Bring on the Euros

[crowie]

Game counted for nothing in terms of qualification but first time in about 12 or 13 years we have scored 3 goals away from home, against a semi decent side.

Great performance, defence looked solid when it needed to be and you won't see 3 better goals in 1 game than Fletch, Faddy and Hartley's.

This was as good as Saturdays was as poor. Determination, organisation and effort.

More importantly, keeps us in 4th pot of seeds for the Euros.

[zonker84]

Well done


Still got next to no chance of being at Euro 2008

[crowie]

Tell you what Zonker, if we some how manage to play all our games away from home, you never know

Nah, being serious, as I said after Saturday, the next thing Walter has to do is to work out some sort of game plan for both playing at home and also if we go a goal behind. We didn't have the answer to that on Saturday.

We do look a better side playing away from home with the home side having to do the attacking and us playing on the counter. And again, getting the first, and an early goal, helped totally.

Don't know if there was any highlights down south but we could have had more. McFadden missed a great breakaway chance at the end of the first half when we were 3 on 1 and Alexander could have/should have got one right at the end. The 3 goals scored were just top notch.

Gordon made one great reflex save from a corner, they missed an open goal from about 1 yard out and Gordon also dealt well with a couple of Acimovic efforts. That aside I thought we more than matched them which is not something I would imagine saying about any Scotland side a year ago.

Not getting carried away but as we have all continued to say, since the end of the Vogts shambles we have come a hell of a long way.

[zonker84]

All depends on a kind draw really, which this World Cup draw was for Scotland. They could've scraped into second place with a bit of luck.

We all know that there are teams among the first and second seeds in particular, who you don't want to face. Equally there are teams that have done decently over recent years, but are about to hit a bad patch due to retirement of key players and so on.

Realistically, whoever the top seed is (I'd love it to be England ) is probably going to finish ahead of Scotland, so depends who else they get.

I'm sad enough to have recorded the Scotland game while watching England, so I'll probably watch it later to see how you got on

[crowie]

This is, as far as I know, what the seedings/pots would be before tonights result s were taken into consideration - and shows why it was important for us to get a result.


Pot 1

holland
england
portugal
czech republic
france
croatia
germany


Pot 2

sweden
poland
italy
turkey
spain
romania
greece


Pot 3

russia
bulgaria
serbia
denmark
ukraine
norway
bosnia


Pot 4

slovakia
latvia
belgium
ROI
slovenia
israel
SCOTLAND


Pot 5

hungary
finland
estonia
lithuania
albania
wales
iceland


Pot 6

georgia
belarus
macedonia
cyprus
n ireland
moldova
armenia


Pot 7

lichtenstein
azerbaijan
andorra
malta
faroes
kazahkstan
luxembourg
san marino


From the above, I would say

Portugal or Croatia from 1, avoid Holland
Greece or Poland from 2, avoid Italy & Spain
Norway or Bosian from 3, avoid Ukraine like the plague
Estonia or Iceland from 5
Avoid Georgia or Belarus in 6

If we hadn't won I think we would have swapped places with Hungary.

[Winrew]

Always had a soft spot for the Scotland team ( i suppose living so near them helps ) .....Im amazed ( apart from last saturday ) how much Walter has turned them around to be honest , i think we have a Vogts in charge of our lot , its a shame when you see some other buggers country playing with passion and belief,and then you watch our team (England) ....playing like they do.

Heres to a bright future for the Scots....

[MickeyPaul]

I think had Walter (actually, anyone) been in from the start we would have secured 2nd spot no problemo. I still get so darned frustrated by the lack of movement throughout the whole side but with a wee bit of work in that area (we did it for spells in Italy and Norway - easy peasy - pass, move, pass, move, weeeeee) we will be far more dangerous. If we're going to be stuck with such a painfully slow central defence too then I reckon even that could be overcome with a bit of help from the midfield. I think Nigel Quashie is magic btw. The amount of effort he puts in is incredible. Every single match too.

Oh, and those 3 goals. Magnificent. Was like watching Brazil, 1970.

[mrmuzeman]

McFadden missed a great breakaway chance at the end of the first half when we were 3 on 1

Doesnt suprise me one bit, he couldnt hit a exceedingly big barn door 90% of the time. 3 on 0 and id still back him to fcuk it up and trip over himself

Though to be fair to him he does do better for Scotland, hes got 7 goals in 22 which aint half bad.

Not particularly fond of the 3 goals in 65 hes managed for us however

I have to admit to quite liking Scotland for some reason. You remember when they beat England 1-0 with that Don Hutchison goal? I actually quite liked that. He was playing awesome at Everton at the time and I was secretly pleased about the whole thing in a way.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Yeah hats off to them for lifting themselves for last ngiht and getting some pride back.

Makes you wonder doesnt it - the pen against Norway, holding Italy away then 2 great free kicks, if they had performed like last night on Sat they wouldve walked away with that game.

All i can do is give Walter a heap of praise from stopping us from embarrassing ourselves under Berti and probably finishing bottom.

Amazingly though - that writer Gerry McNee after the Belarus game was like "what did i tell you, Walter shouldnt have got the job" What a prick.

And i do remember that england game Mr M - very well. It was on my birthday and if it wasnt for a fabolous save by Seaman Scotland couldve nicked it.

[crowie]

Don't get too stressed about McNee Kiko, he does it for a reaction and nowt much else. His style of "journalism" fits in well with the paper he works for.

Mr M, I can imagine you frustrations with Faddy, we only have it once every month or two when he is playing for Scotland, would be tearing my hair out if it was every week. He does the simple things poorly, trys to do too much on his own but then he pulls a goal out of nowhere like the 2nd last night.

If the lad was in any way consistant he would be a star. However he is not and thats why he is in and out of your side I would imagine. Think that was his 8th for us last night.

Winrew, your amazed, I'm amazed, we are all amazed! Its roughly the same players so anyone who doubts that a new manager cannot make a difference only needs to look at us during and after Vogts.

Like Mickey says, I wish Vogts had gone before this campaign started. He had many opportunities to fall on his own sword but chose to hang on til it became untenable for him to stay. Things might have been a wee bit different if Smith had been in at the start of the campaign.

[MickeyPaul]

A player like McFadden really needs to be playing 90 minutes every week and unfortunately for him that's looking impossible. I do recall visiting Everton forums when he first signed and he was the best thing since sliced bread according to almost all of them and Everton were going to build all their future success around him and Rooney. How times change. I agree with Crowie; if he could learn to simplify his game a bit I think he'll get going again. His goal was bloody brilliant btw. Fletcher looks to be coming along a bit too as he gradually builds himself up and he fair gets about the pitch. His goal was bloody brilliant too btw.

There are plenty of positives to be taken from the games under Walter Smith and I'm actually quite optimistic. As usual I guess.

edit: I have a Gerry McNee thread in here somewhere....... the world's grumpiest most bitter man.

[ONEDUNME]

Crowie , Nobody knows what the seedings will be yet as UEFA haven't decided what the criteria will be yet. It's not just the eight highest in the FIFA rankings but takes into account previous performances in qualifying and success in, other tournements.

What they'll do is decide which 8 teams they want seeded and then create some criteria to back it up afterwards.

[crowie]

Originally Posted by ONEDUNME

Crowie , Nobody knows what the seedings will be yet as UEFA haven't decided what the criteria will be yet. It's not just the eight highest in the FIFA rankings but takes into account previous performances in qualifying and success in, other tournements.

What they'll do is decide which 8 teams they want seeded and then create some criteria to back it up afterwards.

I just picked the info from Tartan Army Message Board ODM, as you can imagine we were having some debate how last nights games would affect the pots, or whats meant to be the pots. I am pretty sure the information has already been decided though as the media, and Walter Smith, all made mention of the win keeping us in pot 4 for Euro 2008.