Goalkeepers Neil Alexander (Cardiff City) Craig Gordon (Heart of Midlothian) Graeme Smith (Motherwell) Defenders Graham Alexander (Preston North End) Russell Anderson (Aberdeen) Gary Caldwell (Celtic) Christian Dailly (West Ham United) Stephen McManus (Celtic) Graeme Murty (Reading) Gary Naysmith (Everton) Robbie Neilson (Heart of Midlothian) Steven Pressley (Heart of Midlothian) David Weir (Everton) Midfield Darren Fletcher (Manchester United) Paul Hartley (Heart of Midlothian) Lee McCulloch (Wigan Athletic) Nigel Quashie (West Bromwich Albion) Scott Severin (Aberdeen) Gary Teale (Wigan Athletic) Forwards Kris Boyd (Rangers) James McFadden (Everton) Kenny Miller (Celtic) Garry O’Connor (Lokomotiv Moscow) Thank feck Neil McCann isn't in there. Maloney and Burke will be missed big time. And despite his club situation Webster should still be in there.
-----------Gordon------------------ Neilson---Pressley---Weir---Naysmith ---Hartley----Fletcher----Quashie--- --Teale-----------------McFadden--- -------------Boyd--------------- That's the team I'd go with against the Faroes, depending on how things go, possibley a little more defensive against Lithuania.
The help the aged 2 at centre half would be a disater IMO. Both are slower than a week in the jail. The younger legs of Anderson should be in alongside one of them. Probably Pressley as he is actually playing at the moment. Neilson has been shite this season i'm afraid to say. I'm disapointed McNaughton or Wilson don't get a look in but it has to be Murty or Alexander. Teale is shite as well, but there isn't really another option there. I'd rather see Faddy and Boyd as a front 2 and as much as I dislike McCulloch he may be the best option on the left. So i'd probably go with (for the Faroes game): ____________Gordon M/A___Pressley___Anderson__Naysmith Teale___Hartley___Fletcher___McCulloch _________Boyd___McFadden And for the Lithuania game: ____________Gordon ___Caldwell__Pressley___Anderson M/A________________________Naysmith ____Hartley__Fletcher__Quashie _________Boyd___McFadden
Why didnt wilson get a call up I wonder. He's been without doubt our best player so far this season, best defender at the club, even playing out of position.
I doubt their lack of pace will be exposed by the Faroes. Andy Webster is obviously going to be partnering Pressley when he gets back to playing with Wigan. I agree about Neilson this season but he had an outstanding season last season. RB is a bit a a problem position for us, I've never been convinced by McNaughton or Alexander but I think that Murty and Mark Wilson do deserve a go. I think the Faroes game would have been the ideal game to stick Wilson in and see how he does. I think Burke is our best right winger, I'm amazed that he isn't in the squad. Because we have no wingers and our best midfielders are all centre mids, I can't see us playing with a 4 in either game so it'll be 4-3-3 or 5-3-2. I don't mind McCulloch, although I would prefer Maloney, McCullosh scored a peach for Wigan on Saturday. I think Boyd and McFadden are must picks, wheather they're the front two or Boyd up on his own and Faddy on the left.
Wilson should definately have been given a call up, and more to the point, given our depth of cover for centre backs and not full backs, why the ******** was Stephen McManus is the squad?
Burke was injured by Fernando Ricksen in a friendly yesterday. I assume that's why he's not in the squad. I don't think McCulloch is that bad, it's more his presence in the team encourages a one dimensional game i.e. big punts up to the left wing. I don't like playing players outside their strongest position. That's why i'd like to see Faddy as a striker rather than out wide in a front 3.
Bit of a shame really. The players that would have got me excited about this squad are injured. Well hopefully big Boyd will play.
The reason I mentioned McNaughton is that we all know the potential he has and hes got of to a fantastic start down at Cardiff. We should definatley be keeping an eye on him.
Fair enough if he's playing well at Cardiff but I can't get excited about any player who plays in the English lower leagues. If a player is that good, generally bigger clubs come for him. Actually, I just remembered that Philip Bardsley is elligible for us. He's played quite a few gams for Man Utd, including Champions League and seems to have had a decent start at Rangers. Also it's his dad and not some long dead granny so the link to Scotland is not that tenous. Worth a pop?
Please, Aiden McGeady supports Celtic, owns at least two U2 albums and once attended mass. He's as Oirish as they come. Speaking of the poofy faced traitor, I notice that Ireland are only two places above of us in the World Rankings and dropping, with Smith in charge it won't be long before we're well ahead of them. I hope that <unt never gets to play at a major championship!
Alba has been added to the new Scotland strip. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/5282936.stm I'm feeling all misty eyed! I'm off to fight the English and maybe some Campbells!
Kris Boyd surely must start. Ok, he's far from the best all round player but give him a chance and he will score, 24 goals in 19 starts for Rangers - phenomenal.
aye thats likely considering hes been easily one of the best, if not the best, players in the country so far this season.
last i heard there were still 30,000 tickets available for the faroes game. can you still buy them in morrisons?
Faroese squad Jákup MIKKELSEN GK 43/-871995/2006 140870 B36, Tórshavn Meinhardt JOENSEN GK 0/0 2006/2006 271179 KÍ, Klaksvík Óli JOHANNESEN DF 78/1 1992/2006 060572 TB, Tvøroyri Vagnur MORTENSEN DF 1/0 2004/2006 100283 HB, Tórshavn Atli DANIELSEN DF 14/0 2003/2006 150883 KÍ, Klaksvík Janus JOENSEN DF 2/0 2006/2006 270581 HB, Tórshavn Hanus THORLEIFSSON MF 0/0 2006/2006 191285 B36, Tórshavn Fróði BENJAMINSEN MF 37/2 1999/2006 141277 B36, Tórshavn Jàkup á BORG MF 44/2 1998/2006 261079 HB, Tórshavn Kári NIELSEN MF 3/0 2004/2006 030381 HB, Tórshavn Rógvi JACOBSEN MF 37/6 1999/2006 050379 HB, Tórshavn Pauli HANSEN MF 2/0 2004/2006 090480 SKÁLA, Skála Bárður OLSEN MF 1/0 2006/2006 051285 EB/Streymur, Eiði Claus B. JØRGENSEN MF 10/1 2004/2006 270476 Coventry FC, England Hans Pauli SAMUELSEN MF 2/0 2006/2006 181084 EB/Streymur, Eiði Julian JOHNSSON MF 61/4 1995/2006 240275 B68, Toftir Símun SAMUELSEN MF/FW 4/1 2003/2006 210585 Keflavík, Ísland Jonhard FREDERIKSBERG FW 10/0 2003/2006 270880 SKÁLA, Skála Christian Høgni JACOBSEN FW 28/2 2001/2006 120580 NSÍ, Runavík The team is without Ingi Hojsted,Suni Olsen,Jon Roi Jacobsen,Andrew Av Flottum so it'll be a tough, tough game for the Faroese.
Jakup Mikklesen played for Partick thsitle for a very short time, Goalkeeper who could also play midfield if I remember correctly. He wasn't very good. Not heard of any of the rest, and as we're not playing on that pitch they make us play on over there we really should stuff them. Although Walter will still have us playing ultra defensive and we'll sneak a 1-0 with a goal on the break.
Agreed, play him up front alongside a "runner" (McFadden's a good shout) to do the hard work and Boyd will put the ball in the net. It never ceases to amaze me how readily Scottish fans look this gift horse in the mouth. We've been crying out for a goalscorer for ages but we're so reluctant to use one because he's not the next Luca Toni. We may never again have an all-round genius in a Scotland shirt so I don't think "accomodating" a one-dimensional player who scores goals is a massive sacrifice.
Incidentally, Weir will start as captain, a la Kirin Cup duty: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/5292876.stm
A few years back the Faroes only lost 2-1 in Aberdeen, but that team was much better then the current one. I still can't believe they lost 6-0 at home to Georgia.