Russia/Eng and Georgia/Scotland thread

[AndrewT]

Assuming that the result stays as it is, what does this mean for Scotland? I think if they win against Italy are they still through?

Yep, so they're still in a better position than England as it's all in their own hands.

Who cares about football any more anyway - surely we're all about the rugby now?

[Graham C]

Chocks away, rugger it is old boy

Up the England!

[kinboshi]

Chocks away, rugger it is old boy

Up the England!

Rah rah, hurrah!!!

[boldie]

Chocks away, rugger it is old boy

Up the England!

Rah rah, hurrah!!!

More Tea, anyone?

[thetank]

I love two things tonight.

#1 Mcleish's tactics.The big picture he sees, the risky gambit he's going for.

He's told the Scotland team to lowball their performance tonight. He's told them to go out there and get gubbed.

Think about it, two choices.

Home game against the World champs with only a point needed to qulaify
The I-Thais going at us full throttle from seconds after kick off.
Coming off seven consecutive wins and the whole country/popular media expecting us to qualify.

or...

Home game against the World champs with a win needed. (only one little goal between a win and a draw)
The I-Thais playing negative football, and still pissing themselves laughing at our performance in Georgia at kick off. They don't really get going until McFadden pops make it 1-0 early in the second half.
Coming off a humiliating drubbing against some Georgian cub-scouts, nobody expecting anything, certainly no pressure or expectation being laid on by the media. The boys are  free to do their thing.

Before tonight, even the most cynical supporter started to believe, and then it was all taken away.
If we pull it off, it just means the post qulifico celebrations will be five times what they would have been if we won tonight and nil nilled at Hampden.
McLeish's gamble of deliberately blowing tonights game (what a good actor he is, he looked genuinely upset) is certainly a +EBV desicion (expected banter value) as he had the pot odds.
 

#2

Diceman starting consecutive paragraphs with "thanks." That means he's pissed.

Why I derive pleasure from this? It's not a matter that I intend to debate. I'm going to log off and get pissed.

[ACE2M]

rugby and rowing only from now on....

[Benny Brox]

Aye totally outplayed by Georgia tonight, they were first to every ball. Don't mind McLeish's tactics we really needed to win - a draw was as good as a defeat - but the players especially the midfield were awful. Not sure why Eck didn't replace Pearson & Miller at half-time, by far the worst two players of the last two games - they were mince against Ukraine as well.

Plus the referee was awful, for both sides - gave free-kicks to us when they were soft and the challenge on McFadden when the ref was only 2 yards away was one of the worst decisions I've seen in ages. Has no-one told this guy the war is over!!! Only joking.

Anyway better going up against the Italians needing to win - they only need a draw so they should sit back a bit more so Cafu, I mean Hutton, can run right at them. Come on Scotland!!!!

[Indestructable]

Personally I prefer a game of Shinty. 

[Bazzaboy]

Were either of the results really a surprise??  England had injury problems and their away form under McLaren has been poor, whilst Russia are no mugs.  With Scotland aside from the freak results against France, whilst the results have been good the performances have been pretty ordinary.  Ukraine passed us off the park at the weekend, however we stole the game with 2 set-pieces in the first ten mins.  We also struggled at home against both Georgia and Lithuania, being outplayed for lengthy spells in both matches and relying on a last min goal to beat Georgia at home.  We were also missing 4 first starters through injury and suspension and the squad is not strong enough to cope.  That coupled with the annoying Scottish trait of losing when they are expected to win meant that I wasn't surprised by tonights result. That aside we have performed with credit to still be in with a chance of qualifying going into the last game, I'm sure every Scottish fan would have taken that before a ball was kicked.

[matt674]

some of us predicted it on saturday.............

 

[doubleup]

Personally I prefer a game of Shinty. 

I'm watching.....


Though I think the result is probably irrelevant - if we can't win a home game against anyone when we have to, then we don't deserve to go to the finals.

[Nem]

lolointernationalfootball

Club football is back next Saturday

[steeley68]

Well, I've booked 2 caravans in Austria for me, 5 dads and 8 kids and we are going to have a great time at Euro 2008. That'll be the Jagsfan in me - we can still do it!!!

[dan]

lolointernationalfootball

Club football is back next Saturday

 

[brad.strider]

lolointernationalfootball

Club football is back next Saturday

The Truth