Scouting and international breaks

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Not all managers regard it as necessary to personally watch a player before signing him. Some are satisfied to trust their scouts, stats and video evidence.

That’s through necessity, though.  What chance of you of watching a late addition to your wanted list in the dying weeks of a window?  They would all prefer to see the player in person.

With two games a week, that is often impossible. This issue lead Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan to over rely on players they came up against in the SPL.

International breaks are, therefore, an oasis of opportunity.  This is when a manager can travel half the globe watching football, assessing multiple targets.

Ange Postecoglou now has free midweeks but he has used the February and March breaks to get ahead of the curve. Let’s hope wisely.

 

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276 Comments

  1. Jota should head to Ibrox on a high, his country is Qatar bound. Can he get into their squad during the next seven months and where best to play his football to achieve that ambition?

     

    A first team pick at Celtic or a squad filler at PortuWolves ?

  2. Just googled EPL fixtures. They are shutting down for 6 weeks during WC.

     

    If we happen to get there, I assume SPFL will do likewise. Even if we don’t, we could be without several key players for that period.

  3. Deniabhoy

     

     

    Radio Scot I was listening to covered Ben Doaks hattrick in u17 game.It was also relaying that nothing yet decided on his future so here is hoping he stays.

     

     

    It’s a decision to make.

     

     

    HH

  4. Google again to my rescue:

     

     

    “SPFL chiefs have confirmed the Scottish Premiership will go into a five-week shutdown next winter during the World Cup in Qatar.

     

     

    Top flight clubs will head for an extended break after the 16th round of fixtures on November 12/13 and not return to action until the weekend before Christmas.

     

     

    The schedule means next season’s Premier Sports Cup Final will return to a later date with it being pushed back to February 26 and the semi-finals being held on January 14/15.

     

     

    The Scottish Cup Final meanwhile is expected to be delayed until June 3.

     

     

    It also means a hectic festive spell of fixtures, with top flights clubs playing five matches in 15 days between December 24 and January 7, including on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay with no January shutdown thereafter.”

  5. As far as internationals go – Juranovic, Starfelt, Taylor & CalMac not playing today is great for us.

     

     

    Hatate got 45 mins and O’Riley 20 mins. GG got 30 mins yesterday.

     

     

    We should be fresh for Sunday.

  6. With Cameroon leading 1-0 away in Algeria, tie finely balanced at 1-1, and away goals counting double, Morocco keeper with incredible double save after 70 minutes.

  7. WHAT IS THE STARZ

     

     

    How ye? Will you be over before seasons end?

     

     

    Hope all good and those other hoops are doing well

     

     

    HH

  8. Morocco up 4-0 on Congo. Mali make last of 5 subs while losing overall 1-0 at Tunisia, and Algeria- Cameroon may go to penalties. ( 1-1 aggregate after 83 minutes )

  9. Disney+ has moved on to be a streaming service just like Netflix it had to or it would have become irrelevant in the modern TV world

  10. Welsh, playing for the under 21s, went off with a suspected groin injury against Kazakhstan.

  11. Extra time in Algeria. Mahrez and Slimani always dangerous but Rigobert Song’s Cameroon playing well on hot humid evening.

  12. Deniabhoy

     

     

    My favourite place in Spain is Valencia, love the city, the Turia and the food

     

     

    Will need to see what your place is like the next time I’m over

  13. The distillers are so proud of their recent work in creating something which truly captures the dna of Celtic this year with a really special limited edition bottling of malt whisky.

     

     

    It’s a marriage of the finest aged scotch and Japanese single malt finished for a period and strongly influenced by top quality Australian red wine casks.

     

     

    A really unique expression inspired by Some of the key protagonists in a really unique revolution happening at Celtic Park this season. Hopefully it’s more Celtic fans than just whisky collectors and investors who are snapping them up.

  14. Ghana, Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia go to Qatar. Algeria- Cameroon fight for last African place.

  15. INIQUITOUSIV

     

     

    Do you have one of those home cinema basements with a wall covered in 12 90 inch screens to watch all these matches?

  16. EXPAT CELT

     

    I wish! I have a TV, 3 laptops and an Ipad. I also have Paramount Plus, ESPN Plus and Fubo TV.

     

    Between them, they have all the World Cup, CL, Europa League and Conference games. Japan was on at 6:30AM this morning, and the 5 South American games start at 7:30 PM, so they are well spaced out.

  17. AN TEARMANN

     

    Thanks for the article. I really hope Ange persuades Doak to stay. He actually earns more at Celtic than he would get for 18 months at Liverpool. Jackie MacNamara is his agent, so I wonder what advice he is getting?

  18. Might be a fever dream memory…but has Netflix not just finished it’s 1st true fully “adult” production?

  19. Iniquitousiv…hope is that Doak will stay and sign…not sure Liverpool offer him any easier route to 1st team professional football

     

     

    H.H.

  20. Cameroon player collapses with cramp. Ref doesn’t mess about. Orders him off the field for treatment, so that time is not wasted.

  21. Another sub required by Cameroon. That’s all 5 used, but they are hanging on, camped in their own half with 7 minutes to go. Crowd whistling constantly.

  22. And the crowd goes wild…not that I care…unless you’ve seen any player that can do it for Celtic