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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“The players are too wee…”
A psychologist would have a field day with WGS…
Moans about our players being too wee, and picks Barry Bannon
Oh well.
I wanted Scotland to qualify because if I was a football player, I would love to play in the World Cup Finals, and we have six, maybe seven, who could have done that.
And the experience of doing it, against the best in the world, on the big stage, would surely be a benefit to each of them.
But if Scotland had qualified, the knock-on effects to us would have been immense.
So, not too upset tonight. I’m sorry that our men don’t get the chance to go to the party. I would’ve loved seeing Broony, Tierney and Griff on that stage, especially. Armstrong would have made a name for himself too, as would CalMac.
But it’s no coincidence that WGS was reluctant to make our players the backbone of the Scotland side for the first half of the qualifiers, during which Scotland all but eliminated itself then, thanks to his U-turn in picking our players, results picked up.
It almost looks like the SFA, at the beginning of his tenure as Scotland coach, put a shot across WGS’s bows regarding the selection of Celtic players, then after Scotland’s terrible start to the campaign, they said feck it, pick who you want, we need the qualification money.
But that would imply stupidity, bullying, innate bigotry and self-serving greed on the part of the SFA.
And who could ever accuse them of that?
Leftbackagain 8.08pm
Where ?
“The Scotland Jersey Needs To Shrink To Fit Wee Players.”
We Scots are midgets GS
We need more genetically engineered crops err Scots copyright Gordon Strachan
Franciscus de Boer is available
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 7:32 PM
Tiara?????? Stuart! Predictive text.
————-
I know it was just predictive text, but Tiara Armstrong has a certain ring to it.
MURDOCHAULDANDHAY
Messi and Neymar,for instance,seem to have made it despite their lack of height. Maybe WGS has been on the Kestrel.
Haven’t heard the press conference but if Gordon has used the “wee” word as an excuse he should have a rest, a wee Gordon Strachan scored in Mexico at an actual World Cup
Wee man stop digging
Gary Caldwell – failed at EFL Chesterfield – bottom of the 4th tier – worth a punt
Is that dick, Campbell extant?
Norn Irn Huns sing cheer up Gordon Strachan – and a sad FB anaw….He’ll do for me.
Carlo Ancelotti is also looking for a new gig.
As much as I am a club before Country man,tonight I feel for our Bhoys who will be gutted.
Why not approach John (?) O’Neill if the black North don’t qualify?
WGS won’t walk, he is too thrawn, he will need to be pushed, problem for the smsm is they know fine well that it has been Celtic players who got us to the brink of qualification, a hun manager and Celtic players, oil and water me thinks.
So what is the answer ?
Give the job to someone like Brendan Ro…….
Ashen faced Ron Knee for Scoddland foodbaw manager.
Neasden’s loss is Scotland’s gain.
TAL 8.22pm
Dropping wee yin off at school the other week I mentioned Norn Ire to a Belfast bhoy who now resides in Coatbridge, a very quiet and really nice bhoy, he bit my head off “there is no such place” from now on it’s the 6 counties when we speak :-)
Andy Roxborough or Craig Brown
Just another oompa lumpa dippety day being Scottish ..
Bring on the hurting , hungry Bayern, some real football to get the juices flowing!
A well at least one Celtic player is definitely going to Russia for the World cup
https://twitter.com/Cris_GamboaCR/status/917108324147097600
I’ve a strange relationship with the country of my birth.
My Dad always said he wouldn’t draw the blinds to watch Scotland play in the back garden.
Growing up I associated The Scottish team with a Rangers dominated support, who booed Celtic players.That put me off.
As the years have went on I’ve mellowed a bit, would have loved WGS to qualify .
He did a great job for us, whilst reducing the player budget.
Whilst I feel sorry for the players and Gordon not qualifying, it certainly won’t give me a sleepless night like any Celtic defeat does.
HH
Not many Sevconians nowadays seem to support Scotland
TET 8.27pm
Brendan Ro
Has a legacy to build
But I can assure you he would have got Scotland to at least 2nd place, probably if BR was in charge Engurlund would be facing a play off
Mike in Toronto if lurking, I was selecting England until you mentioned it the other night so I tried to be smart (which never works) and took Denmark ….. best of luck to all the LMSers still standing, MIT has played me at my own game :-)
Hi Bhoys
I thinkk the recent great spanish team had a midfield of xavi,iniesta,david silva and fabregas don’t think there are any giants in there,
KEEP THE FAITH
WGS
Is ok
Should we give it to
The cardigan or mcleish
Couple of fuds
HH
Neilbhoy & Ernie record holders of quickest post deleted:))))))
Burghbhoy 8.36om
Celtic is your family
Scotland are the in-laws you want to do well but if they don’t that’s it
The older am getting the more I want Scotland to win but it’s nothing like the love of Celtic
It’s a totally different sport
Leave the Huns to hate Strachan, we have to find our own way to dismantle the SFA.
Gerry – North of Ireland , surely :-)
LEFTCLICKTIC on 8TH OCTOBER 2017 8:43 PM
Bizarre.
GFTB
Couldn’t have put it better masel !!!
HH to u sir
TAL
How are u bro?
Gerryfaethebrig,
Can’t believe you fell for the bluff from the lawyer in Canadia.
Shame on you :-)))
Wanted Scotland to qualify for a few reasons no least of which to get my sons off my case.
Couple of positives
Regan in the spotlight for another failure – financial pressures on ftsfa
Celtic players free for next years CL prelims
Thought WGS was a terrific Celtic manager, achieving well beyond his given means.
Tonight, though – and partially Thursday – he blew it, falling into the Scoddish Meeja HUN trap like a desperate ingenue.
You want to WIN in Europe? PLAY your players who compete at the top regularly.
i.e Forrest. McGregor.
Scotland pumped Lithuania with 6/7 Tims in the team.
Tonight: 3.
One, the goalie, another played criminally out of position to accomodate Liverpool’s SECOND string left-back. And thirdly, Sparky, who did his job with real passion; one of the few who looked like they cared at full-time; someone who wanted a World Cup appearance on his legacy.
KT destroyed Anderlecht down the left, agonised Man City last season.
Strachan? Blind to anytihng but the EPL.
I always had a lot of respect for the wee man, but tonight he chucked it; knowingly, willfully. Like every IDIOT before him who refused to play the in-form Celtic players.
Hell mend him, F### off.
No matter what people think of GS. He got Celtic & seen the preducies. Good enough for me.
Yes he was loyal…but he was never a risk taker.
HH
The huns will be playing at Hampden by next Christmas………..
Wan guid turn deserves anurra.
Aye!
TAL
Only going by my fellow Celtic fan who didn’t appreciate me saying north of Ireland, again, like you that’s what I thought …. my ignorance follows me daily :-)
Batten Bhoy am an easy catch, MIT will love the fact I failed (for now)
Burghbhoy
All good here, hope all is well with your mob, a bit gutted as I was hoping Celtic, I mean Scotland would get to a major tournament, it’s so obvious the less Celtic players playing the worse we do …… Leigh Griffiths has scored 5 in 9 games but didn’t play the first 3 or 4 ….. it’s not rocket science
Burghbhoy loving your posts on your way to Celtic park
Hail Hail
Hope ”wee” Griff’s alright..
Seriously .. Looked like he took a sore one!