duckerDavies 0 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Only Two more game for them. A win and a draw should do i think Wednesday, 17 October, 2007 Georgia v Scotland Saturday, 17 November, 2007 Scotland v Italy Hampden Park, Glasgow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Mag 3 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Only Two more game for them. A win and a draw should do i think Wednesday, 17 October, 2007 Georgia v Scotland Saturday, 17 November, 2007 Scotland v Italy Hampden Park, Glasgow Another great result today and once more what an atmosphere though I did nearly miss that start of the match but just arrived as the teams were lining up. I honestly think we won't get anything from the Italy game and the bloody Georgia game will be hard enough. Unfortunatly I think we will be sweating on the Ukraine v France game to have any chance of qualification which is a shame after what can only be described as our best ever qualifying campaign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sima 0 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 (edited) Ukraine have nothing to play for now as well. Edited October 13, 2007 by Sima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Mag 3 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Ukraine have nothing to play for now as well. Exactly, I am praying for a miracle to happen in the France/Lithuania game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Mag 3 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Well, Well, its good times at the moment, let it continue. If Scots Mag or Co can answer, why the change recently? Good article in the Mirror today on why the change England have twice as many teams as Scotland playing in the Champions League this season. But in the last round of matches, there were more Scots on the pitch than Englishmen - 13 to 11. It is a telling reason why Alex McLeish's comeback kids are alive and kicking on top of Group of Death B - ahead of World Cup finalists Italy and France. And the boom and bust scenario, fuelled by Sky's millions and mercenary imports, which nearly killed the Scottish game offers a warning and solution to the game south of the border. Scottish football's resurrection is as remarkable as it has been rapid. The stunning victory in Paris last month means wins today against Ukraine and on Wednesday in Georgia will see the Scots needing only a point in Glasgow in their final fixture against the Italians to guarantee making their first major finals since France 98. Only a nation with a canny knack of self-destruction can blow it now. From the depths of 88th in the world rankings during Berti Vogts' ill-fated reign and two draws with the Faroe Islands, Scotland have now climbed up to No.14 under first Walter Smith and now McLeish. But before the Tartan Army could feast their eyes on two victories over France, there were some painful years of famine. The Scotland team reached five consecutive World Cup finals between 1974 and 1990 with players mostly based in England. But a decline in the quality of players developed, combined with the Bosman ruling and a foreign spending spree by the Old Firm, led to Scotland trawling through Championship sides for players tenuously eligible to play. The loss of Sky backing and the failure to establish an SPL TV channel in 2002 led to a financial crisis which forced all clubs, including the Glasgow giants, to start producing their own players - and levelled the playing field in the lop-sided league. Hibs today sit second in the SPL ahead of Rangers. Increased investment in coaching and youth development was headlined by the controversial Under 21 rule. Opposed by many managers, including Smith at Rangers, all SPL clubs must now have at least three Under-21s in the their 18-man match-day squads. Started in 1998, the current crop of Scotland internationals, like James McFadden and Craig Gordon, gained early top-flight experience under a policy backed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter. "Congratulations should go to Scotland," he said last week. "We need to protect the national identity of the football clubs." Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said: "We all know we're not the world's best football players but we have something going at the moment. "I don't know whether it's the start of something for us, but I do think it's because more Scots-born players are in the Celtic and Rangers teams." The Bhoys became the first Scottish club to reach the group stages of the Champions League last season and beat holders Milan last week. The Gers thrashed French champions Lyon 3-0 away while Aberdeen reached the group stages of the UEFA Cup. For so long the Scottish game was in a depressing downward cycle. Now success has become self-perpetuating. Italy's World Cup-winning manager claimed last month "if you look around the world it is clear the emerging country is Scotland". And Sir Alex Ferguson inevitably went even further. "The master race is back," said the Manchester United manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Mag 3 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Have just read Anelka is now out of Wednesdays match. C'mon the Lithuania... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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