but could and should have in the 90 mins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Actually, I've just watched it - it's such cheatery that it makes ME angry. And I'm not Irish.Radio 5 Live commentators making more of a deal out of Henry doing it rather than the officials not spotting it.Can be seen here: www.101greatgoals.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I hope the media come down like a ton of bricks on Michel Platini. Smug cunt! That was the wrong decision to end all wrong decisions. Unbelievable. That shouldn't have been a goal, whether the ref saw it or not and for Ireland to lose because of it is just plain unfair. Once again a bigger team goes through undeservedly because of a poor decision, one that could have been rectified in 2 seconds with the help of a 4th/5th/6th official. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I hope the media come down like a ton of bricks on Michel Platini. Smug cunt! That was the wrong decision to end all wrong decisions. Unbelievable. That shouldn't have been a goal, whether the ref saw it or not and for Ireland to lose because of it is just plain unfair. Once again a bigger team goes through undeservedly because of a poor decision, one that could have been rectified in 2 seconds with the help of a 4th/5th/6th official.And that after all the 'seeding of playoffs' nonsense. Conspiracy anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I'm seething. Not entirely sure how to seethe but i am.It looks like he's catching the ball to hand it to the keeper for the goal kick, like you would do during a kick about in the park to avoid having to run miles to fetch the ball if you let it sail past. Technically a hand ball but you're doing everyone a favour. I reckon Henry will apologise for it. He's got to, its not even as if you could argue ball to hand. No consolation for the Irish fans of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 BBC Sport - Football : France 1-1 Republic of Ireland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Wirelessly posted (LG-GC900/V10a Obigo/WAP2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)The entire seeding system is a farce in my opinion. It's obviously just designed to give the big teams an easy route to the finals, and then the finals are seeded to get the big teams through to the latter stages! It should just be all the names in a hat, and if you want to win it you have to fucking beat whoever is put in front of you instead of the small teams getting fed to the big teams. The champions league is the same. It's shit like that that makes me hate football sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Wirelessly posted (LG-GC900/V10a Obigo/WAP2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)The entire seeding system is a farce in my opinion. It's obviously just designed to give the big teams an easy route to the finals, and then the finals are seeded to get the big teams through to the latter stages! It should just be all the names in a hat, and if you want to win it you have to fucking beat whoever is put in front of you instead of the small teams getting fed to the big teams. The champions league is the same. It's shit like that that makes me hate football sometimes.yep spot on but the tv people who run football wouldnt like to see any little teams progress. there was absolutely no need to seed the play offs, all those teams got there on merit so if france had drawn portugal then so be it.i havent seen the henry incident but thats harsh luck on the irish. i think this will be the final straw regarding either video technology or something on those lines with major decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Cascarino isn't holding back on this one, Thierry Henry is an insincere cheat who has tarnished his reputation for good | Football - Times Online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam 45 Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Football corruption at its highest. When you see the replayed, he actually handballed it 3 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Football corruption at its highest. When you see the replayed, he actually handballed it 3 times.I think technically that's travelling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 oh, and I just knocked up this. (twiddling my thumbs at work as you can see) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 BBC Sport - Football : France 1-1 Republic of Ireland"The debate will rage on about the goal that took France to the 2010 finals in South Africa..."What debate?Clear as fucking day that he damn near caught the ball, he then came out and said it was handball - no apology mind you. Although, I think if anyone should be apologising it should be the officials who failed to see such a blatant hand ball. It's one of those moments where I doubt Henry entirely meant to do it, in that he wouldn't have really thought about it, the ball bounced up and the reaction was to stick his hand out. He probably couldn't quite believe it wasn't spotted. No consolation to the Irish fans even if he does apologise, and the officials and FIFA and everyone in the world apologises. Ireland should have at least made it into extra time, and hopefully qualified.I'm going to have to support New Zealand now I suppose (fuck knows why, just that they haven't qualified for so long, and they must be feeling amazing about getting through). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 The most unfair thing about the seeding of the playoffs is that it was decided after FIFA were able to see which teams had made it to that stage.If it was set out before the qualifying campaign even started then it would be a different story (but still wrong IMO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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