Scotland's World Cup chances

[Solitude]

I would like to ask everyone's opinion on this. I watched the two recent matches where we really needed to take 6 points away from. I think the team is a shambles. The defence is hollow and the attack just does not have the scoring power. The Belarus match was an edge of the seat match. Belarus should have won. There was only really one chance for Scotland and it was a good chance but just not enough chances are made!! I know it's the end of the season like everyone says but still if Scotland play like this then I can see a good few goals going in against italy!

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Donnie]

Why would you say Belarus should have won? They didn't play well enough to get a goal so they don't deserve anything more than a draw.

[Through]

There has been an enormous improvement in the performance of the team since Walter came in. All of a sudden they are organised and play as a team. The defence is not perfect, but it is not bad either. The main problem is a lack of creativity and, as you say, goalscoring. Scotland does not have players with outstanding flair or creativity just now and international teams do not have the option of dabbling in the transfer market.

One thing I'd like to see an end to, is cross balls played too close to the goalkeeper.

What I would like to see, is players hitting the bye line and cutting the ball back. Cut backs like this are very difficult to defend against.

[dogman]

i agree with through. we need to penetrate down the wings. neil mccann is a good example of the type of player to do this, but the guy is always injured. this long ball to a single striker tactic must go as it only tires the player out,as we seen against belarus.

[mike.mckenzie]

I think the national team has a real dearth of talent to choose from, to get 4 points from those 2 games is progress in itself. I don't think Berti's random "tactics" and his inspirational man management would have got us through in either of those games.

Scotland have never had any real firepower up front, and now it is worse than it ever has been. Kenny Miller is an average English 2nd flight striker, and he's our main threat.

Walter at least is offering organisational skill, and if we can base our games on defensive fortitude then we might have a chance of at least not looking silly. World Cup is already beyond us though.

But then......draw against Italy at home and a 1-0 win away in Norway....you never know!! I'll just keep hoping.

[mike.mckenzie]

What we could do with, in response to what was said earlier, is the early ball being played into a big man up front who can batter his way through. Duncan Ferguson would be ideal for this but he is a numpty. Kevin Kyle is the next best we have for this. Miller and Faddy are too small.

[Rheghead]

Sadly, Scotland's chances of reaching the finals have all but gone. But don't you think the Home Championship should be started again? At least every British side will have more experience playing a compettitive game with eachother as a team, rather than playing a string of pathetic friendlies with little known european no-hopers. These friendlies surely cannot reproduce the competitiveness of a true international game?

With this edge, I am thinking UK teams could fair better in Europe and at World level.

[Dons_Lad]

I feel that if Walter was in charge at the start of the campaign rather than Buffty Berti, then we could easily of been 3rd in that group by now. Everyone knows we have a strong defence and a half decent goal keeper, but there is no creativity or flair in the midfield and our strikers bar McFadden are average to say the least. Barry Ferguson can't cut it against better midfielders like he proved playing for Blackburn, Darren Fletcher is good but he needs support as last night Miller, McCulloch and Fletcher didn't get much so they were gash.

Striker wise, why the heck wasn't Riordan playing? I know Walter wanted a 1-0 win as they were saying that was what he was hoping for but Belarus aren't a great footballing nation so for goodness sake at least try and put arguably our best young striker up against their below-par defence.

P.S. Their should be more Aberdeen players in that squad!!!!!!(Non biased view of course) :)

[Bellz]

Good shout dons_lad!! While watching the match i was almost screaming at the tv for walter to take on Riordan. It was a game where we were only likely to score with the spectacular as we weren't really creating any chances. How many times this season did we see Riordan hit an unexpected shot?? Belarus were nothing special, yet we let them attack. We sat deep and had no real outball.

[scorrie]

Scotland are going nowhere. I just checked out the World Cup betting and, of those quoted, Hungary are the rank outsiders at 1000/1
Scotland are not even worthy of a quote, probably the odds of Elvis being found on Mars with Shergar and Lord Lucan are smaller!!

As for" little known European no-hopers", Scotland are those no-hopers.The thought of them playing England right now brings back shuddering memories of Stuart Kennedy colliding with the goal post on the way to a 5-1 drubbing and that was when Scotland were relatively good and England were keech!!