Gordon Strachan Not Selecting Afc Players

[Dmm1197]

It is utter disbelief that no Aberdeen player has been selected in the Scotland squad for these two friendlies.

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/blogs/why-jamie-is-more-than-a-match-for-fantastic-mr-fox-1.152266

Fox has kept 1 clean sheet this season whereas Jamie Langfield has kept 9, yet Fox according to Gordon Strachan deserves a call up more than Langfield. Also surely Mark Reynolds, Ryan Jack etc should be getting picked in the Scotland squad especially for friendlies, so that they can gain experience and Strachan can see what other options are there other than the usual crap.

[360]

Drivel

[zander]

I'd rather our players didn't play in pointless games and risk injury.

[tup]

Both him and McGhee hate us.

[Ke1t]

Long may it continue that our players are ignored by their countries' international federations.

 

On a side note, why are you utterly disbeliefed that Scotland ignores Dons players?

 

Aside from a period in the 80s when the Scotland setup was more or less forced to pick two or three players from the Dons squad, this has always been the case.

 

I advise you to cross your fingers that Dons players don;t go on international duty, because when they get injured or demotivated it's AFC that has to deal with the repercussions.

[dave_min]

It is utter disbelief that no Aberdeen player has been selected in the Scotland squad for these two friendlies.

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/blogs/why-jamie-is-more-than-a-match-for-fantastic-mr-fox-1.152266

Fox has kept 1 clean sheet this season whereas Jamie Langfield has kept 9, yet Fox according to Gordon Strachan deserves a call up more than Langfield. Also surely Mark Reynolds, Ryan Jack etc should be getting picked in the Scotland squad especially for friendlies, so that they can gain experience and Strachan can see what other options are there other than the usual crap.

 

Nope.

[Bamber]

much as I hate to agree with tup - well half agree - I do wonder how much of an influence McGhee has on selection as he does seem quite bitter about his time at Aberdeen.

 

That said our defensive record doesn't stand up as well as we might believe

 

We are 4th in GD

St Johnstone have more clean sheets

We are 5th in goals against at home

Joint top in Goals against away

Joint 2nd with three other teams for goals against overall

We are 5th in goals scored

 

(btw remove hearts who are responsible for 45% of our goals against and we move well up these lists)

 

look at Dundee untied scored more than us, conceded less than us - yet are three points behind us. we seem to be getting better results which is perhaps the important stat - so maybe we aren't playing better than Dundee united but just doing better.

 

And then look at our defence 5 scots 1 youngster long term injured, 2 well into their 30's

 

So though the Originator may be well founded and there may be some criticism to level - are we actually THAT good and are in a bit of a false position?

[Ke1t]

I can't see any real reason not to add someone like Jack to the squad, just to see how an emerging talent handles full international pressure. But he's completely blanked.

 

But then an ageing Hun like Boyd, someone whose 'abilities' are known inside and out, and who is in no way 'one for the future' and in need of evaluation DOES get brought in.

 

Either the Scotland setup is full of morons, or it's full of west coast scum with a loathing for Aberdeen.

 

Actually,it's not an either or situation, it's both.

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

Only play who deserved a call up at the moment is Reynolds. Wouldn't say he should be a definite inclusion.

 

Basically, OP, you are talking shite.

[fine-n-dandy]

I'd agree regarding Jack & Reynolds obviously but this Clangers for Scotland drivel is just pathetic.

 

One Great save this season (Hearts at home) & a couple of good stops but stops that he'd have been rightly slaughtered for had he not stopped them.

 

Clangers has not earned another call up. Far from it.

 

I'm happy we're not risking sending our players away for games at such a crucial time of the season anyway & especially when we are missing a few with injuries now also

[Redstar]

Flood and McGinn are both Paddy's...no-one else in International standard...unfortunately

[Huntlysheep]

Strachan=Wank

McGhee=Arsehole

McColl=Hun

 

Fit do you expect. Fucking pricks.

[DD1903]

I love Huntltsheep's inputs.

[rossafc92]

Don't think Strachan would've needed to call up somebody like Jack for these latest games, as there's better more experienced options available to him in that position.

 

The one player who I really do think is deserving of a call up is Mark Reynolds. It's a shame that last week we had McGhee talking to the press saying he's hoping Steven Caulker decides to switch allegiance to Scotland rather than actually looking to centre backs whose allegiance you don't need to worry about.

 

Considine I felt was maybe close to a call up before his injury, but he'll have to be playing consistently for a while before he's considered again.

 

As for the McGhee factor, I reckon that has some part to play with regards to players who were here during his time as manager. Doesn't explain Reynolds though - wasn't McGhee at 'Well when they rejected a bid from the Huns for him?

[dervish]

Well he's getting us prepared for the next round of qualifying by calling up such young, professional, committed, deserving, who'd never turn their back on the team and most importantly non-huns to play up front for us in such friendly match. Oh wait.

 

Least he's good a good solid foundation at the back for the coming years in folk like Gordon Greer. Oh wait.

 

Well sticks to his guns about his players needing to be showing form for their clubs like Alan Hutton? Oh wait.

 

To be honest like a lot that he has done but fuck.

[buchanskii]

I love Huntltsheep's inputs.

 

Agreed.

 

His analysis is always bang on the money and his honest opinions are eloquently put.

[Ke1t]

Don't think Strachan would've needed to call up somebody like Jack for these latest games, as there's better more experienced options available to him in that position.

 

The one player who I really do think is deserving of a call up is Mark Reynolds. It's a shame that last week we had McGhee talking to the press saying he's hoping Steven Caulker decides to switch allegiance to Scotland rather than actually looking to centre backs whose allegiance you don't need to worry about.

 

Considine I felt was maybe close to a call up before his injury, but he'll have to be playing consistently for a while before he's considered again.

 

As for the McGhee factor, I reckon that has some part to play with regards to players who were here during his time as manager. Doesn't explain Reynolds though - wasn't McGhee at 'Well when they rejected a bid from the Huns for him?

 

Disagree entirely.

 

Friendly games are the perfect time to bring in U21 regulars like Jack, to get them ready for the step up to full international...

 

Friendly games are hardly the time to be playing ageing players whose shelf life likely won't extend beyond the next couple of years at best.

 

I get the impression Strachan is sacrificing long term development for short term results that will boost his own value in the game.

[forbesz1903]

much as I hate to agree with tup - well half agree - I do wonder how much of an influence McGhee has on selection as he does seem quite bitter about his time at Aberdeen.

 

That said our defensive record doesn't stand up as well as we might believe

 

We are 4th in GD

St Johnstone have more clean sheets

We are 5th in goals against at home

Joint top in Goals against away

Joint 2nd with three other teams for goals against overall

We are 5th in goals scored

 

(btw remove hearts who are responsible for 45% of our goals against and we move well up these lists)

 

look at Dundee untied scored more than us, conceded less than us - yet are three points behind us. we seem to be getting better results which is perhaps the important stat - so maybe we aren't playing better than Dundee united but just doing better.

 

And then look at our defence 5 scots 1 youngster long term injured, 2 well into their 30's

 

So though the Originator may be well founded and there may be some criticism to level - are we actually THAT good and are in a bit of a false position?

 

statistics, Mini Skirts.

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

 

Disagree entirely.

 

Friendly games are the perfect time to bring in U21 regulars like Jack, to get them ready for the step up to full international...

 

Friendly games are hardly the time to be playing ageing players whose shelf life likely won't extend beyond the next couple of years at best.

 

I get the impression Strachan is sacrificing long term development for short term results that will boost his own value in the game.

 

He's called up Stuart Armstrong.There's no bias against Aberdeen our players just aren't that great.

[fine-n-dandy]

As long as friendlies count towards ranking points then they are not meaningless.

I completely disagree with friendlies counting in this manner seen as most teams field lesser teams in them but that is the very reason that they count towards ranking points. To try & encourage teams to field a "competitive" side.

 

Norway are a great example of a Country taking full advantage of their friendlies to shoot up the ranking tables. Although they have now dropped back down bellow us in this recent qualifying campaign.

 

We need a win or draw at least to stay in & around the 30's in the ranking system.

As of Oct 17th

We were ranked 35 & Norway were 47. (they since lost to Denmark ranked 26)

USA are/were 13 & the table is next updated on Nov 28th

[Ke1t]

 

He's called up Stuart Armstrong.There's no bias against Aberdeen our players just aren't that great.

 

Stuart Armstrong isn't an Aberdeen player, so picking him or not isn't really for or against the anti-Aberdeen bias argument.

 

The history of pitifully few caps for Aberdeen players, players who were great, very much indicates an anti-Aberdeen bias, though the bias is more widespread in terms of who does and doesn't get picked for Scotland.

 

But, yeah, there's definitely a bias towards and against certain clubs, but to call it a purely anti-Aberdeen bias would be wrong.

 

Ryan Jack has been good enough to pick up a fair number of U21 caps, is a regular for an Aberdeen team that has been competing at the top of the table this season, and is exactly the kind of player that the International set up should be looking to bring through to the full squad.

[REDRUM]

 

Stuart Armstrong isn't an Aberdeen player, so picking him or not isn't really for or against the anti-Aberdeen bias argument.

 

The history of pitifully few caps for Aberdeen players, players who were great, very much indicates an anti-Aberdeen bias, though the bias is more widespread in terms of who does and doesn't get picked for Scotland.

 

But, yeah, there's definitely a bias towards and against certain clubs, but to call it a purely anti-Aberdeen bias would be wrong.

 

Ryan Jack has been good enough to pick up a fair number of U21 caps, is a regular for an Aberdeen team that has been competing at the top of the table this season, and is exactly the kind of player that the International set up should be looking to bring through to the full squad.

 

 

Correct. Meaningless friendly´s are just that. Meaningless. Which means youngsters should be brought in to give them the vital experience needed for that level.

 

It´s not anti-Aberdeen. It´s more or less out-with the ´used to be Old-firm´.

 

P.s Kris Boyd can suck my skinny little bell-end. A complete waste of a call-up by Strachan.

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

I think the bias is only on your end Kelt. I don't think Jack has shown enough to merit a call up. I was surprised when he was called up before... So there's hardly a bias against us.

 

A similar type of young promising player has been called up. There's not room for 2 so maybe next time for Jack.

 

In the last 20 years the only reason Old Firm players have been called up more often than Aberdeen players is mostly because they could afford the best Scottish players and we've been shit.

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

Fine n dandy, as always, raises a good point. Norway were in pot 1 for the last qualifying campaign on the basis of winning friendlies. So as much as I don't really care about tomorrow's game, there is a bit at stake in them

[Ke1t]

I think the bias is only on your end Kelt. I don't think Jack has shown enough to merit a call up. I was surprised when he was called up before... So there's hardly a bias against us.

 

In the last 20 years the only reason Old Firm players have been called up more often than Aberdeen players is mostly because they could afford the best Scottish players and we've been shit.

 

Keep in mind, I'm using the word bias not prejudice.

 

Of course there's a bias on my end, I support Aberdeen.

 

But there is definitely a bias, in fact I would call it prejudice, against East coast clubs in particular. As I've said, the sheer lack of caps for guys like McGhee, Black, Weir, McMaster, Grant, Glass, Jess, Booth and numerous other Aberdeen players who were at least as good as the Celtic or Rangers or lower league English players picked ahead of them, demonstrates that prejudice.

 

In recent years, however, with Milne running the club like a pub team, our players have barely risen above the standard of glorified 1st Division players... and I agree that few, if any, of our players should even have been playing for an SPL team, let alone the international set up.

 

However, when we HAVE had players of genuine skill they've been largely ignored in favour of Huns, Celtic players, often Hearts players, and English lower league jorneymen.

 

If you were to take the same player and place him in two teams, Celtic or Aberdeen, and they both played to exactly the same standard, the Celtic player would be chosen every single time, and that's why the players listed above won so few caps. It wasn't that they weren't very good players, it's because the Old Firm or Walsall had a player of similar, or in many cases clearly lesser ability, to that Aberdeen player.

 

That's the way it has been since I was a kid and started following fitba... it hasn;t and won't change.

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

Well. Even though I don't completely agree...

 

Here's a great example to back up your theory

 

James Forrest. He probably wouldn't even have any under 21 caps if he was at any other SPFL team. He's fucking shite. Would rather Ryan Fraser or Ryan Gauld any day.

[fine-n-dandy]

Fine n dandy, as always, raises a good point. Norway were in pot 1 for the last qualifying campaign on the basis of winning friendlies. So as much as I don't really care about tomorrow's game, there is a bit at stake in them

 

 

It's all the more important given that yet again we have failed to qualify & therefore miss out on the highest ranking points available in the world cup.

 

Yet again we'll have to struggle along on friendlies through next year earning lesser ranking points than all the sides in the world cup.

 

Friendlies are all the more important & Strachan needs to be very careful (& smart) in which ones he selects us to play in.

[DD1903]

 

Agreed.

 

His analysis is always bang on the money and his honest opinions are eloquently put.

He says what we are all thinking.

[Dandyesque]

 

 

It's all the more important given that yet again we have failed to qualify & therefore miss out on the highest ranking points available in the world cup.

 

Yet again we'll have to struggle along on friendlies through next year earning lesser ranking points than all the sides in the world cup.

 

Friendlies are all the more important & Strachan needs to be very careful (& smart) in which ones he selects us to play in.

 

Totally agree we should be looking to win these games.

 

Terrible defeats to the likes of Hungary at home have compounded our piss-poor ranking, making the next qualification campaign even harder, compounding our piss-poor ranking. We then allow all our "senior" (read Celtic and Rangers) players to rest in the friendlies, getting more shit results, compounding our piss-poor ranking.

 

We have finally started looking like a team that could hold its own in the Top 20 in the world - we can't afford to throw it away playing players that will never see a competitive match.

 

 

Jack has earned a chance if you ask me - mainly as a mainstay of a not-bad U21 team and a solid young pro with decent experience.

 

Unfortunately, this will count for fuck all when some experienced 6ft journey-man Connor Sammons his way into a EPL team in the twilight of his career.

 

It should be part of the Scotland Manager's job to encourage the development of the player and the game in general in Scotland.

 

Picking shit Englishmen does not achieve this - my main problem with them

[Rubinho Escocia]

I agree with Kelts point around sacrificing long term success for the short term and sale I think most of our managers have done this within my lifetime which is why I think we're in such a mess. Looking a Belgium and Croatia in our group and each team had teenagers in their squad or had star players that were capped as teenagers and it's the same across most teams across the world. I always think there's 2 issues with Scotland, 1 we don't produce the raw talent 2 we don't best use what we have. The 2nd point can be address by developing players into internationals at a young age and would help the club game here as those players play for Aberdeen, United, Hearts, Hibs, St Johnstone etc and would sell for more money.

 

Back on topic yep there is a bias against Aberdeen but there is a bias against young players in general and most of our players who could be considered potential internationals are young and leave when in the peak of their career. That said there are guys in the current Scotland squad who would be nowhere near our first team. Prime example Gordon Greer, and I can only assume Strachen has shares in Brighton given we keep enduring terrible Brighton players in the national team - Conway was dire and is past it, Greer never had it and the guy Bridcutt or whatever he was called that went around losing the ball and kicking people has a lot of convincing to do!