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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Dissapointed for Scotland. I always hope they do well.
Stivs –
for the most part the songs are cring-making – Singin’ Kettle stuff……..”Comin’ roon the mountain” – the worst.
*cringe*
QUONNO
Can I not say Strachan is a poor manager unless I can name someone who is likely to do better?
ITALIABHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 7:27 PM
Saint Stivs – because by waving SNP flags they are introducing politics into football, when one of the SNP’s main policies in the criminalising of football fans for displaying political opinions they don’t like.
The hypocrisy is breath-taking.
————-
i find it hard to link flag waving supporters expressing their politics with flags, to your level of outrage.
who gives a flying flup.
let the people sing. and wave their flags, all they want.
we let the fascists do it every week, so hey hum.
Disappointed again. Not only the fact that we didn’t make the playoffs, but that we didn’t even have the ‘glorious failure’ that has happened before.
WGS sent his team out to try and sneak a win against a less than average Team. He abandoned the tactics, and tonight, the principles that got us back into the group. Admittedly, two of his most important players were missing for the last two games, but instead of replacing them with young, dynamic, skillful players, he went back to the players who got us in a mess in the first place.
Losing is ok, providing you learn from it. Strachan obvioulsy didn’t learn, and he should move on.
Who his replacement will be should strike fear into anyone who hopes Scotland can move on. I can honestly see the fat gardener being touted for the job, or, as previously mentioned, David Moyes. God help us.
FTSFA.
Strachan got it all wrong. His stubbornness has cost him and Scotland. As I alluded to the other day, Celtic players are selected only when it’s forced on them. Hell mend them.
How on earth could he start with 2 forwards, and no high press, twat.
Not too bothered as it means Celtic players can concentrate on all things Celtic.
KINGLuBO
Good to know the Tartan Army support the SNP.
They deserve each other.
PHILBHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 7:36 PM
QUONNO
Can I not say Strachan is a poor manager unless I can name someone who is likely to do better?
You surely can in the same fashion that I can ask who will do better.
I don’t care if Moyes, McLeish, Smith et al get the Scotland managers gig.
It will still mean the Celtic players will get a proper rest in the summer.
why the feck dont they bing flower of scotland. have to switch off every time. when i was a kid it was always scotland the brave a bit of passion ffs.
QUONNO
With the players we’ve got.
I canny think of anyone!
:-(
Now I hope Norn Earlan get stuffed by the Norwegians
Night all!
One other thing.
Well done Engurland. ;-)
Ern I know quite a few of the Tartan Army who share your distaste for the SNP. Where is your evidence for your statement or is just your opinion? H H Hebcelt
Now time for Celtic to play hardball.
No nonsense of Celtic players being dragged around to play in warm up games for sides who have qualified.
The important game is tomorrow night
Quonno
In Gordon Strachan and who could do better
Maybe a manager who will select the players on form, he selected Callum & John McG with no intention of playing them, which is fair enough but Barry Bannan & Matt Phiilips… and the last two games he has subbed KT, why not take off Robertson and play our best left back in his proper position, as for wee Gordon …. you reap what you sow …. he relied upon Anya, Snodgrass & Fletcher as his 3 subs, sometimes if you need championship players you get championship results (and two of them hardly play every week)
I would have Jim McIntyre before Strachan any day of the week as scotland manager.
Elbows is a shoe in
I don’t agree Scotland are not good enough, I would put a hefty wager Brendan Rodgers would have comfortably finished second in that group with the players available to him.
Gordon Strachan who I like as a person and who I respect for his Celtic achievements has cost Scotland big time, we actually nearly qualified despite his horrendous decisions.
We start the group and are struggling big time with the players he finished tonight with.
Bannan, both Fletchers,Phillips and Anya,Snodgrass, who have played no football for their clubs.
He then picks a Celtic core and results improve to the point he needs just one win, then goes back to the players he failed with.
We have two games within 60 odd hours off each other yet plays the same players in midfield with a 36 year old and players who lack energy and drive, while ignoring two midfield players who are full of those qualities.
Fresh legs in the middle and Scotland would have made the playoffs.
He leaves Griffiths our biggest threat isolated after Scotland lose a goal, when we now need to score another goal.
Strachan deserves every bit of criticism that should come his way.
Remember this was a manager who wouldn’t play Griffiths who had scored 40 goals in a season.
His reason was that Griffiths wasn’t good enough defensively at set plays, I mean WTF.
Bully Davies for the job.
Do people have to actually enlist in the Tartan Army?
If so, do they have to be at least 18?
Coisty must be in with a shout.
Strachan replacement?
Pressley, or similarly young manager who will build the team around the core of Celtic players and play the best of young domestic players ahead of journeyman from the Championship down south or the EPL benches.
I make no defence of Strachan.
Having said that, in terms of qualifying it is twenty years since anyone did any better.
And there is nothing to suggest that it will not be another twenty years before Scotland qualify.
The harsh truth is that in footballing terms, Scotland is dross.
SID on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 7:50 PM
He had his favourites as Celtic manager too. It wasn’t always for the best.
Just popping on to say glad Scotland are out been cheated for over a hundred years for me it’s Celtic first and Celtic only . Over on monkey media they are already blaming Celtic players
Ernie 7.53pm
Paul Telfer ?
I think Paul Telfer was excellent for us
Strachan press conference just started, apparently it’s down to genetics, we’re too wee so have to work harder.
GERRYFAETHEBRIG spot on.
Howz about “Boaby” Williamson?
Qonno,
This was an eminently qualifiable group. Only one decent team in it – England – and they are pretty rank.
Right from the start 2nd was a real possibility but WGS blew it, and as others have stated, his stubbornness really shone through.
The next Scotland manager, if he is to succeed, will look to select his core 5-6 starters from the current Celtic team. And play with a bit more invention. As a poster above says, an EFL attitude will get you EFL results.
There are numerous candidates from the SFA old boys’ network currently unemployed. Davies, McLeish, Elbows, McCoist, Walter… they could do worse than look at Celtic – break the bank for a genuinely brilliant coach. Whether a top calibre person would want to work at Hampden though, is debatable…
Strachan press conference bizarre,but then again…………
WGS reckons the players are the biz. It’s odwn to being Scottish. We’re too wee. Utter drivel. The players are his pals, says he.
Ian McCall………….?
Sam Allardyce could do a job.