Scotland -v- Italy

[Tord31]

I believed we could win this game today. Unfortunatly, I didn't think we would win it and so it proved. Whats hard to take is the way it all played out. Really proud of the players efforts though today and over the campaign.

 

To the game. Firstly, quite strange for a big game these days to get so many match deciding decisions wrong. Italy scored a valid goal at 1 nil - disallowed. Ferguson was offside - goal given. 'Foul' by Hutton on Chielini at the end was never a foul in a million years. It's very hard to take the match finishing like that.

 

When McFadden turned it on in the 75-85 minute period we looked so dangerous and either of the big chances at that stage being taken would have seen us through to the finals i am positive.

 

I started to believe we could qualify after the faroes and lithunia results at the start. However, when the draw was made I thought we had no chance and hoped we could climb into pot 3 for the next draw. The fact that we've moved up to pot 2 on merit is a huge bonus to take from the campaign, and claiming a play-off place would be the minimum we are looking for from the next campaign.

 

We have a very young squad so only players would be looking to leave out from the squad in September would be Alexander, Weir, Dailly. Spots for two centre halfs and a right back. Hopefully folk like Webster, Kennedy and Diamond in with a shout as opposed to Pressley. Who do you reckon should be the long-term replacement for Weir? My mate says Anderson but I reckon he's no chance.

 

Also, speculation will now be rife for the next 9 months that McLeish will take a premiership job. I don't really have any clue at this moment who would be a decent shout to replace McLeish.

 

So suggestions for long term successor to Weir and possible replacement for McLeish if he was to take the Wigan or similar premiership job???

[Guest El Padre]

I believed we could win this game today. Unfortunatly, I didn't think we would win it and so it proved. Whats hard to take is the way it all played out. Really proud of the players efforts though today and over the campaign.

 

To the game. Firstly, quite strange for a big game these days to get so many match deciding decisions wrong. Italy scored a valid goal at 1 nil - disallowed. Ferguson was offside - goal given. 'Foul' by Hutton on Chielini at the end was never a foul in a million years. It's very hard to take the match finishing like that.

 

When McFadden turned it on in the 75-85 minute period we looked so dangerous and either of the big chances at that stage being taken would have seen us through to the finals i am positive.

 

I started to believe we could qualify after the faroes and lithunia results at the start. However, when the draw was made I thought we had no chance and hoped we could climb into pot 3 for the next draw. The fact that we've moved up to pot 2 on merit is a huge bonus to take from the campaign, and claiming a play-off place would be the minimum we are looking for from the next campaign.

 

We have a very young squad so only players would be looking to leave out from the squad in September would be Alexander, Weir, Dailly. Spots for two centre halfs and a right back. Hopefully folk like Webster, Kennedy and Diamond in with a shout as opposed to Pressley. Who do you reckon should be the long-term replacement for Weir? My mate says Anderson but I reckon he's no chance.

 

Also, speculation will now be rife for the next 9 months that McLeish will take a premiership job. I don't really have any clue at this moment who would be a decent shout to replace McLeish.

 

So suggestions for long term successor to Weir and possible replacement for McLeish if he was to take the Wigan or similar premiership job???

 

The decisions balanced themselves out unfortunately for us. The team gave it a good go but it just wasn't our day.

 

As for a replacement for McLeish? I wouldn't be at all shocked if Calderwood was in the running for that one.

 

 

Tin hat now officially ON!

[johnstrac]

The worst of it is that the result in Georgia has bitten us on the a**e !

A great attempt and so much better than I thought we'd do when the draw was made but it brings home the lesson that all games count for 3 points, not just the "big" teams.

[BobbyBiscuit]

SCOTLAND IN ANTI-CLIMAX SHOCKER!

 

Piss poor defending/professionalism at the opener.

 

Unlucky Scotland, given it a good go.

[Tord31]

The decisions balanced themselves out unfortunately for us. The team gave it a good go but it just wasn't our day.

 

yep, agree with that.

 

As for a replacement for McLeish? I wouldn't be at all shocked if Calderwood was in the running for that one.

Tin hat now officially ON!

 

decent shout considering the candidates would be george graham, burley etc there aren't many people going about.

 

The worst of it is that the result in Georgia has bitten us on the a**e !

A great attempt and so much better than I thought we'd do when the draw was made but it brings home the lesson that all games count for 3 points, not just the "big" teams.

 

Missed our important players in Georgia. Brown and Hutton two of our better players were missing. Next campaign Brown has to play all the matches central midfield he is wasted out wide and is a far better player (on current form) than fletcher.

 

SCOTLAND IN ANTI-CLIMAX SHOCKER!

 

Piss poor defending/professionalism at the opener.

 

Unlucky Scotland, given it a good go.

 

Yep, it was frustrating that 3 or 4 players just sleeping at the first goal and caught out.

[K-9]

SCOTLAND IN ANTI-CLIMAX SHOCKER!

 

Piss poor defending/professionalism at the opener.

 

Unlucky Scotland, given it a good go.

Aye - if writing the script for another glorious Scotland failure you couldn't have written it much better than that!!

[Tommy]

Willie Miller remains highly rated by SFA.

 

But i reckon McLeish will be there for a while yet.

[E-P-K]

IMO , That ranks as one of the bitterest pills i have tasted, Last minute of last game to coincide with another last minute goal.

 

I can not blame the players, they played well.

 

But this may take some time to get over if other so called results go there way.

[Guest El Padre]

I am now currently listening to Arrivederci Roma by Perry Como.

[Dandyjam]

The ref was piss poor. How he could give Italy a free kick when Hutton was clearly barged over is beyond me. The sort of refereeing you expect in the SPL not in an Important International match!

[E-P-K]

The ref was piss poor. How he could give Italy a free kick when Hutton was clearly barged over is beyond me. The sort of refereeing you expect in the SPL not in an Important International match!

 

 

UEFA NEED countries like Italy and England at the finals, Allegedly.

[Dandyjam]

UEFA NEED countries like Italy and England at the finals, Allegedly.

 

Yeah. It's all a bit corrupt if you ask me. And I'll add allegedly at the end!

[Patty]

As I said to Mr. Tragicwaster, Uefa ensured their golden boys went through today!

[Guest El Padre]

Yeah. It's all a bit corrupt if you ask me. And I'll add allegedly at the end!

 

Despite the fact we had an offside goal given and they had an onside goal disallowed? It was bad refereeing, nothing more nothing less.

[Tommy]

Despite the fact we had an offside goal given and they had an onside goal disallowed? It was bad refereeing, nothing more nothing less.

 

 

Linesman/Linesmen were a joke

[RUL]

The posts here are absoloutley ridicolous, Scotland got two hugely favourable decisions and the officials made a mistake with the free kick.

 

Fletcher made a bigger c**k up by not bothering to mark his man

[davieb]

Linesman/Linesmen were a joke

 

I sat in the pub absorbing the aftermath, and observed the acceptance of what was a terrible result. Lets face it guys, we are the biggest f@ckin losers around, the "ach well we tried our best" attitude f@cks me off no end, we blew it, no excuses. The icing on the cake was the Israel result!!!

[Tord31]

watching the highlights for more misery.

 

we played so well its hard to take. italians are the masters of results football though

[Tord31]

i know he is a smelly dirty hun but how absolutly awesome is alan hutton. Total unbelievable transformation he was a bit part journeyman type player not so long ago. One of best full backs in europe this season anyway.

[BobbyBiscuit]

watching the highlights for more misery.

we played so well its hard to take. italians are the masters of results football though

 

Come on mate, that's just not true. Italy were comfortable, constantly.

[Tord31]

Come on mate, that's just not true. Italy were comfortable, constantly.

 

I wasn't really sober during the match. BBC have cut the highlights to make scotland look very very good. Much in the same way scotsport used to cut the highlights to make dons look gash.

[Tord31]

Come on mate, that's just not true. Italy were comfortable, constantly.

 

a couple of huttons runs were world class. McFadden created a couple of big chances with about 10 mins to go. and we had a load of corners. Was enough to make us look good on the highlights

[BobbyBiscuit]

a couple of huttons runs were world class. McFadden created a couple of big chances with about 10 mins to go. and we had a load of corners. Was enough to make us look good on the highlights

 

World class is a very ambigious term. Scotland were unlucky in not qualifying. Italy are the World Champions. There was only ever going to be one winner today, I'm afraid to say. Time for bed, I think.

[Tommy]

There was only ever going to be one winner today, I'm afraid to say. Time for bed, I think.

 

 

A bold statement given that it was 1-1 until that strange decision.

[BobbyBiscuit]

A bold statement given that it was 1-1 until that strange decision.

 

Yeah, and who won?

[OddJob]

Yeah, and who won?

The ref and linesman.

[Dandyjam]

Despite the fact we had an offside goal given and they had an onside goal disallowed? It was bad refereeing, nothing more nothing less.

 

Agree that the referee was poor and also the linesmen. But both the offside decisions were maginal. The free kick awarded against Hutton was just pure incompetance, probably more on the linesmans part as he was right next to it and it was so obvious it was a foul on Hutton.

 

Nothing we can do about it now though. Another glorious failure to add to the growing list. In the second pot of seeds for the World Cup draw which amazingly is a week tomorrow!

[BobbyBiscuit]

The ref and linesman.

 

It's tough, eh?

 

That's life.

[Tommy]

It's tough, eh?

 

That's life.

 

 

FFS you said you were off to bed

[BobbyBiscuit]

FFS you said you were off to bed

 

No, no, that was a friendly suggestion to Tord31!! I'm wide awake, in fact, I may well order a chinese and crack open a bottle of peroni...sorry, budweiser...