Scotland vs Italy

Reluctant Hero · Scotland vs Italy

Might as well start the build up now Smile

Who thinks we have a chance?

sgmillerton

no chance, it aint gonna happen. the georgia result f***ed us.

macnumpty

Well, as long as there are two teams on the field, there's always a chance...

Now, the size of the chance, that's a different matter. Confused

SLG

If our best players are fully fit, then we defintely have a chance. If we can beat France home and away, then we can beat Italy at home. We probably won't... but we might Very Happy

kevin04

I've been thinking about this match all week and it´s only Tuesday afternoon,

Really have no idea how it´s going to go.

We've done amazing to get this far and to go into a "cup final style winner take all" gig vs Italy to qualify, I really hope and think we can do it! We've beaten France twice, Ukraine at home very well, Georgia away was a disaster but we're at home - a full squad o' players, a full house of fans, 5pm hopefully miserable freezing cold night.

Would be simply amazing if we could do it,

might have to wait til Wednesday to find out if we draw with the tallies - no matter what happens the team has done brilliant and really lifted our game, we´re now 13th in the world and are amongst the 2nd seeds for the world cup draw!

brilliant

Corby Boy

Wish I could be more optimistic than I feel, too hard bitten a fan. But I hope for a wee miracle, because that is what it will take for a win on Saturday. But we hae miracle makers, messrs McFadden and Miller! Who knows.

sgmillerton

if we end up on equal points with france does it come down to goal differnece or the head to head?

Rinty

head to head. If we draw with italy and ukraine beat france we go through.

sgmillerton

still a little hope i suppose biut i'm not confident. i knoecked back a ticket today because i'd made arrangments to meet a pile of mates/wives etc in town.tables booked etc.

Reluctant Hero

Wonder if McLeish will go woth one or two up front.

Maybe one up front (Miller?) with McFadden playing just behind. Slightly concerned about the midfield. Think Fletcher is just back from injury and Brown took a nasty one in that European game.

Really looking forward to it though Smile

Cmon Scotland

Rinty

I think he will go with miller up front and mcculloch and mcfadden pushing forward from wide areas.

kevin04

I think Rinty is right, He'll go for that formation.

SLG

That would surely leave no place for Hartley who's done really well last few games for Scotland...

I think he'll go with McCulloch, Brown, Hartley, Ferguson, Fletcher in midfield and either Miller or McFadden up front by themselves. Not sure that McFadden's the right guy to play out wide.

azzuri

I think given McFadden's recent form for Scotland, he needs to start regardless of where he plays.

I think we will and probably should start with Miller up front and McFadden dropping off behind him in a sort of free role.

Hartley has been outstanding sitting in front of the back four and to change that would be a stupid move IMO, but I'll trust Eck's judgement no matter what side he puts out.

Reluctant Hero

Supposed to be pouring rain and a bit windy on Saturday, so maybe it will be a wee bit of a leveller. We will need all the help we can get.

kevin04

I think maybe dropping Fletcher is a option we should look at, Fletcher is a great player but he's hardly any playing time at Manchester United and although McFadden hasn't either at Everton - He need Faddy to play.

Hartley is looking better and better every game for Celtic and adapting to his new role at Parkhead as well,

sgmillerton

for me
gordon
hutton, weir,mcmanus, naismith,

brown,ferguson, fletcher,mcculloch,

mcfadden,

miller.

Rinty

Aye, I would go with the same team as Millerton but with mcfadden supporting the midfield and attack from wide right and Brown in a more central role.

ferguson would play the deepest of the midfielders with both Brown and Fletcher chasing, carrying and making forward runs to link with miller.

McFadden or McCulloch become the second striker when we are going forward depending on what side we advance on with both being midfielders when we are defending.

SLG

Apparently Fletcher player in ManU's win over Dynamo Kiev last week and played well.

I think the team sgmillerton posted is strong, I'd be happy with that. Although I'd keep Brown on the right and have McFadden supporting Miller from the centre.

I do think an equally good team would have Miller or McFadden on the bench replaced with Hartly in the holding role with maybe Ferguson playing in the more advanced role. Start off a bit more conservatively and bring McFadden off the bench later on.

Cymro

Gutted for Scotland. Really thought you'd do it.

Reluctant Hero

Fantastic performance by Scotland, not just in this game, but in the entire qualifying campaign. Hope nevery supporter tonight stayed to applaud the players off the pitch.

Absolutely heart-breaking how we lost the match (especially as we had our opportunities to win it). In the lead up to their goal, it was never a freekick. How someone can go one hundred miles an hour into a defender and get a free-kick is beyond me.

Don't think the result would have made much difference at the end of the day (unless we had won).

Thanks Scotland for keeping it going so long, especially when we were written off at the outset.

Look forward to the World Cup Qualifiers Smile

mairead

Well done Scotland for raising the game throughout this tournament, and so well done to the fans who gave them a rousing ovation at the end of the game. Scottish football is on the way UP again.

azzuri

...ouch.

That was tough to take. I really feel for the players, but this sort of disappointment doesn't fade easily, and hopefully it'll toughen them up and make them even more determined to qualify for the WC in 2010.

I'm proud of them.

HIGHTOWER 1314

I was proud of the team not only on saturday but throughout the campaign but it was heartbreaking going out the way we did.The officials were a disgrace though and shouldnt be allowed to ref again.

kevin04

Gutting stuff but great 2nd half from the team, we had them rattled and with a bity of luck with McFadden's effort etc we might have been booking flights to the alps this morning.

Not to be and am pretty gutted but looking fwd to few euro games with Celtic and Aberdeen and then nxt sunday we have the world cup draw, although very hard to take we've done brilliant the whole campaign.

well done everyone.