These pages have seen Gordon Strachan written off many times since those four days in August 2005 when Celtic conceded nine goals to Artmedia and Motherwell. Last night, as Scotland manager, he got the breaks. First, at the most ridiculous dive for a penalty ever perpetrated by a player on a yellow card (and I have seen Steven Naismith), then, when tired defensive limbs contrived to concede a late winner for Scotland.
If he gets a result away to Slovenia on Sunday, he will have earned whatever grudging appreciation goes his way. A generation of adults have never seen Scotland at an international tournament. They don’t know the joys of losing 3-0 to Morocco, watching a defensive wall shirk at a free kick, or celebrating as an Iranian scored an own goal to deliver a point. It’s time they learned.
Little about Scotland’s success is good news for Celtic. Should we win the league, our first qualification round will start two weeks after the tournament kicks off. Although that round is unlikely to provide a particularly stiff challenge, consider what happened to Newco when they arrived unprepared against Luxembourg semi-professionals.
Even if Scotland don’t reach the finals in Russia, a second place finish in the group for Scotland would see the players face two play-off games in the middle of our Champions League group games, and the possibility of a League Cup final.
Brendan Rodgers will wish his players every success, but he would surely not be too distressed to share hard luck stories with them when they return to training next week. The club-v-country debate has kicked around for decades, but I doubt if any club/country combo has seen it as acute as it is for Celtic and Scotland right now.
Catch up with this CQN Podcast from last month when we interviewed Celtic star from the Centenary season, full back Chris Morris. It’s a great listen…
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Good take from the Griff right enough
The Griff saves wee fearties blushes..
excellent finish by the celtic player.
On this showing its easy to see why wee fearty picked Martin over Griffiths for the longest time.
The first goal Slovenia have lost at home this campaign.
Well done LG!
Not 100% sure but aren’t Danish pastries really from Vienna ?
Davie Provan sounded absolutely gutted Lee scored there.
I love the Griff :-)
J77 on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 5:36 PM
Davie Provan sounded absolutely gutted Lee scored there.
——-
Noticed that.
Matt Elliot was asked before the game for a reason for Scotland turning it around the last few games . His answer, they’ve had a go, nothing to lose etc, not a word about the Celtic influence
SAINT STIVS
The only one of a list of seemingly contradictory facts that I can remember.
How any coach-manager thinks that McArthur or Phillips deserves a place in the team is beyond me, they are shockingly bad, I doubt they are even good enough for the huns.
Griff is a fantastic endorsement for Brendan and his coaching staff.
A naturally talent refined into a truly international class player.
A Jambo , I only know through golf , stopped to say hello recently in the Supermarket . A nice enough guy for one of them ,but he spoke sense when saying, that anyone that knows anything about football knows the upturn in the Scotland performances and results are due to one man . Brendan Rodgers . I agreed with the honest Jambo .
Bit brutal this mob off the ball.
Refs got Scottish refs eyesight.
Bassa
I hope that was a knock the Griff got
TET
Wee fearties blinkers for the English game is the reason these daddies are picked.
Like many he is blindsided by the tv bumming up all things English
We should an average English side to much respect and their subsequent and usual world cup spanking will prove it.
Oh Dear,
Matt Phillips is absolutely dire.
Fan a tic
Am sure Brendan has helped Leigh but that bhoy has always worked his socks off whatever team he has played for
What does this bloke Chris Martin look like
Fan-a-Tic
Yip, it’s astonishing that these people make money from the game, thankfully their days are numbered.
How any coach can look at this and think that 3/4 of his midfield are worth a place is bizarre, I feel for Fletcher, he is doing the work of two at least so we are not seeing him at his best, the rest are a joke.
HH
Well done so far
CG KT LG
Don’t get an injury guys
HH
VOGUEPUNTER on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 5:49 PM
What does this bloke Chris Martin look like
——
He’s the lead singer of Coldplay.
Delighted for Griff and delighted for Scotland.
Our Celts have lead the charge for a re-newed national team.
In WGS (and Brendan) we trust.
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
There is more to the modern game than workrate and talent.
He has improved massively on position, responsibility and awareness under Brendan.
If Strachan wants to win this game he needs to bring on Callum and Jamesie. Too many of yesterdays men in pink shirts on the park. McCarthur looks like he’s towing a caravan and Phillips plays with his head down.
GDT
Is it Pedro’s caravan
HH
VOGUEPUNTER
Chris Martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtAd2WIUmu0
KEEP THE FAITH
TET
-:))
VOGUE.
He looks and plays like Ricky fecking Martin!!.
Great score so far from Scotland but can’t understand the team. Looks as I found Gordon Strachan picked names out of a hat. Great goal by Leigh and I hope he’s not injured for Bayern game. Where the hell is Wee Jamesie? I think he would run amok against the Slovenian defence. I understand the selection of Matt Phillips as WGS spoke about the physique of the Slovenians but surely we need to now stop them from coming forward by giving them an attacking threat to worry about. I wondered about James McArthur but he has broken up some of their moves and won a lot of tackles. That will do for me. Come on Scotland!
Provan wants Stephen Fletcher on…………WTF!!!???
Who does Phillips play for?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
GLENDALYSTONSILS
Phillips plays with his head down?
I haven’t noticed him yet.
I think we need someone more athletic than McArthur alongside Fletcher.
McGinn would help.
The central midfield is losing the battle.
Fan a tic 5.56pm
Spot on, Brendan has improved all of our players, the Griff done the Scotland away in Croatia pre-Brendan
Disaster.
LENNYBHOY
Former England international,plays for WBA