Yet the German fans seem to think he is their weakest link listening to some radio shows and reading some reports. He is not liked at all and wearing the Captains armband has stirred some of them up even more.If we ignore the result for one moment, one thing last night taught me is that Gundogan should never have been allowed to leave. What a player, his movement is incredible!
Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway and Croatia all have much better records of success and producing some very good players. But more than that they have produced well coached and organised international teams. It can be done.I do understand your points. But it's very hard for a country the size of Scotland to produce a national team with more than, say, two genuinely world class players in it. (From 1950 to 2000 the population was pretty steady at 5 million, it's gone up somewhat since then). That actually seems to me to be normal. Initially, that left me puzzled about the performance of the Netherlands. On looking it up, though, it turns out that they've had a hugely bigger population than Scotland right through the twentieth century (I knew it was bigger, of course, just not by that much). Population, of course, does not explain everything. Otherwise, the general uselessness of India and China in world football would be puzzling. But there's much more to it, as we know.
It can indeed.Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway and Croatia all have much better records of success and producing some very good players. But more than that they have produced well coached and organised international teams. It can be done.
Imagine being a wee team and getting pumped 5-1.It can indeed.
I just do not get we are a small country nonsense.
Our game has went backwards at an alarming rate and shows no signs of getting better.
That performance yesterday came as a shock to quite a few.
Not to me.
Brilliant.Imagine being a wee team and getting pumped 5-1.
Totally this imo.Do you reckon the grass roots football in Scotland is nowhere near up to standard and fallen behind?
I think the coaching level in England has gone up, plenty of good young players now who are technically as good on the ball as anyone out there, as we see with players like Foden. Of course there was great players in the past, but I think the general quality right through the league has gone up in terms of technical ability and I think that coaching is filtering down to young players.
Maybe the overall standard of Scottish football has fallen behind others and it filters down to all levels and age groups.
England is filled with good clubs all over the country within a reasonable distance of kids. If you're a talented player from the North West, you might end up with an opportunity to be coached by City, the rags or dippers from a young age. A kid in the Midlands can get picked up by a couple of premier league clubs, same in London where theres a handful of good clubs. North East you have Newcastle, or even boro or Sunderland who are better than most Scottish teams to be fair. The list goes on.
I think it's much more difficult for a kid in the back arse of nowhere in Scotland to get that level of coaching from a young age when there's two decent clubs in one city and maybe apart from a couple of others, it's basically league one level clubs.
Harsh, Zoff once conceded 5 goals to Hibs.Just watched the match.
Angus Gunn makes Alan Rough look like Dino Zoff.
Hibs who once conceded 5 goals in a cup final to Hearts.lol.Harsh, Zoff once conceded 5 goals to Hibs.