Some of the 86 World Cup squad

Was McCoist in the conversation for a call-up ahead of 1986? Also, what happened with Mo Johnston? Had he pissed Ferguson off?
 
This was before my time so it has always baffled me why that team and the 78 squad performed so poorly. Top players, European Cup winners etc. why did they get beat off Peru, draw with Iran in 78?

Just had a look at 86 and didn’t realise they came up against Denmark, West Germany and Uruguay which is a tough group in fairness.
 
subversive_bear said:
Was McCoist in the conversation for a call-up ahead of 1986? Also, what happened with Mo Johnston? Had he pissed Ferguson off?
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The rumour about Johnston was that he misbehaved in Australia at the play off qualifier.Ernie Walker told Ferguson not to pick him for Scotland again as he was partying/smuggling local ladies into the team hotel.
That was the gossip at the time,how true it is,I don't know.
Ally made his debut for Scotland in a friendly away to the Netherlands that year, but Scotland had so many striking options at the time, in 1986 the form strikers prior to that tournament would have included Ally and John Robertson of Hearts.
Ferguson picked Steve Archibald, possibly because he knew him well from his time at Aberdeen, and to be fair, Archibald was first choice striker for Barcelona , had a lot of experience, including playing and scoring at the 1982 World Cup.
 
Shocking challenge on Charlie Nicholas in the first game v Denmark put the KB on the campaign, he was in form and a genuine threat at the time.

Dropping Souness v Uruguay was probably the thing that finished off any hope although we should have beaten Uruguay. Ian St John’s off-mic commentary after Steve Niciol’s Miss was a thing at the time.
 
No Surrender said:
If that was the current Scotland team they’d be world beaters. Back then to me footballers were a lot better than now in my opinion.
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I'm guessing someone 15 years older than you would feel the same way too about players from the late 60s. I'm guessing the players now are actually better, and the amount of players playing in the Premier League that are Scottish would be similar if there was more movement of players back then.
 
OnTheShouldersofGiants said:
This was before my time so it has always baffled me why that team and the 78 squad performed so poorly. Top players, European Cup winners etc. why did they get beat off Peru, draw with Iran in 78?

Just had a look at 86 and didn’t realise they came up against Denmark, West Germany and Uruguay which is a tough group in fairness.
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The 78 Squad was totally Mismanaged & a SFA Disaster, Accommodation, Training facilities, Not even bothering to look at the Opposition, Peru & Iran,
 
Ferguson went too defensive first game with 3 holding midfielders and Sturrock should never have started, would have gone with Archibald to partner Nicholas.
The WG game we really missed Big Eck after his dodgy CocaCola but the Germans were a good team.
Uruguay, we didn’t look like we wanted to stay in Mexico think most of the squad had packed their bags and wanted home.

Was an ok squad, probably got as far as it should have.
 
If I remember that year the stickers weren't stickers, but were made of plastic instead.
 
OnTheShouldersofGiants said:
This was before my time so it has always baffled me why that team and the 78 squad performed so poorly. Top players, European Cup winners etc. why did they get beat off Peru, draw with Iran in 78?

Just had a look at 86 and didn’t realise they came up against Denmark, West Germany and Uruguay which is a tough group in fairness.
Click to expand...
In 74 we had a proper keeper, Harvey of Leeds & Jardine/McGrain/Hay all at their best.
In 78 Hay & Harvey weren't there & in goal we had Rough, who I think was a part-time player back then.
 
SouthWalesGer said:
Ferguson went too defensive first game with 3 holding midfielders and Sturrock should never have started, would have gone with Archibald to partner Nicholas.
The WG game we really missed Big Eck after his dodgy CocaCola but the Germans were a good team.
Uruguay, we didn’t look like we wanted to stay in Mexico think most of the squad had packed their bags and wanted home.

Was an ok squad, probably got as far as it should have.
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I thought he was a victim of a Taco from behind ;)
 
subversive_bear said:
Was McCoist in the conversation for a call-up ahead of 1986? Also, what happened with Mo Johnston? Had he pissed Ferguson off?
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McCoist made his debut away to Holland in 0-0 draw before the WC.

Ferguson told him that he would be brought into the squad if any of the forward players withdrew.

Dalglish then withdrew citing injury (although it was rumoured he spat the dummy out due to Hansen’s exclusion) and Fergie called up Stevie Archibald.

Ally wasn’t happy and carried that grievance about for a bit.
 
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savus said:
He was very fast.

Aggressive and always on the move not giving defenders a minutes peace.
Not exactly highly skilled but his movement was intelligent and explosive.
Scored regularly.
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Weird how folk remember things differently. I agree on the aggression, constant movement and lack of skill but I think he was slow, cumbersome and about as threatening as a Cabbage Patch Kid.

Has as many international goals as me and you.
 
Pacman said:
Just as an aside, did Ian Durrant ever play at a major international tournament?
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No, injury meant he missed out on Italy 90, Sweden 92 and England 96.

Chances are he would have been involved had we not fucked up qualitying for USA 94.

Age and injury meant he was never near the France 98 squad.

His form later in his career as a Kilmarnock player seen him selected for the squad that ran England close in the play off. Lost 2-0 at Hampden and won 1-0 at Wembley
 
Calgacus said:
In 74 we had a proper keeper, Harvey of Leeds & Jardine/McGrain/Hay all at their best.
In 78 Hay & Harvey weren't there & in goal we had Rough, who I think was a part-time player back then.
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I think most of those world cups between 74 and 86 we peaked in the qualifiers. In the actual tournaments we were too loyal to the guys just past their best/ out of form which would get us off to a slow start.

Then we’d bring in the on form guys once it was too late.
 
SDF said:
He made his debut in the April v Netherlands

McCoist, Johnston, McClair and Robertson scored about 100 goals between them that season and none of them went.
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It's possible if Mccoist had scored in Holland he would have been called up. I remember that as the chat at the time.
In hindsight Speedie and Archibald should have been left out.
Despite both playing really well at club level, they never did much at international level. I'd my memory is correct Archibalds last international goal was in 1982 and Speedie never scored.
 
OnTheShouldersofGiants said:
This was before my time so it has always baffled me why that team and the 78 squad performed so poorly. Top players, European Cup winners etc. why did they get beat off Peru, draw with Iran in 78?

Just had a look at 86 and didn’t realise they came up against Denmark, West Germany and Uruguay which is a tough group in fairness.
Click to expand...
Uruguay were a bunch of dirty cheating bastards.
This is when we wanted Scotland to win at football.
 
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