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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Is wear and tear kicking in at Ibrox?

Walter Smith was very keen, even way back in July, to emphasise the importance of his squad avoiding injuries and suspensions. With the size of Rangers squad, this is fairly obvious as the absence of a number of key players could make a huge difference to the make-up of the Rangers line-up. With 7 league win on the trot, they are doing well so far but of course, they aren’t the only team with 7 league wins.

Celtic have also managed to put together a 7 game winning run so far whilst overcoming a few injuries. Celtic have a bigger squad than Rangers but have already weathered the loss of Izaguirre, Mulgrew,Hooiveld, Loovens, Rogne, Juarez, Kayal, McCourt, McGinn, Forrest and Hooper at one point or another. Having a larger squad gives more room for manoeuvring but it is still impressive the way Celtic have kept their run going through numerous changes. Both teams have been impressive so far.

Rangers, up until now, have knuckled down and mainly battered through the knocks and niggles that affect regular first team picks but it appears the first signs of wear and tear are showing. Kirk Broadfoot and Lee McCulloch missed the late-win at Tynecastle and the latest news is that Nikica Jelavic will require an operation after a typical Ian Black challenge in that match.

Regardless of what team they play for or have played for, some players just annoy football fans. Ian Black is one such player and the reason for this dislike is that he is a thuggish, brutal player. At the moment, Rangers fans will be angry with Black but genuine football fans will have noted that Black has kicked and hacked his way throughout his time at Caley and Hearts.

Jelavic is due to have an operation on Tuesday and it is only after that has taken place will there be a better idea of how long the player will be out for.

In addition to this, there are doubts over Alan McGregor’s fitness and he may be unavailable for Scotland. We don’t expect Craig Levein to act the hard man in laying down the law to McGregor in the way that he did to David Marshall but if McGregor is absent, it will be a sad loss for Scotland.

At the moment, the two other keepers in the Scotland camp are Craig Gordon and Cammy Bell. Bell has been fairly decent for Kilmarnock but should not be exposed to the Czech Republic or Spain. Which leaves Craig Gordon, who is yet to play this season and doubts remain over his match-fitness. Without a fit McGregor, Scotland are struggling to field a strong defensive unit for two games that they really need.

The needs of Rangers fans will differ from the needs of Scotland fans but you can expect there will be a lot of keen eyes on the Scotland squad that heads out to the Czech Republic for the big game on Friday.

With Rangers not in action until a home match against Motherwell on the 16th of October, there is a chance that some niggling injuries will be given time to heal. However, the international break will have Walter Smith sweating over the fitness and availability of some of his key men.

Do you spend international breaks worrying about the fitness of your favourite players?

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25 years on from his sad passing – still amongst the greats of football

Today, 10 September 2010, is the 25th anniversary of the sad passing of Jock Stein and the world of football, but especially Scottish football, should take some time to reflect on the achievements from one of Scottish football’s giants.

If you are reading this site, it is likely you will have an awareness of Stein’s achievements in the game, the silverware he won but also of the style of play he developed. His name will be forever linked with Celtic but you ask any Dunfermline fan for their opinion on Stein the manager and the praise will be swiftly forthcoming. Equally, his achievements when managing the national team should be retold for many generations to come. All of these triumphs are well recorded and others with first hand experience of watching Stein’s teams are better placed to recount them.

Therefore, responsibility for our tribute to Stein has been placed in the capable hands of one our team who recalls September 1985 and the impact it had on their football supporting life.

Being 7 years old, a midweek school night shouldn’t have been the time to be worrying or getting overly excited about the football…but even at that age, I was football daft. I can still recall the televised coverage of the away qualifier in Iceland a few months prior to this game and being upset at a penalty being awarded against Scotland.

Of course, the penalty was saved and Scotland grabbed a late winner through Jim Bett…meaning that the game against Wales was a major event.

The night itself was a big occasion – it wasn’t that common to have live football on TV and the importance of the game was evident. Mind you, the promise of a pie and Bovril at half-time in the house was probably as enticing as the game itself, the young me no doubt wondering how food only ever eaten at the actual football itself was going to be had in the house!

By the time the pie was served up (with the Bovril poured over it, no eating it with my hands like it was on a Saturday), Scotland were already 1-0 down and it was a really tense night. As everyone knows, Davie Cooper came off the bench to equalise with a penalty and Scotland were in the play-offs for the World Cup final.

I remember the commotion by the side of the pitch but I was ushered off to my bed before anything dawned on me and it wasn’t until the next morning that I learned that Jock Stein passed away. Even at that age, I knew of Stein’s name and the way he was revered by Celtic fans. You can’t support the club without a knowledge of their history and I was lucky enough to have a family that taught me all about the club’s history and triumphs from a young age.

I was sad, any death would have an impact on a child but also sensing that others I cared about were upset about Stein’s passing was upsetting. However, the real impact for me came on my next trip to Celtic Park.

The next game at Celtic Park came on the Saturday following Stein’s death`. I may still have been just seven years old but I was in the fortunate position of having been a regular attendee for a couple of seasons and a trip to the stadium was no one-off treat…it was part and parcel of the routine of life.

However, this day was very different. The opposition alone marked the occasion out as a big affair, Aberdeen, league champions on the past two occasions and the biggest rival for Celtic in their own pursuit of the league. The overplaying of Aberdeen and Dundee United’s dominance, especially in respect to that of Celtic has been massively overstated by the media but it was still a monumental game in the league race.

It was also the first game I can recall a minutes silence and black armbands being worn. For someone so used to football stadiums being noisy and raucous locations, this was a huge moment. The shrill whistle from the referee was heard more clearly than ever before and then a hush took over the stadium.

Even when Celtic lost a goal there would be a pocket of cheers from the opposition and groans from the home support but never silence. It was this moment more than anything else which really drove home how much Stein meant to people, how over 50,000 people could not utter a word in a place where they would usually be at their most vocal.

Celtic were leading 1-0 with a few moments to go, but Aberdeen bundled home an equaliser after what, from young eyes anyway, appeared to be a foul on Pat Bonner. Aberdeen had an earlier goal chopped off for a foul on the Irish keeper but this was allowed to stand and anguish was the over-riding emotion. Losing a lead in any game is annoying, losing one late on to title rivals is greatly upsetting but this was bigger than that. It was almost as if people needed a win that day, they needed something to life them and here was another blow. Not anywhere near as harsh a blow as the loss of Stein but when you’re already low, any other bolt can do some damage.

And then….the crowd swiftly galvanised and roared their backing to the crowd. The Scottish Cup final in May 1985 had been my first real taste of how a Celtic crowd can roar their bhoys onto victory but this was even more poetic. Perhaps the older fans were recalling Stein’s great teams, perhaps even the Celtic players had a point to prove but virtually from kick-off, Celtic charged up the right-hand side and won a corner.

The ball was swung in (possibly by Davie Provan) and there was Brian McLair to grab his second goal of the game and give everyone the result they needed.

Celtic Park was bedlam when that goal went in, there appeared to bodies everywhere as joy mixed with relief and no doubt a few tears were shed. It’s easy to dismiss football as being unimportant in the greater scheme of things but sometimes it matters more than anything. The only thing that was going to ease many people’s pain of Stein’s loss was an emotional victory and it had been delivered to perfection.

It’s not as if the manner of victory helped me get over the loss, at that age I still wasn’t too deeply affected but there is no doubt that day had a massive impact. The way that people can be brought together by football, is something that should never be overlooked or forgotten.

It was fitting that Celtic faced Aberdeen, the two top teams in the country and with Davie Hay, a Stein player and Alex Ferguson, who stood beside Stein in Cardiff, in charge of their clubs. It was a huge football day, with a massive crowd, great names and managerial and one that was very fitting for Jock. And of course, with Celtic eventually clinching the title on goal difference, the extra point gained from the late winner would turn out to be vital!

Even now, 25 years after Stein’s death, Billy Shankly’s words still ring true….

John, you’re immortal now

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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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Is this the change strip for Craig Levein’s men?

Well, trawling the internet usually turns up something of interest and today we found this little number skulking about on a few pages.

Yellow has been a regular colour in Scotland away kits so it is not as if this is a huge surprise if it turns out to be the away kit but what do you all think?

On first glance, it seems a bit bright but then again, is that a bad thing? It certainly seems to be the in thing with many kits these days and it will certainly add a splash of colour to proceedings.

No doubt it is the sort of top that will be worn in its thousands when the Tartan Army march on Spain…and who knows, maybe even Poland and the Ukraine.

The Scottish badge is fairly prominent in the main body of the strip, standing out (in this picture) more than the same badge in the current adidas home kit.

Oh well, the away kit has to be a change and this is certainly a lot more vivid than the home kit. We’re sure it’ll sell in its thousands and if it is worn when the team manage to pick up a few points on the road, it may just become a huge favourite!

What choice of colour would you choose for the Scotland away kit?

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It’s not all new World Cup strips this summer

Remember way back when in March when the new Scotland kit was launched?

Scotland made a winning start under Craig Levein and in their new Adidas international kit with a 1-0 home win over the Czech Republic thanks to Scott Brown’s goal. Let’s hope Scotland can achieve similar results when we face this opponent for real in the qualifying campaign.

Adidas are finally preparing the launch of the kit for the fans and it’s going to come at a time when the World is going football crazy. The only sad thing is that Scotland will not be gracing the football stage in South Africa this summer.

The kit will be released on Thursday the 10th of June. This is the day before the World Cup kicks off so football fever will be reaching epidemic proportions.

It is also the day our friends at Cold Blooded Clarity are hosting a charity gig in aid of The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. More info about what should be a great night can be found here.

Returning to the Scotland kit, in one respect, this release of the kit is great timing, the school holidays are coming up and families that are lucky enough to be getting away will be looking to get kitted out for their trip.

Football strips are more expensive than any other tops you can buy for most children, the value for money from the amount of times they kit is worn makes it a strong purchase. That and the material used is conducive to spending time in the sun and warmth – so we agree with the timing of the kit in this regard.

We just can’t help but think it will be lost a wee bit in the World Cup rush at the moment.

A Kitbag catalogue dropped through WeKnowSFA Towers last week and the range of kits and products for the World Cup was fairly impressive. Not everything hit the spot but there were a lot of great tops and training kit.

Adidas and Scotland are competing against this market and the World Cup is going to be in everyone’s face for the next month and a half.

It’s a big ask but followers of the Scottish national team will be more than used to challenging the bigger guns and hoping for something to go right.

When you think the SFA and Adidas still have the change kit to come when the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign begins, they get to have two bites of the cherry…and it is this that probably justifies the early Summer release of the new Scotland top.

10th of June is when you can get your hands on the new kit but pre-orders are being taken now.

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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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