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embow · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:28 pm Post subject: v Croatia

Normal service being resumed in terms of not taking umpteen chances, as well as just lacking the wee bit of quality needed at this level.
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Wolfman Jack · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:49 pm Post subject:

Level now, c'mon lads.
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Hope he's got plenty Rovers action to comment on tonight....

red zebra · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:41 pm Post subject:

Always the world cup................
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embow · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:45 pm Post subject:

Totally thunderous mediocrity!
Just lacking so many basic skills at this level.
I panned them after the Czech game for being out of their depth. This is even worse tonight.
I asked the question after the England game if they could handle continental skills after a British type game. The answer is there for all to see.
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Northern_Rover · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 2666 Location: Granite City

Outclassed. Game turned on the overhyped McGinn miss which was a tap in. Instead of 2-1 us and a huge swing in momentum with the crowd Modric shows real quality to kill the game.

Deservedly bottom of the group this is our level. Depressing.

StarksBarmy · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 3779

Sad performance.

Sure, Croatia are a tidy side who keep the ball well but that was made easy for them by our defence standing watching them knock it around. Jeez, where was the passion of just a few nights ago? In their faces, not giving them a second, sticking a boot in...

Not sure how given the occasion but looked like a lack of belief, lack of desire and unfortunately, several of our guys, lack of ability.

Was an average group, playing two of the games at home but we let ourselves down in the two defeats, can’t see either of Czechs or Croatia going much further

CALDERON · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 1714 Location: Aberdeenshire

A really disappointing evening to sum up a really disappointing campaign.

Regardless of the quality of opposition, we have had 2 home games at Hampden, with a chance to qualify in 3rd place in a 4 team group. We lost those games 5-1 on aggregate, and didn't come close to qualifying.

They are a young team etc, but I'm not overly onboard with the "pride" element that I heard on the radio last night. Other than the England game (where we were excellent), I think the team underperformed and let themselves down a bit.

That said, a quality centre forward makes all the difference in these types of tournaments. Even when you aren't playing well, someone who can nick a goal when it matters. Get a goal when you aren't playing well etc. I'm a bit disappointed we didn't see a bit more of Nisbet to be honest. Granted, I'm not sure he is international quality yet, but Dykes certainly isn't.

There is a lot to work on. If i'm being kind, I would say that its given a young side some international tournament experience. However, I can't help shake this feeling of "how far have we really come".

stan drew rover · Joined: 05 Jun 2017 Posts: 769 Location: Work it out!

To debate Calderon's point, I think we have come a long way over the past couple of years. However, we had been so far behind that the journey is, at best, only half complete now.

As everyone else is saying, the performance against England had us hoping against hope - but last night we 'reverted to type'. After a strong opening 15mins (passed well, switched play well, created 2 good chances), we gave away a simple goal, equalised against the run of play, and then were never at the races in the second half, allowing the Croats even more possession and then giving them the ball back almost immediately any time we won it. In other words, the impetus and positivity we started with evaoprated as soon as we went behind.

What now? Try to build on the positives of having a group of young players with potential, another two years trying to play properly might give the group enough confidence to keep at it during matches where we suffer set-backs.

Qatar 2022? Maybe. But 2024 Euros should see them mature enough to go a wee bit further....it's the hope that kills you.

Castle · Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 4773

Let's not forget that against England had John Stones header been six inches to the left we'd have probably been on the end of a defeat, possibly a crushing one. These are the fine margins that decide football games. Against both the Czechs and the Croats we had chances to score first and didn't take them. Again fine margins. With a bit of luck we could have made it through and having a bit more quality would be a massive help.
We were quick to congratulate ourselves for the performance against England and also quick to berate ourselves for our performances against the other two but all three games could have quite easily produced different results without the level of the performances being drastically different.
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CALDERON · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 1714 Location: Aberdeenshire

scotty · Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 8898 Location: Almost Dysart.

Disappointing end when we’d hoped and dreamed of so much more (us folks my age and older really should know better).
Whether or not the Coats are an ageing team or a side in transition we will find out in the next game or maybe more. Truth was the real damage was done in game one last Monday.

Individual errors, an inability to take our chances and the wrong tactics were our opening game undoing.
An heroic performance blighted by more missed opportunities were our undoing in London.
Last night was a repeat of the missed chances, poor defending and inability to adapt to a team being allowed to play to its strengths. This game was lost in midfield where we gave them too much time and space to pick passes.

To a degree Clarke was hamstrung by the loss of KT in game 1 and BG in game 3 but to my mind he made some other mistakes too.
Would have liked to see Turnbull get on last night as I think he could have offered something better than we got. Truly baffled that Christie (who I rate as a player) who’s had a dreadful season and Fraser who has missed 75% of the season through injuries both got game time yet Turnbull the Young SPL poty got none, he make have been that wee bit something different.
The Simple fact is that the side needs to find the pokey and unlucky near misses don’t butter no parsnips on the international stage.
On the plus side many players had good games and in Patterson, Tierney, Robertson, Hanley, McTomney, Gilmour, McGinn and Turnbull we have some hope. Add in the other 5 who played in the English top flight last season and IMO we have more reasons to be optimistic than otherwise.
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red zebra · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2021 4:33 pm Post subject:

No Scottish footballer needs any words of inspiration when they play England, it's a given that you leave it all out there. I therefore have my doubts regarding the motivational pre match talk in the other two games given we were so abject.
Very much a case of perspiration rather than inspiration.
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