White lies and mistruths

The friendly against the Faroe Islands is shaping up to be an inconsequential affair but for the players who get their first taste of international football, it will be a major event.

Equally, it gives those who live in the North of the country an easier trip to see their national team but it is a bit of a smack in the face to see such unfancied opposition and quite clearly a second-rate Scottish team on the park.

It’s a match of many conflicts and this can be seen in the sound bites Levein has delivered to the press and in his squad selection.

When initially asked about the game, Levein said;
“It’s important for me to try and get as many players as we had on the field against Spain in the last game back together again.”

We accept Rangers have played games in the Champions League (although no more games in total that Celtic and less than Motherwell) but with 6 Ibrox players in his starting line-up against Spain, Levein has gone strongly against his own words.

Perhaps the initial statement was to drum up interest and sell tickets for the clash. Perhaps he changed his mind and decided he wanted to bring in new players to see how they do on the international arena. Or perhaps Levein was encouraged to rest the Rangers players…and as a balancing act, Levein has dropped Shaun Maloney from the squad as well – who knows the reason for the following about face;

“I have decided to give them a bit of a break but it kind of fits in with my policy for this match anyway.”

The two quotes direct from Craig Levein couldn’t be further apart but it is not as telling the truth is in fashion at Hampden Park these days.

Let’s hope the new players do themselves justice with a performance which will put them in contention for future squads

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Fighting spirit was good to see

On a night when no one really expected to get anything, going so close and in the manner they did, is going to make it a hard result to take for Scotland fans. After Friday night, some fans thought Scotland would do well to get nil tonight but as so often happens, when the nation doesn’t expect….the team can come so close to delivering.

At half-time, 1-0 was the right result even if the way it came about was a bit sickening. So close to half-time and fans and players minds no doubt starting to drift, Steven Whittaker switched off and allowed a ball to drift over him. He then compounded this error by raising his hand which saw the assistant referee make the decision that a handball had been committed.

When they go against you its painful, if the other team commits that foul, you scream blue murder for a penalty.

Anyways, David Villa stuck the ball to his right and although Alan McGregor moved quick and far, the ball squirmed beyond McGregor and the Barcelona striker moved level with Raul on 44 goals for the Spanish international team.

Of course we are interested in the Scottish viewpoint but its hard not to drool over the skill of Iniesta. Aside from always looking composed on the ball, his strike for the second Spanish goal was a thing of composed beauty. Messi may be the main man for Barcelona but Iniesta is a phenomenal player.

And at 2-0 and just when you were thinking it was all over…Kenny Miller peeled out wide and delivered an outstanding cross which Steven Naismith nodded home for his first international goal. And if the atmosphere was buzzing in Hampden then, the noise when Gerard Pique could only divert a cross behind Casillas to make it 2-2…well, it’s been a few years since Hampden witnessed that during an international game.

Sadly, Spain stepped up a gear and Llorente rifled home after Stephen McManus misjudged the flight of the ball leaving the sub all alone six yards out. With Steven Whittaker red-carded near the end, it was a sad end to an evening which threatened to take off around the hour mark.

The game summed up one of the fears we had about Craig Levein getting the job as national team manager. We all know what Scottish football is like, results and performances against Celtic or Rangers are always weighted more than other points. Levein was capable of getting at least and sometimes both of these elements against the big two but often struggled in lesser games.

There was a spell when Levein’s United would outmuscle and outfight Gordon Strachan’s Celtic in midfield with a spate of draws but find themselves in the back pocket of Billy Reid’s Hamilton Accies. When it comes to motivation and tactics against the big boys, Levein is a good coach. Ask him to do anything with an ounce of imagination though…and that is where he struggles.

Tonight and tomorrow is not the night for recriminations. For all the fans at the game and those watching, listening or waiting on text updates, it was about giving them something back after Friday night. Scotland definitely did that against Spain and should take great joy and pride from the performance. With almost a year to the next qualifying game, there is plenty of time for Levein, Houston and the backroom and coaching staff to dissect the four qualifying games and judge the rights and wrongs.

Okay, let’s end on a positive note. Alan McGregor delivered an outstanding performance and was largely responsible for keeping Scotland in the game before the revival happened. He was unlucky at the penalty but with saves from his hands and feet, the stopper deserves every bit of positive praise and column inches his performance should earn him.

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Levein got it wrong

Over 24 hours after Scotland’s loss to the Czech Republic and we are still trying to get our head around the performance. It’s fair to say that Craig Levein managed to outfox virtually the entire football world with his line-up but as the result showed, it can take more than a surprise to win the game.

Much of the pre..and during….and post-game chat has centred on the 4-6-0 formation.

The problem doesn’t lie with numbers themselves, one team playing a formation may be very different from another team with the same formation. The term “4-5-1” has become a catch-all phrase for defensive and unimaginative play but that is not necessarily the case. A “4-5-1” utilised well can be one of the most exciting and attacking formations available.

It depends on the players selected and the attitude of the players in the positions. The 5 in midfield can feature wide men whose job it is to support the lone striker and a top heavy midfield can press their opposition further up the pitch. This increases the likelihood of regaining possession closer to the opposition goal, making it more likely that chances will be created.

Alternatively, the 4-5-1 can see a team sit deep, using the lone striker as an outlet to create chances on the break whilst minimising the space for the opposition to create chances.

And it is the lack of forward that really troubled us in Craig Levein’s 4-6-0. This formation has been used in the past with Brazil and Roma utilising it successfully but on these occasions, these teams had the players to carry it off. The six in midfield could retain possession and there was a willingness of runners to get forward and attack the space that was created with defenders pushing forward.

Scotland lack the players to consistently retain possession and there was no outlet to provide some respite for the backline. The lack of a lone striker saw the Czech Republic swarm to the Scotland goal in waves, increasing the likelihood of conceding a goal.

An inability to hold possession close to the Czech’s goal also meant there was little opportunity to win corners or fouls. Set-pieces are crucial for Scotland and when you don’t have the opportunity to create these dead-ball situations, you are seriously limiting the opportunities to score.

It would be interesting to know if Levein hoped to score at any point in the game and if he did, how he planned on getting the goal?

Setting your stall out for a 0-0 draw is a fairly risky tactic…and when you consider that the Czech Republic had lost their previous home game…one that was probably too severe.

The game against Spain on Tuesday now takes on a stronger importance with the need to take a point but it remains to be seen how Levein will set his players up. On Friday night, Northern Ireland held Italy to a point at home and were unlucky not to take all three.

Spain are currently at a higher level than Italy but results like this are not impossible. At the very least, Scottish fans will want to see their team play with passion and at times, take the game to the World Champions. No one wants to get thrashed by Spain….but surely no one thinks Scotland will avoid defeat at Hampden?

Therefore, what is the harm in playing with a bit of brains and brawn? Kenny Miller has to return to the starting line-up and maybe there should be room made in the midfield for a bit of creativity. If Shaun Maloney can be played behind Miller or perhaps James Morrison being handed a bit more responsibility, Scotland may be able to create some pressure and chances.

With another game so soon, it’s not the right time to completely lambast Levein, after all, there is a huge gap before the next competitive match on the road to Euro 2012. A poor showing against Spain may see Craig Levein’s suitability for the job come under closer scrutiny.

Do you ever want to see a 4-6-0 again?

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Celtic and Rangers in-form players not selected!

Okay, until the official Scotland team for the match against the Czech Republic is announced, it’s all gossip and hearsay but it appears that Kenny Miller may be missing. If Miller is fit and available to play, we can’t get our head around this idea that he may not be selected.

BBC Sport are reporting that Jamie Mackie will make his debut for Scotland in preference to Miller.

Craig Levein and the Scottish medical staff may feel that Miller has just got the legs for one game out of the double-header but if this is the case, surely he plays the first game. If Scotland take anything from the Spain game, it will be a massive bonus, however, surely a point in Prague is the least we should be looking for?

The Czech Republic have already lost at home in this campaign so they are hardly unbeatable and a positive Scotland result will place the Czechs under a whole heap of pressure. It is likely that Scotland will sit back with the hope of hitting on the break and Kenny Miller is the best Scotland forward for this style of game.

Miller is in the goal grabbing form of his life, having already scored 10 league goals this season and surely if there is a reason to pick a player, this is it.

If you want a reason for dropping an international striker, you drop one that hasn’t scored in over two years and hasn’t grabbed a goal in a competitive match in over 3 years. Oddly enough, this never happened to Miller but as soon as he broke his barren spell with a strike against Liechtenstein, Kenny Miller now finds himself on the sidelines for this game.

It’s a very strange decision, who knows if we will ever get the real reason for Miller’s omission but it has us perplexed. As it is Scotland and Rangers, some are immediately jumping to their own conclusions but we’re cautious to avoid that. We just want to say we can’t think of any good reason why Kenny Miller is not starting this game.

Another strange decision is the fact that Shaun Maloney has not been included in the starting line-up. With Miller and Maloney not picked, we are left with the strange situation of Celtic and Rangers in-form forwards (both Scottish internationalists) are not deemed good enough for the Scotland starting line-up.

Those who don’t like the big two will take great comfort from the fact that Levein doesn’t seem to take playing well for these clubs as a reason to select them…but surely everyone wants the best team to take the field.

The BBC site lists the Scotland team as:

Scotland: (4-1-4-1) McGregor, Hutton, Weir, McManus, Whittaker, G Caldwell, D Fletcher, Dorrans, Morrison, Naismith, Mackie

It is only after the game will we know if the gamble taken by Levein pays off, if it does, brilliant and the manager has earned his wage. If it fails, many will want to understand the reasoning behind the selection.

Okay, we’ve said our piece about the team and we won’t know if it will be right or wrong until after the game…but what do you think?

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Better to be lucky than good

It could all have been so different last night but you have to think that eventually, everything clicked into place.

With the Under-21s booking their play-off place and then the Czech Republic losing at home to Lithuania, it was all set up for Scotland to complete a fantastic evening by steam-rolling the mighty Liechtenstein .

That didn’t happen but the three points from a 97th minute winner are the same three points you get for a 6-0 win.

There must be improvement in next month’s games but these games are likely to suit the players and the managers mindset more than playing the minnows.

A draw away to the Czech Republic would now be viewed as a massive point…and should see the play-off places hinge on two home games versus Lithuania and Czech Republic.

The Liechtenstein away game remains a hurdle and the two Spanish games should be considered a bonus.

In reality, the rest of the teams (outside of the World Champions) are competing in their own wee group and Craig Levein will be feeling rather content this morning.

In our heading, we used the term lucky, which is a bit misleading. You can always contribute to the luck you get and Levein made some ballsy subs.

How many fans would have replaced James McFadden at half-time?

Would many have subbed Kris Boyd at a time a goal was desperately needed?

It may be that Levein boobed in the first place but the subs, including the enforced one following the injury of Lee Wallace, changed the game for the better.

Sure Levein rode his luck with the amount of injury time that was played, time-wasting isn’t always correctly punished but it was this time and in the end, everyone left happy.

It certainly wasn’t the case throughout the evening as the boos rained down from the stands as the Scottish fans turned on their team. However, 3 points, top of the group and everyone can walk about today saying “ach, we always make things difficult for ourselves!”

4 points out of six…same again next month would be just grand.

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Better team but points are shared

Pre-match, opinion was split between whether 1 point would be good enough for Scotland in Lithuania. Some had the opinion that avoiding defeat would be a solid start but in a 5 team group, there isn’t the opportunity to make up too many lost points, which meant all 3 points were a must for many fans.

After the game, disappointment is the only thing that can be said after the game because Scotland were the better team over the course of the game. Not so much in working the oppositions defence but in terms of possession and looking to push on, by the end Scotland were the only team looking to grab all three points.

As we said, not too many chances but there were moments when Scotland fans were on their feet thinking they could grab the goal.

Much like in Norway and against Holland in the last campaign, Kenny Miller looked likely to score but spurned the chance. It was a hard shift for the striker who has been in good goal-scoring form for Rangers but when his country needed it, Miller’s goal-scoring touch deserted him.

Scotland never worked the Lithuanian goalkeeper often enough, Naismith may also have been culpable but when you consider the amount of the ball Scotland had and the number of free-kicks in good positions, there can be no excuse for not making more chances.

Barry Robson’s delivery was mainly deplorable from dead-balls and Darren Fletcher was close to being invisible for the 90 minutes. Scott Brown wasn’t invisible but a lot of that was due to him getting involved in the usual niggles and scrapes he sometimes winds up in. Not a vintage night for the midfield.

Craig Levein attempted to deflect criticism away from his offensive players by slating the ref…who didn’t have a terrible game. He clamped down on some fouls but equally, he let away a good few things from both teams. Craig should steel himself because there will be games when the ref is much worse than the one which officiated the match tonight.

The BBC Sportscene team, in the time it took for their analysis to end had unsurprisingly sided with their media friend Craig Levein and had the ref blamed for dropping two points. Which is a shame because there are some positive elements to take from it.

Coming away from home and looking comfortable is not too common for the Scottish team, regardless of what the opposition. Alan Hutton may not have played too much of late but the full-back looked strong the length of the left-flank and all will be hoping that he retains fitness and gets some more matches under his belt.

On another night it might have been very different but with just one game in, Scotland are facing at taking the hard route to Euro 2012.

You dejected or ready to fight another day?

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Help The Aged not a concern for Craig

The road to Poland and Ukraine for the European Championships in 2012 is getting ready to start and Craig Levein has selected his squad for the Lithuania and Lichtenstein double header. The first weekend in September sees Scotland start their campaign and points on the board are necessary if the nation wants to be heading to their major tournie since France 98.

The major headline for the squad revolves around the re-inclusion of David Weir and Paul Hartley. Both players have grabbed the headlines at the start of the season and on a game by game basis, their inclusion is perfectly acceptable.

Hartley, at the time of writing up the article, has just notched his fourth goal of the season and if Scotland are awarded a penalty in their two matches, he appears to be the man to take the spot kick. A hat-trick from 12 yards against Hamilton Accies gave Hartley a Dons debut to remember and the Co-operative Insurance League Cup tie against Alloa saw the bearded wonder open the scoring.

Davie Weir continues to stroll through games but against Hibs at the weekend, he still showed he has the fire and anger to get involved when things get nasty and rough. Forget about the age, at this moment in time, it’s hard to think of a better Scottish centre half at the moment than Weir.

So for they reasons, the inclusion of Weir and Hartley gets the nod of approval from us….and you can ignore our ageist heading…if you’re good enough, you’re young enough!

Mind you, on current form, the non-inclusion of Shaun Maloney is a concern. The Celtic attacker has played a strong part in the attacking play shown by Neil Lennon’s team but clearly he has not impressed Craig Levein.

This leaves the standing of Celtic v Rangers as hoops 1 versus the eight of the Teddy Bears.

The way football works, you just know that some fans will be casting this up in some form or another but given the make-up of both squads, it would be hard to see any other split of the squad.

One of the other surprises in the squad comes with the inclusion of Blackpool’s goalkeeper Matt Gilks. The Seasiders stopper picked the ball out of the net six times at the Emirates on Saturday but that shouldn’t be any reason to keep him out of the squad.

The full squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Marshall (Cardiff), McGregor (Rangers), Gilks (Blackpool)

Defenders: Hutton (Tottenham), Berra (Wolves), Broadfoot (Rangers), McManus (Middlesbrough), Weir (Rangers) McCulloch (Rangers), Wallace (Hearts), Webster (Rangers), Whittaker (Rangers), McNaughton (Cardiff)

Midfielders: Adam (Blackpool), Brown (Celtic), Dorrans (West Brom), Fletcher (Man Utd), Morrison (West Brom), Robson (Middlesbrough), Hartley (Aberdeen)

Strikers: Boyd (Middlesbrough),Fletcher (Wolves), Iwelumo (Burnley), McFadden (Birmingham), Miller (Rangers) Naismith (Rangers)

What are your thoughts on the squad?

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Maybe they’ll rescind his red card?

The SFA made a big show of inviting all Grade One officials to Hampden for the debut game of the Craig Levein era, no doubt hoping to create a sense of unity behind the beleaguered refs and linesman.

Yes, its a strange one. Hugh Dallas has been critical of refs this season but then rewards them in this manner, we wish our bosses rewarded incompetence, it would make life a whole lot sweeter. Cos we’re fairly incompetent.

Anyways, there would have been a bit of embarrassment amongst the ref’s seats when Scotland took the lead. A great cross from Wallace was nodded back across goal by Barry Robson and Scott Brown was in the right place at the right time to fire the Scots into the lead.

It was changed days from Sunday when Brown was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Dougie McDonald deemed his clash with Kyle Lafferty deserving of a red card. Celtic fans will be hoping that this goal may encourage the SFA to look upon the players appeal with a bit more kindness.

Then again, is there point in trying to work out the SFA logic? Nope…anyways, back to Craig Levein.

There is obviously no guarantee about what will happen in the qualifying campaign but this victory will hopefully give the national team a confidence boost for the vital head to head matches against the Czech Republic.

The most startling thing was the fact that it was Scotland’s first friendly win at Hampden in 14 years. So for that reason alone, the Craig Levein era has got off to a great start.

What was your high point of the evening?

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Some new faces as well for new boss Levein

New Scotland boss Craig Levein has finally picked his first squad for the forthcoming match against the Czech Republic. Not only will it be the former Dundee United and Hearts boss first foray into international management, it will be a precursor to the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Scotland were drawn alongside the Czech Republic (not to mention current European Championship holder Spain) so this match could lay down a marker for Scottish progress. If we win. If we lose, it will clearly have no bearing on the tournament itself!

Sorry, it’s probably best to move away from the negativity that surrounded the Burley reign and if you can’t be upbeat before a ball is kicked, what is the point in turning up?

It will also be the first time the national team turns out in its new adidas kit.

The squad for the match will be:

Goalkeepers
Neil Alexander (Rangers)
Craig Gordon (Sunderland)
David Marshall (Cardiff City)

Defenders
Alan Hutton (Tottenham Hotspur – loan to Sunderland)
Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton W.)
Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic)
Paul Dixon (Dundee United)
Garry Kenneth (Dundee United)
Lee Wallace (Heart of Midlothian)
Andy Webster (Rangers – loan to D United)
Steven Whittaker (Rangers)

Midfield
Charlie Adam (Blackpool)
Scott Brown (Celtic)
Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion)
Darren Fletcher (Manchester United)
Paul Hartley (Bristol City)
Lee McCulloch (Rangers)
James McFadden (Birmingham City)
Barry Robson (Middlesbrough)
Kevin Thomson (Rangers)

Forwards
Kris Boyd (Rangers)
Steven Fletcher (Burnley)
Chris Iwelumo (Wolverhampton W. – loan to Bristol City)
Kenny Miller (Rangers)

There is more of a Dundee United contingent than previously would have been included, which is to be expected but it is not as if any of the players are not worthy of consideration for a cap. We are not too convinced with Garry Kenneth and would maybe have tried David Goodwillie up front but the Tangerine selection is about right.

Of course, the headlines will focus on the returning players and those who haven’t returned. Lee McCulloch and Kris Boyd are welcomed back into the fold. McCulloch has clearly settled the family issues that saw him retire from international football but the midfielder has performed well for Rangers this season.

As for Boyd, it would be madness to leave him out of the squad and hopefully Craig Levein can get the best out of the striker.

Barry Ferguson remains unselected but he may well return for competitive matches and goalkeeper Alan McGregor has not been included, although he probably has other matters to contend with at the moment.

So, a new beginning and here’s to a successful campaign towards 2012.

Are you happy with the squad?

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Some Friday night games for the Tartan Army

The fixture list in full:

2010
Friday 3 September - Lithuania v Scotland
Tuesday 7 September – Scotland v Liechtenstein
Friday 8 October - Czech Republic v Scotland
Tuesday 12 October - Scotland v Spain

2011
Saturday 3 September - Scotland v Czech Republic
Tuesday 6 September - Scotland v Lithuania
Saturday 8 October - Liechtenstein v Scotland
Tuesday 11 October - Spain v Scotland

8 games in the campaign and only two being played on a Saturday? International football is definitely changing and it will be interesting to see how the switch to Friday and Tuesday games will affect the Scottish side.

Friday the 3rd of September is when it all kicks off with a trip to Tynecastle, err Lithuania and this is quickly followed by Liechtenstein at home on the Tuesday night.

Czech Republic away and Spain at home (again, a Tuesday night) will be tough games putting more pressure on the team to pick up points in the opening two matches.

After the last campaign, Kenny Miller was quick to moan about playing the big team (Holland) at home in midweek so it will be interesting to see if Miller will moan to Levein about the Spanish tie taking place in midweek.

We expect Miller to keep quiet this time around!

After the Spanish lose at Hampden (c’mon, live a little for now), Scotland will have a crucial home double-header in September 2011 where 6 points could go a long way to securing qualification or a play-off spot.

This is followed by a trip to Lichtenstein before concluding in Spain on Tuesday 11th October 2011.

Wow, that is a long way away isn’t it? Those fans who were looking forward to the Spanish trip have a long time to wait!

So, the fixture list, some initial thoughts:

It is very drawn out, over a year to play effectively 4 double headers. This could be good or bad I suppose. Almost a year of a break between the first group of games and second group is a long time.

Finishing with two away ties isn’t ideal although if the Spanish have top place sewn up by their last game, it could be ripe for the Scots to plunder a point or three.

6 points need to be grabbed in September 2011.

Can Scotland at least grab a play-off place?

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