Scotland - World Cup 2002 Comments

[McBeaty]

OK...(Sorry this is a 'little' long, but please read and comment)

There is actually a lot we can learn from England's failure in Euro 2000 (stifled laugh)...

For any of you who watched last night's Spain v. Yugoslavia & Holland v. France games, you know doubt will be thinking the same as I...

England showed that there IS a gulf in STRATEGIC & TACTICAL maturity between the (forgive the title) 'British' teams (sorry) and the rest of the world.

TACTICALLY there IS a great deal of naivety and amaturness about the 'British' game compared to Europe and some South American teams...Although it has to be said that even the 'small' teams - Portugal and Turkey (and even Slovenia) - show that the overall world standard in International Football is rising FASTER than we can keep pace in this country.

STRATEGICALLY we have also shown a consistent short sightedness in how we bring through youngsters and the way fledgling footy is organised. Also the INVESTMENT or 'RAINY DAY' strategy of National teams has been chaotic or non-existent, with most managers never looking beyond the next tournament...

In this, however, I think (IMHO) that Craig Brown HAS shown a little more foresight than his English counterparts. (The 'layoff' period while we have been out of Euro 2000 actually working in our favour in comparison to the English).

Having said all this we still have one vital other area above tactics and strategies to worry about - this being the principal lesson of Euro 2000 thus far...

ANY INTERNATIONAL TEAM MUST NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO SCORE MULTIPLE GOALS, BUT HAVE THAT INHERANT STRENGTH OF WILL TO COME BACK FROM BEHIND!

(Sorry to shout - but I think this is important)...

The days of the 1-0 win, or the 1-1 draw (hoping that other teams will do us a favour in our group) ARE OVER!

England proved this...It is now WIN OR DIE! Even in the earliest stages. And just look at the group results to see how many of the qualifiers came back again and again after being in loosing positions to show the 'wills of steel' that are instilled in the better teams.

Portugal has done it, Yugoslavia has done it, Spain has done it, Holland has done it - they have ALL shown that THEY CAN SCORE - and that they can SCORE AGAIN AND AGAIN!

The upshot of this....

Scotland can NO LONGER mess up it's matches with those 'outsider' teams we always seem to have trouble with...We have been patient and supportive of Craig Brown and the team AND NOW IT'S PAY BACK TIME.

We want the Scotland team to show us that the 'long term' strategy they profess to follow IS working, by BEATING the arse off LATVIA & SAN MARINO in the first qualifying fixtures later this year.

...Further...A dismal 1-0 will NOT be good enough. We NEED to show we can score at least 2 clear goals over whatever these teams’ score to prove that they can hack it in today’s international climate.

If we can do this, then our first (semi) real trial will be when we meet CROATIA and BELGIUM later in this round...But I EXPECT no less than we beat them ALL if we are to go to the next World Cup with ANY realistic expectations of getting through the first rounds.

Here is what we need:

Latvia 0 - Scotland 2
Saturday, 2nd September, 2000

San Marino 0 - Scotland 3
Saturday, 7th October, 2000

Croatia 0/1 - Scotland 2
Wednesday, 11th October, 2000

Scotland 3 v. Belgium 1/2 (we MUST do this!)
Saturday, 24th March, 2001

Scotland 3 v. San Marino 0
Wednesday, 28th March, 2001

Scotland 2 v. Croatia 1
Saturday, 1st September, 2001

Belgium 2 v. Scotland 3
Wednesday, 5th September, 2001

Scotland 3 v. Latvia 0
Saturday, 6th October 2001

ANY INTERNATIONAL TEAM MUST NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO SCORE MULTIPLE GOALS, BUT HAVE THAT INHERANT STRENGTH OF WILL TO COME BACK FROM BEHIND!

So you didn't go to the Estonia - Scotland game? at Hearts?

Scotland score 13 goals in a qualifying group, I don't know what your on, but can I have some

[McBeaty]

Originally posted by madjock:
Scotland score 13 goals in a qualifying group, I don't know what your on, but can I have some

good point

But there agin I think I am really thinking about the up and coming tournament, taking into consideration what is going on in Euro 2000 - and Scotland's performance in the last World Cup.

I reserve my judgement, despite your responce, until Scotland meets Belgium and Croatia.

I think I am trying to make a point about consistency here...Perhaps I didn't make that clear, sorry. But we ALL know Scotland IS capable of beating the best - sadly though, we never quite live up to the promise when push comes to shove...

But thanks for the correction anyway....Oh and 'I'm on' tea.

two sugars please just a spot of milk

I think your right, we can't really rely on 1-0 backs to the wall victorys, the problem is I really don't know who's gonna score the goals for us. When Scotland go 1 up we have a mental block for going forward.

We really need a good start, if we don't have 12 points after the first 4 games I doubt we will qualify. I think the important games for us are the away games against the "smaller" teams where traditionaly we have slipped up. I was in the Faros!!

I suppose we'll qualify but I don't think we'll score 13, 1-0 victorys will do me, I'm already saving for Japan/Korea.

Cheers Al

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Stand up if you hate England...

[McBeaty]

Originally posted by madjock:
...I suppose we'll qualify but I don't think we'll score 13, 1-0 victorys will do me, I'm already saving for Japan/Korea.

Cheers Al

Really, if that's the way it must be, I'm in two minds whether I want us to qualify...

Can I be the only Scot here that's suffering from 'shell shock' after year upon year of qualifying for stuff then getting booted out after the first round?

Honestly, part of the reason I am enjoying Euro 2000 so much is because we're not there. For once I have been able to lay back and relax (and enjoy the sight of England being booted out)...I mean, look at my English mate now, now that England are out they have completely lost interest in the tournament - and as a consequence missed the BRILLIANT Spain v. Yugoslavia game.

So in my book, we either qualify for the next World Cup as a REALISTIC CHALLENGER by scoring some convincing victories (particularly over Belgium)...Or we pack up now...Because it will be the 'same old' otherwise.

You may think I am being a little unpatriotic here, but as my English mates pointed out after the England loss against Romania...These guys are PAID to do a job, and if they aren't doing it then we have a right to complain - it's the only way they will revise thier strategies.



[This message has been edited by McBeaty (edited 27 June 2000).]

McBeaty nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be in Japan/Korea with a realistic hope of doing well, but I know that's never going to happen. It's well known fact that Craig Brown once said "We'll never win the World Cup", he's right, maybe a good run is all we can hope for. Just getting there is like winning it for us, (me).

Im sorry I can't agree it's been painful for me to watch Euro 2000 on TV. I do agree the Spain - Yugo game was the second best game I'd ever seen, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had been in Belgium with the fans, if you go to a major tournament, as with the World Cup in France, you tend to go to other games as well as your own countrys.

I have no problem with complaining about the team when they play bad, but the English had built themselfs up so much they actually thought they could/would win it when every informed person could see they would struggle to get out of their group, I think they should lay off the players a bit and ask the media a few more questions.

Would you really give up the chance to be at the next World Cup if we only scored 8 goals & scraped through on goal difference?

Cheers Al

[McBeaty]

Originally posted by madjock:
...Would you really give up the chance to be at the next World Cup if we only scored 8 goals & scraped through on goal difference?

Cheers Al

...Perhaps (admittedly) it is different for me...You see I'm a Scot who lives and works in England, so it's a bit of a torture for me when Scotland do badly (the amount of stick I get is unbelievable).

Were I at home, among other Scots, perhaps failure would be a little easier to bear - as we would all be in the same boat.

So - from my point of view - I have to weigh up very carefully how much taunting I can take against wanting to watch Scotland 'scrape through' only to be booted out.

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