It's one thing not to throw him under the bus and it's another to actively say he did what was asked of him and imply he played well if you analyse his performance.He’s hardly going to hang his own player out to dry in the press, during a tournament, is he?
I’m not convinced O’Donnell will start on Friday but he might still be required at some stage, whether that be against England or Croatia.
It’ll be about keeping his confidence up as I’m sure O’Donnell knows he didn’t play well, neither did the majority of his teammates too btw.
Weve got a better squad on paper than many of the teams at this tournament.Really? You honestly think most of the team are shit?
We’ve got players that are starters for their clubs in the EPL, championship and playing in Europe with rangers and Celtic
Don’t want to overstate how good they are but there’s a decent group of players there that a good manager would get more out of
The only real weaknesses I see are at CB and Striker, also taking into account Tierney gets shoe-horned in
So what you're saying is that O'Donnell would put in better performances than Patterson?
If it was a young guy like Ferguson or Porteous, while I still wouldn't agree with it, you could maybe get the logic of potential, plays for at least a top 6 side.Agreed.
I understand the clamour for Gilmour to start but I understand we actually have decent players in front of him who all have more experience and play at a good level. I can half understand the logic behind not flinging him right in.
O'Donnell is another kettle of fish altogether though. He's just genuinely garbage. You have a young fullback who's better than him already and has experience of playing at a high level in European Football for Rangers this season. If you want to go more attacking, then put Forrest in ahead of O'Donnell as well and I won't argue with it. There's no legitimate excuse for O'Donnell to start. None.
Really? You honestly think most of the team are shit?
We’ve got players that are starters for their clubs in the EPL, championship and playing in Europe with rangers and Celtic
Don’t want to overstate how good they are but there’s a decent group of players there that a good manager would get more out of
The only real weaknesses I see are at CB and Striker, also taking into account Tierney gets shoe-horned in
Weve got a better squad on paper than many of the teams at this tournament.
Not only is Clarke incapable of getting the best out of them as individuals, he is trying to fit them into a style that very few of them play during the club season to accommodate his own extremely limited Killie-style capability.
Its painful to see.
I really don't want to see young Patterson playing on Friday but knowing O'Donnel would get ripped a new one, it would suit Clarkes green agenda to have Patterson carrying a large part of the blame.Blinkered nonsense. It means he'll play against England. Even fans of other teams are questioning why Patterson isn't starting.
100% O'Donnell is Clarke's booze supplierAs the debate regarding the berth rages on, Jack – and whilst we must stress the Rangers midfielder was only having a laugh – revealed that O’Donnell is sarcastically referred to as the “teacher’s pet” on Scotland duties.
“Stephen O’Donnell at Motherwell worked with Steve Clarke at Kilmarnock when he was manager there,” said Jack.
“So SOD – which is his nickname – is the teacher’s pet, every day he’s over at the gaffer or at the staff table. So I’d definitely say him.”
Shit is a strong word.
Robertson is clearly a very good modern wingback. McTominay didnt get his Man Utd contract in a Christmas cracker. Add in McGinn, Armstrong, Fraser, Adams - all top flight EPL players. Cooper at the back too. And Tierney when he's fit. Hanley was part of the Norwich team that got promoted.
But they dont really have matching skillsets. There's a massive amount of overlap. Its feast or famine and we either have a few good players for the same position or no good players for other ones. So our teams struggle because we don't have the players to play a proper tactical game. We're trying to ask players to do things that they're just not capable of.
What a lot of bollocks.... the system he plays with wingbacks means that his job is to both attack and defend.
O’Donnell can’t do either of them and will get ripped apart by England on Friday
Shit is a strong word.
Robertson is clearly a very good modern wingback. McTominay didnt get his Man Utd contract in a Christmas cracker. Add in McGinn, Armstrong, Fraser, Adams - all top flight EPL players. Cooper at the back too. And Tierney when he's fit. Hanley was part of the Norwich team that got promoted.
But they dont really have matching skillsets. There's a massive amount of overlap. Its feast or famine and we either have a few good players for the same position or no good players for other ones. So our teams struggle because we don't have the players to play a proper tactical game. We're trying to ask players to do things that they're just not capable of.
Or they play hide the sausage with each other why else would he come out so strong in defence of him100% O'Donnell is Clarke's booze supplier
Im really looking forward to England’s forward and midfielders rip this mob apart.Gonna be funny.O’Donnell up against foden/Sterling on Friday then will be some laugh.
If he is going down the first duty of defence line then where was O'Donnell for the second goal? Shot from just inside the Scotland half on the right side, you know the part where the right back usually defends.
He was played as a WB not a FB and he was sh*te both going forward and defending. Clarke defending the indefensible. He will end up in the East end of Glasgow.
You could see all match plenty of times when his teammates clearly did not want to pass him the ball. If he doesn't have their trust on the pitch he shouldn't be playing.Agreed, ironically he was the man outside Hendry when he took the shot that should never have been. Don't think I'd jump on the condemnation of that selection by Hendry given that was his option.
He’s hardly going to hang his own player out to dry in the press, during a tournament, is he?
I’m not convinced O’Donnell will start on Friday but he might still be required at some stage, whether that be against England or Croatia.
It’ll be about keeping his confidence up as I’m sure O’Donnell knows he didn’t play well, neither did the majority of his teammates too btw.
I don’t want Patterson associated with these losers .That just about seals the deal that Patterson won't get any minutes in the next two games. Clarke is clearly in full on 'don't back down, double down' mode.
Good experience for the lad but maybe for the best if he isn't directly associated with a team heading for 0 points and 0 goals, can come back fresh to a team who appreciates his talents over absolute jobbers like O'Donnell.
He also mis-controlled the ball another few times.Typical Scottish response, lets check for what he didn’t do wrong rather than what he did right.
What did he offer the team ? nothing ! he is a donkey.
2 minutes in he kicked it out for a thrown in when nobody was near him.
He then bodychecked Christie when running into the box.
He never got out to stop the cross for the first goal and he put one cross in the full game.
Pathetic.
He also mis-controlled the ball another few times.
Usually goes for the easy sideways pass.
Patterson is a better player altogether but he's still young and inexperienced.
In two minds whether I'd want Patterson playing against England. Think it might be a more backs to the wall defender needed against England so that points to O'Donnell, but also need to be more dangerous going forward so that points to Patterson.
Also if Patterson has a good game against England then offers will start to come in upwards of the Keiran Tierney money so might be hard to keep him at Rangers in the longer term.
He actually tucked in, maybe because the midfielder hadn’t covered the space, before seeing the extra man which, agai, wasn’t picked up from midfield.Wasn't O'Donnell also the player who was slow to shutdown the cross for the first goal? Failed in his first duty then, no?
He ruined the tournament for me before it kicked off with his selection and it just gets worse with every interview.
I don't agree you about where the problem lies with tactics. It's not the players. It's Clarke. He's terrible tactically. He knows one way to play, and that's it. All the players are capable of doing what he asks. Even O'Donnell. That's why Clarke is happy with him. O'Donnell did what Clarke asked of him. Take no risks, don't get caught up the park, defend in numbers.Shit is a strong word.
Robertson is clearly a very good modern wingback. McTominay didnt get his Man Utd contract in a Christmas cracker. Add in McGinn, Armstrong, Fraser, Adams - all top flight EPL players. Cooper at the back too. And Tierney when he's fit. Hanley was part of the Norwich team that got promoted.
But they dont really have matching skillsets. There's a massive amount of overlap. Its feast or famine and we either have a few good players for the same position or no good players for other ones. So our teams struggle because we don't have the players to play a proper tactical game. We're trying to ask players to do things that they're just not capable of.
You can tell he’s asked a few friends in the media to back him up as well, the defence of Marshall and now O’Donnell sums up why we’ll always be pish.I think I actually hate him.
I'd say tackling his own man (christie) while hes in a good attacking position is a glaring error.So, you can play absolutely shi*e, offer the square route of fu** all to the game in any sense, but as long as you didn't make a glaring error that led to a goal then you've done a good job????
Absolute dinosaur, justifying why he will show blind loyalty by playing him against England. He's a journeyman level player that that would struggle to get a game for San Marino.
Lucky Nathan Bro. He will have a better chance shine v CroatiaPoor Nathan
I think it would be terrible to lose such a good young Scottish player without getting a few memorable years from watching him. Losing Billy Gilmore who could easily have been the next Barry Ferguson was a sore one, and wouldn't want the same to happen with Patterson.Is that such a bad thing? he aint going to get Tav's place.
Re your second paragraph, that’s because of the tactics they try and play. We have the players that allow for a more expansive formation
If you can’t fit Armstrong, mcginn, mctominey, mcgregor, tierney into the starting team then so be it