andychar

No changes here. No need to be. There is one reason why MacLeod has been called up. Just look at his age! He will play and he will break the record for youngest ever player. Hunter back in the line up. Its looking good this. I wanted to call different players other than McDonald but they were locked into U21 and U19 which is a shame really. McDonald probably won't play.

World Cup 2034 Qualifying Cyprus(a) A little bit tricker on paper but we should still be winning this game. We are favourites. We can't underestimate them however as they did hold Switzerland to a point in the opener. Some changes here there and everywhere thanks to fatigue but its a team that should still win. Chance to tick off another European Nation. Its not been pretty but we were awarded a Penalty and Gilmour doesn't miss. Dagger for Cyprus just before the half. No complaints here. Its not been straightforward at all but we lead. Laidlaw gets his second. Job done. Professional job. So far so good. Romania and Switzerland have both faced San Marino.

World Cup 2034 Qualifying Luxembourg (a) A competitive fixture that feels like a friendly. This is one of those games you want to score early and ease the pressure. Not a surprise we are favourites. McGinty gets the nod down to wanting consistency. The rest is pretty cut and dry. There are a few missing down to injury, Hunter and McGurk the biggest. This team should win this game easily. We have already ticked this Country off so lets get the win and move on. Munro gets the early goal we wanted. Munro another. Should be done and dusted now. Hardwick makes it three just before the half. Its been as comfy as it should be. Munro hattrick. Poor. We shouldn't be conceding against these! The World wasn't set alight but its a win and we will take it.

We've had harder windows. Feel this is becoming the steady 3 now. Louis Jackson becomes one of 2 players who might earn their first cap this window. Surely Patterson rakes up 100 this window! David Glover becomes the other. We have one or two really good youngsters coming through with Potential. He is one of them. No surprises here.

World Cup Qualifying Draw For the first time we are drawn into the bigger Group meaning no sneaky friendlies. Good news is, we should be topping this group really. Switzerland, Cyprus and San Marino give us chance to tick off 3 more Countries here. Add that to the 3 we got from the Nations League and we will be just behind the 7 average we have been getting. Not to shabby really.

Nations League Round Up No real surprises here at all. Ireland ran Spain close but the 4 relegated teams provide zero shocks. France finally make it back to the main stage. Austria following up their recent good form with promotion. Poland is a good one because we have yet to face them. Once again no real shocks with relegation. We reach the bits that won't affect us but here we are. Belarus, always finishing bottom it seems. Gibraltar got a win so well done to them. Andorra get a chance in the 3rd Tier. Faroe Islands continue their yo-yoing.

Nations League Belgium (a) Its nice to go through a Nations League and tick off 3 teams. 2 of them being heavy hitters in World Football. But this game here gives us the chance to qualify for the Semi Final for the first time. All we need is a point. We lost the head to head with England on away goals...I think....I assume. This starting lineup is going to be who survived injury and suspension. 5 players out with either/or. Come on Mozambique. You know you want a piece of this. Its a bit of a muddle of a starting line up. We obviously want to get to the Semi but anything else is a bonus after ticking all 3 off the list. Munro is the greatest Scottish player of all time. Its been all them since we scored. Belgium have been the better team but right now I don't care. Its all coming good. Lowry with the goal. We lead. We are 45 minutes away from the Semi Final of the Nations League. Technically would be our first Semi Final and I'll take it! Now then as it stands this would be enough. England lead 2-0. Its all going wrong! Laidlaw! Is that enough!? It probably won't be! What a game. We will miss out but my God we left everything on the pitch. Very proud of the effort. Confirmation of what we already knew. What an effort and at the very least it will be a 1st Seed for the World Cup Qualifications.

Nations League England (h) Sick of facing England right now! 3 games without a win. If we win the 4th then we go into the last game knowing a point will be enough to top the group, depending on the result we could have top secured. Interesting times. We have looked good recently so we go in with the morale high but still don't think we are favourites or anything. We will have to be at our very best to beat England. Even then its not been enough recently! Lets get stuck in! Please Rashford. No more. Its been one way traffic. Lowry! Out of nothing really. We are level! England were the better team but we finished the half strong. If we can pick it up in the second half then things could get very interesting. Notice the yellow as well. Patterson will have to wait to get his 100th cap. Wally. Who else but Munro! What a start to the second half! Brennan makes himself an instant Scottish Hero! I cannot wait till Rashford retires. If we don't play them again until he does I'll be happy. We have to hold on here! And we've done it! The Auld Enemy vanquished! Huge scalp. Delighted.

The final two Nations League games are coming up and we have a chance to top the Group still. A win over England will give us a huge advantage going into the Final game. If we lose against England it will be the most unsucessful attempts to beat a Nation so far. Typical its England. Curutchet is a player I begged to pick me over France and then he never was good enough to be called up. Now he's good enough I think! Has McGinty made the #1 shirt his own? Chance Patterson joins the Century club unless he gets himself suspended. Wouldn't rule it out! Plenty of good options still in the midfield. Hardwick not pictured but called up. Nearly 150 goals between them.

Nations League Wales (h) If we win here not only are we safe (Wales won't be able to beat us via Head to Head) but we will be in a position to give England a good run for their money. We can underestimate Wales however, while we were beating Belgium Wales were beating England to make this Group very tasty! We are favourites. I've lost the screenshot but we are favourites. I think the 4-0 win was a freak result so we can't assume this is going to go the same way. Fatigue plays a factor. Lowry gave us everything against Belgium, he's shattered. A different partnership at the back. Munro on the wing with Laidlaw leading the line. Big chance to make an impression here. Keeper has had a mare and gifted us the lead. An own goal apiece! 30th minute and Wales are down to 10 men after a shocking lunge. This has been a very eventful game and we have a chance here. We need to put our foot on the throat now and win this game. Munro! 100th goal for Scotland and its a big one. Make that 101. Surely game over? Laidlaw adds the icing. The red card helped obviously but we took full advantage. England came from behind to beat Belgium so its as you were but we are looking good for another 2nd place finish.

Nations League Belgium (h) This is my best chance to tick Belgium off the list. Can we build on the great result against Wales? Never believe what I say when it comes to the keepers. Because even I don't know. Strongest XI for me. Lets get to it. We have been second best buy Lowry puts us into the lead. Woooo. Turnbull with a brilliant freekick. Where was this during the World Cup! Its not been pretty but its been a brilliant half. More of the same please. Munro with a lovely goal. Dreamland. We get pegged back straight away. Game back on. Lowry plays best when hes AMC and he is proving it here tonight. Second goal. Brilliant stuff. Brilliant performance.

Johnston was literally picked as the 23rd man because I had a spare. It was always going to come down to this, a battle between Johnson and McGinty. 6 years is a long time. I think Johnson will finally be the Scottish Number 1. Looks like Semple just won't reach the heights he once promised. Some players here who are coming good when we need them, Doig and Ramsay. Hickey misses out through injury. High hopes for Brennan. Its been a better quality of player before. Certainly feel this isn't the best Scotland side we have had. Except these two absolute beasts. Easy to forget Munro is only 24!

Nations League Wales (a) Tricky start playing back to back away games but this is one I feel we need to take something from if we want to remain in the top Division next time. It will be between us and Wales so a point at least here would go a long away. Patterson injured so Calvin Ramsey comes in to replace. I say injured, he had a dodgy kebab it appears. We are listed as favourite, if 6-4 can be classed as favourite! Assistant tells me I should be playing McGinty, I've stuck with my guns. Erhahon, Brennan,McGurk come into the starting line up. Munro goes out wide and Laidlaw starts. For some reason I'm not feeling this. I feel like we have done well to be in the Top Division for as long as we have but I feel our luck is running out. Great early start. Its Laidlaw with the finish. We started well last game as well.... Laidlaw! Brilliant finish. Brilliant start! Its a penalty and a Laidlaw hattrick. I am sorry I didn't trust you to start up front! Laidlaw has been at his clinical best today. What's wrong with me, even at 3-0 I'm not feeling confident! Hardwick off the bench and now I will relax. Very even game but we took our chances brilliantly. It went how I expected it to. Brilliant result against Wales, not just the win but big advantage in the Head to Head. Say it quietly...but I'm happy.

Nations League England (a) 3rd time we have played England in 5 games. This is the one I have the least amount of hope for. Just being away from home I don't have a good feeling about it. Bookies agree. Our strongest line up. Decided against Laidlaw up front and Munro on the wing but could change during the game. Its a weaker squad than what we had out in the Summer but only just. The big decision madem was the keeper. I went with youth. Might as well get him used to the set up now if he's going to be the starter for the next 10 years. Decision already looking like a good one! Munro through and finishes well. Silly challenge in the box and no mistakes. Its been coming. Rashford turns this game around. Its the hope that kills you. We can't grumble. We have been second best. Its going to be hard to turn this game around from here. Rashford again. One man has destroyed us today. Can't really grumble but I think back to the 2 games in the Euros when we were the better team and still couldn't win. A bit of return would be nice eh!

Update Its time for the after Tournament update! 8/46 here, a good few ticked off but not recently. 54 Countries in Africa, 19 ticked off. Always been steady. 9 out of 35, only the 2 ticked off here since last time. Stready as she goes with North America. 53 Countries now we have deleted Russia. 25 teams ticked off so we aren't even half way here! Only one ticked off since the last break and it was a big one. Holland. For some reason I took this portion of the save to tick off as many OFC as I can. 5 out of 11. Closest we are to getting rid of one. South America 3 out of 10. Its like Europe, I feel I could face any of these in the World Cup so no friendlies for now. 5 out of 16 here. Slowly and steadily tick these off. So overall we are 69/225 (nice). Good few years with a chance of a lot of friendlies. We start the next 2 year cycle with a chance to tick off 3 European teams. Lets see how it goes. Remember the average is still 7/8 a year.

Our attention swiftly turns to another Nations League. Nice to have a fresh start and face different teams...our next game being against....England. One thing I can happily admit. I made a mistake not calling up Buchan. We were struggling on the wings in the end and poor Doak was the walking dead by the end. So what will our first squad without Liam Kelly and Kieran Tierney look like? At least we don't have far to travel! I have no idea who I am going to pick. Youth with Ure? Potential with Johnson? Experience with McGinty? This isn't as good as it used to look! Patterson is now our most capped player. Robertson keeps his record for the time being! Patterson, Hickey and Doig give us good players on the width. Likely to be Campbell and McGurk the CB pairing. I had a decision here and went with Erhahon over Gilmour. Maybe gone overboard with the AML options although Doak can also play AMR well. No point picking more than 2 here.

Euro 2032 Should I be annoyed that both my knockout games during my home Tournament were bloody played away!? Anyway this is how the rest of the Tournament went on. Austria stunned France. Maybe that 1-1 isn't so bad! Portugal have looked good all Tournament and march on. Favourites? Its a Tournament that started badly for England but they reach their 4th Final in a row. Looking to win it for the 2nd time in a row. Where amazingly they will face Austria. How strong was our Group eh! Are we looking at a shock winner of the Euros? No is the answer really. We don't go up or down in the rankings which isn't bad I suppose. John McGinn didn't get called up and has decided to call it a day. Its been a while since Gauld made an apperance so not bothered. I didn't realise it was just International Football though. Worth asking Kelly back in a few months? This one hurts. Thought I had him until at least the World Cup.

Euro 2032 England (n) You'll notice the n. Once again we travel to Wales for arguably our biggest ever fixture. England v Scotland in Wales. Can't script it. We have played them once this Tournament, we were the better side playing out a 3-3 draw but this is different. This is pressure filled. England are the favourites. We have only been favourites for one of our games this Tournament so far. I mentioned Key Suspensions before. We will be without Kieran Tierney who may have played his final game for Scotland. We are also missing Munro. A huge loss going forward. Before we played it was the Scandanavians getting us underway in the quarters. Norway will be a very tricky game for anybody they face...it will be us if we get through. Out of the starting line up. 2 would miss a potentail semi with a yellow. Patterson (its a miracle he's lasted this long) and Hickey. On the bench its only Gilmour who would miss. I've decided to go with tired players. This game is too big to go with anything other than the strongest I can pick. We have a habit of reaching this stage and then crumbling. Is this the one we finally reach the Semi? England should be winning. The chances they missed were big chances while we didn't have an attacking highlight. Can't grumble with 0-0 at the break. Some tired legs out there! A 30 yard screamer. It seemed to be the only way there was going to be a goal in this awful game. It took a freak 30 yard screamer. Once again a disappointing performance in a Major Tournament. Its a pattern I'm getting sick of seeing.

Euro 2032 The knockouts continue and its brilliant knowing we are still there. And just to show how strong our Group was! I dunno you wait for one then 4 come in the same year! Two brutal suspensions. More on that later. France looking strong. Norway will be a tricky fixture and Germany, I thought they were back...maybe not...although tricky to play with 10 men for as long as they did. Portugal left it late but they are through that's all that matters to them. Am I right in thinking every single one of these is a Derby?

Euro 2032 Holland (n) There are some tasty games in the Last 16. Unfortunetly we are one of them. We travel to Cardiff for this one. I don't have high hopes for this one. We have had the rub of the green with draws in previous Tournament so I really can't grumble one has finally gone against us. Shame is come in the one I feel the most confident about! The bookies don't make us favourites. And rightly so I think. We like the underdog label. Two suspensions. Doig out Hickey in. Hardwick out Laidlaw in because Munro goes to the wing. It hasn't worked all tournament but we have no choice now. I have a bad feeling about this game. We have started positively and find ourselves in the lead! Laidlaw has been poor this tournament but he fires us into the lead with a cool finish. Long way to go! A big mistake from the keeper. Gives it straight to Munro who slots it home! Holland are back in this game. Can't really grumble with how the game has gone on. We can't grumble with the lead at the moment its been a very even half which can argue Holland have edged. Big 45 coming up. Can we hold on? An early penalty. Turnbull steps up and its saved! A huge 2 mintues of football and a crippling 2 minutes. We are going to have to pick ourselves up big time here. Cometh the hour cometh the man! Munro gets his second and yes I would like to proceed with changes. Doak's on his arse. Get in there! We survive and reach the quarters once again! Huge result and another big name ticked off the list! Never in doubt. Always had a good feeling!

Euro 2032 Well I will take this break in the England v Iran game to post another! Group B finished and it had a chance to be very tasty... Wales exit on a wimper and Poland will be joining them. Group C was tasty! Denmark and England through. Turkey face the nervous wait. Turkey do get through along with Ireland, England and Denmark as the lucky 4. It all means this... Not quite sure that is entirely fair finishing top! But it is what it is. Naturally the game will be played in Wales. Both Austria and England get an easier draw finishing 2nd and 3rd in the Group! COME ON!

Euro 2032 Austria (h) We return to Celtic Park for this one. Our record against Austria is unreal. This would be a really bad time to pick up the first loss against them. A draw guarentees not only qualification but top spot as well. This surprises me. I would make us favourites. Hope I've not underestimated them. McGurk starts for Campbell who needs a rest. Same with Turnbull and Lowry, Erhahon and Gilmour come in. Laidlaw dropped, he's been poor. Munro goes upfront giving the start to Doak. Big game this could shape the rest of the Tournament. England play Albania at the same time. Huge game for them. Should win, should be through safe. Not the start we wanted. We have been awful so far. 35th Minute. Austria are down to 10. The ref has been very card heavy. This was a straight red. Chance for us. A chance we haven't deserved. Worst 45 we have put together for a long time. We had a goal disallowed for offside but other than that. Awful. A goal out of nothing really. Munro goes on the wing and scores. Go figure. Nervy VAR check again. Hopefully we have gotten our poor performance out the way. England won 4-1. They should be through!

Euro 2032 The next day had something to live up to. Wales haven't lived upto expectations so far. Zero goals scored. But they can still qualify. That's all that matters. Plenty of goals the next day. I've lost track of how many days there's been after that England game! This day sees the end of the 2nd set of Fixtures. Sweden and Ukraine could have really shot themselves in the foot and Ireland fail to take advantage of an extra man for 87 minutes! Its time to wrap up the Group Stage...

Euro 2032 England (h) We grace Hampden Park with this tasty fixture. A decade in the making. Can you imagine if we beat England and they would have to rely on beating Albania and other results going their way? Despite the home field advantage and the opening day we are classed as underdogs. Suits me to a tee this. Not looking to stray far from the XI that thrashed Albania 4-0. Before we played 2 games finished... Two draws and the pressure has just been vamped up on England. This game is huge. We started strong and fully deserve this! Hardwick with the goal after a nervy VAR check. A goal from nowhere which proves England are a real threat still. We deserved the lead but England grew into the game as it went on. Big 45 coming up. I've made 2 changes at the break. Munro goes up front as Laidlaw has been invisible. McGurk comes on for the gassed Campbell. We just haven't been able to keep up the great start. Turnaround complete. David Turnbull! He ensures the lead didn't last long. Game on! Munro!!! What a game this has been! 17 minutes to hold on for a famous famous victory. Heartbreak! Sancho equalises, against a run of play a wee bit. What a game of football. We probably deserved to win but we just couldn't hold on. Could have been worse though.

Euro 2032 Day 2 saw 3 games and the Tournament get into full swing. A huge shock to start the day with England falling to Austria. The other hosts also lose in a very tight Group B. Suddenly this England v Scotland game is huge. Day 3 had the chance for more shocks. But failed to deliver really. Day 4 saw 3 more games. Portugal really laid down a marker. Big win. Day 5 saw the end of the first set of fixtures and the build up to our game with England. Group F is the group of death. Germany have seemingly bounced back for their days in the wilderness. We are up next....