Hello, and welcome to the Scots for Mic podcast.
I'm your host, James Scott, and it's nice to be coming to you
from, well, it's like a studio, I guess.
Video format. Yeah, video format.
So exciting. Camera one on me, Camera 2 on us
both, and camera 3 is Finn Crocker.
Finn, good to have you here. Great to be on, it's been a long
time in the making. Secret location Scott Scott
Football Park Scotland HQ. Yeah, no, it's been a long time
in the making, but hopefully I can bring this podcast to you
and another light and you can enjoy it more if you're still
listening in audio. Appreciate you nonetheless
change. Not going to.
Change your experience, but for you, for those of you that are
watching them in video format, I hope you enjoy it even more now.
Even my graphics and stuff, you never know.
Yeah, sometimes we could. Especially we're talking about
things like the Scotland, not the Scotland squad.
When it comes out in a couple of weeks, we'll have it on the
screen. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So yeah, lots of exciting things happening, lots of guests,
hopefully that you'll recognise in the coming weeks and months.
Yeah, fingers crossed. They've made me big promises, so
they better they better keep them.
Anyway, let's get into it. Yeah, OK, so first of all,
league action, Hearts beat Falkirk matches going on today,
but I think we could expect Celtic and Rangers to probably
pick up all Rangers. I'd expect them to get 3 points.
You'd never know what self. Self take it yeah like I'll hold
my breath on that but yeah it's crazy we're still here talking
having the same conversation Motherwell as well actually, you
know not I'm telling you miles away from Rangers I'm.
Telling you currently as we're talking, I think if yeah, they
won their game in hand, 5 nil against St.
Mirren, dominant performance and I was not surprised in the
slightest, but I think 7 points behind IF or 1010 points behind
Hearts and five points behind Rangers.
Rangers obviously they've got like their game, but you know,
massive from them. Really can't tell what way it's
going to go. It is like you said, it's mad
that we're in February and we're still talking about a title
race. I thought it'd be like Aberdeen
last season, where Aberdeen fans like myself got our hopes up and
then absolutely just fell off. Yeah, a cleft last season, but
no fair play to Hearts. You've you've got to just give
them our props that they're still battling away.
Watched, watched the Volkirk match last night, the full
thing. I was working on it.
And yeah. Not their best performance,
they'd say, but it was assured. Volkirk didn't really threaten
Swallow coming into it. And that's the thing as well, I
think we've used this phrase so many times in the past, but good
teams find ways to win with them not playing their best and they
said not their best, but Falkirk are not an easy team to play.
No, no, they've been great this season and I think, yeah, Hearts
have been doing it but also Celtic have been doing it,
Martin O'Neill said. It can't go on like this but it
has been, it can. No, obviously Chamberlain, last
minute winner against Livingston, last minute scraped
to go to extra time against Dundee in the cup and then
obviously 2 nil down against Kilmarnock.
The battle back like champions show I guess, and they won it No
32. They've done well, like I mean
like you said, even that Kilmarnock game, especially
Kilmarnock go 2 nil up and you still know if Celtic and just
turn it on a bit, they can come back.
And you know, I think someone in the in the the admin group chat
mentioned you just know it's going to be our last minute,
last minute 32. And I don't know that's what it
was. So, but yeah, I mean, yeah, I
think we, we talked with Forker there as well.
Obviously he said it's crazy we're still here in February
talking about title race. It's crazy here in February and
we're looking just before we started at the top six, kind of
locked down already almost. Isn't it?
I think, yeah, obviously we as an Aberdeen lost our game
against Dundee yesterday. 32 questionable red card I'll say I
think he you'll gain I think is how we pronounce his name just
runs across Liam Morrison and you know it results in a red
card We can debate about it but I'll skip over it but I think
yeah with that loss there's there's not many games left to
split I think what 6. Yeah, it's a 10 point gap
between 6th and 7th. 10 point gap, I think, yeah, I think as
much as the season's been amazing.
Yeah, the top six and the bottom six are the most defined and the
biggest gap I've seen in years. And yeah, the relegation scrap
is still half open, but it's not as exciting as the title face
the the the title race obviously will be.
Yeah, and that's just I mean, I think you you just you touched
on a game yesterday, mention the red card.
I think there's a goal you've got to mention as well.
It has to be one of the goals of the season, that strike from
Ethan Allen, and I mean it's one of those ones where you saw a
line up and you think. Oh, what are you doing?
Yeah. You know, almost going away from
goal, so there wasn't, you can see was perfectly balanced to
hit it. That's one of the best goals
I've seen in the Premiership this season.
He's been, he's been quite good for Dundee's, you know.
I mean, that's his second, yeah. Typical.
It's against Aberdeen, but yeah, I think yeah, the title fight is
the title fight. The title race is going to be
yeah, the best what we've seen. I don't even, there's not been a
a real three horse title race obviously from when I've been
alive. I don't know but you either.
I think yeah, dating back to at least 80s if not sevenies.
And you know, it's hard to predict which way it goes.
Obviously the the split will be vital.
I think Motherwell will have a major say in it with who they
can take points off. Of I can't.
I mean, if I'm honest, although we're seeing how close they are
to angels, I can't really see them.
And I don't mean this, like most respect to Motherwell for what
they've done this season. It's incredible.
But I just don't feel teams will mess up enough to drop out that
top three. No, I don't.
I don't think Motherwell are. I'm just saying that they will
have a major. Impact, They can take points off
either of them and see it happening to one of them.
Even like Hearts fans at my work were saying like, you know,
Motherwell's the team they're really worried about because
they played the best football. They fought against our
something that I don't know, I've not spoke to them since the
Rangers game when they got beat for two.
But they were like they they they said mother was the best
team they played all season. I think they're the best.
To watch team in the whole league easily.
And the things that we see any other season not getting first
place had consequences. This season could be even
greater because obviously Celtic playing quite poorly in Europe,
which we're about to touch on. It looks like there's only going
to be 1 Champions League slot now.
Yeah, and yeah, I mean, guys like Celtic and Rangers really
do value that champions. League next season, yeah.
So, but I, yeah, I think you can touch on that as well.
Martin O'Neill in his press conferences, press conferences
mentioning kind of the the gap in finance in the financial
aspects between Celtic and the rest of European competition.
But I think he was well at a line when they've lost to Kaira
Almaty. Yeah, that's, that's The thing
is, is you're not. You didn't get pumped to the
Champions League because he turned you over.
Exactly. He kept on mentioning, you know,
teams and Binders League and and the Premier League are able to
spend 40607080 million on players and then sell them for
half the price six months later. But you can't really be
mentioned in that when you score, you score zero goals and
210 minutes supply against a team from Kazakhstan that's
never been in the Champions League.
There's team, there's teams in Europe that have budgets.
Not to this summer to Celtic arguing more, but not not in the
same ballpark as the teams he just referenced.
And they find ways. Yes, and and they're not even
first in the domestic league and they're behind A-Team that's got
a tenth of their budget. So it's, you can talk about
budgets all you want, but for me, I think you need to focus on
yourselves and they've, they've not spent money wisely in recent
years. They've got a decent squad but
I. Was thinking certainly what I
felt what separated them out from Rangers was a transfer
policy. They were really good at buying
guys and moving them on, making profit, you know, guiding buying
guys and knew they could increase the value off, yeah,
like they might have done by an angle there with a transfer of
potentially 25,000,000. Which is bonkers money.
I would have Snapchat, yeah. They wouldn't really want to be
seen to be a club that was getting rid of talent at that
point because of what's going on between the board and the fans
where they've not been happy they're signing players.
So to be selling players would be bad.
But for me, the money that was offered there was crazy.
But like, that was Celtics flagship policy.
We come and we could bring players in, we sell them on,
make profit rich and repeat. We stayed top of the league.
Yeah, and that's we. Weren't good at that.
Yeah, and it was because they bought players who didn't have
the same lifespan, it looks. Like Aaron Ramsey on mad wages.
Yeah, exactly. And.
From the Europa League it. Feels like that's something
Celtic kind of slipped into. Yeah, I think in past years what
they've been been able to do is, you know, if a type of bid like
it didn't January came in and they were comfortable with 15
points off of the league, they'd sell that player and they'd
still coast the league title. Whereas this season, they're
backed up against the corner they're not in, they're in 3rd
place as we're recording. You know, could be different
when this gets released in a couple of days.
Yeah, but like with that squad and the budget, you'd expect
them to be first. And the board has not delivered
with signance. I think it was 00 pounds spent
on transfers in January. Just all loans.
It was all loans, Yeah, yeah. All loans for Jillian Araujo,
the striker that I'm not going to try and pronounce, and Oxley
Chamberlain on a free, obviously and Adamu on loan.
Oxley Chamberlain on a free is quite good.
I mean, granted, I mean he showed his quality with that
goal. But yeah, it's it's a big
rebuild for them in the summer and I think 1 area they will
need to improve on is the goalkeeper.
Well, because I mean, before we move on to the sort of Scotland
talk mentioned in Celtic and Europe, they had to Stuttgart.
It was a four one defeat at home.
Looking more than likely that they'll probably be out of
Europe from this time next week unless there's some sort of
dramatic turn around in Germany. I mean, and, you know, the the
fault of that lies across many players.
It was a, you know, a performance that was, you know,
available standards. But Casper's Michael was so far
off it. And, you know, I mean, people
are. So I've spoken at many different
things about him. I think we get talked about
quite a lot. And he's not really.
He doesn't look like an athlete. Yeah, it was the goal in the
second-half that he sort of tries to beat away with.
His all wrong. Missed times and it's just it
becomes a very easy shot that, you know, he should like,
there's no way he shouldn't be saving that.
Yeah, I would be disappointed if a guy in the Championship that
obviously I'm a worst fan, but if that goes in that always I'll
slap that in somehow. No, but like, I've been just one
of my goalkeeper like that. And, you know, it wasn't, it
wasn't. It was a little honest.
It's not that it was a team shot, but you can't be, you
know, and it was, that was just the chain on the cake at that
point, so. He's he's been targeted by
Celtic fans. You can't really say wrongly so
I think Neil Lennon and Martin O'Neill touched that, whether
they were really disappointed by the fans reaction to the keeper.
But if I was a Celtic fan I'd be disappointed by Michael's
performances. I mean he's had many a dodgy
day. I don't think that I've not
rated him much since that first season where he was all right.
But since then he's not been at his best, obviously.
He gave me one of the greatest moments in the Scottish Cup
final when he flapped at just what was a cross that ended up
in the back of his own net. And he's had various errors,
various errors since then. So, you know, you can't really
say it's wrong for Celtic fans to to question whether he's good
enough for Celtic anymore. I think you need you need to
leave the game before the game leaves you as a good phrase.
Good phrase there. But it looks like it's left.
Yeah, he's clearly not at his best And you know, I think
goalkeeper will be, like you said, one of the main things
that looking for in the summer and obviously a manager where
Jens Berthalaska spotted in the director's box at the last
Celtic game. I think so, could be 1 to watch
but yeah wait and see until the end of the season.
Yeah, if it was him in mas when he say that when one of our fans
would be spewing, but I don't think that would be as a neutral
that's that would be. But yeah, wait and see right.
OK, so league football covered Scotland got a friend in the
coming up soon injuries racking up.
We've got I mean I've we've got had to write a list.
It's that long. Gordon picked up an injury for
Hearts in training and Hickey off injured yesterday.
Could be a knock. But people that are watching
said he was getting some treatment.
His hamstring. So it's kind of been giving him
trouble for a while. Obviously, Shanklin's still out
injured hamstring, is it not? Yeah, hamstring there.
Adam's also injured. Doke still trying to come back.
Gallon Doke. Even gold's still out.
Going gold. Going gold Mulligan John McGann
picked up his Not the sort of knee.
Something into around his knee. Yeah, so.
You know, I can't see Vela been too happy.
I'm getting rest for a friendly if he's just sort of come back.
Yeah, yeah. Max Johnson also out.
So, you know, but with that comes opportunities.
Obviously, it's just friendly. So you do want.
We know what John McGann offers. We know what we can get from
Hecky and stuff like that. Wildcards who could be see
coming in to place these guys potentially who deserves maybe a
chance to sort of take a claim to place in the squad.
So we've got this got this period coming up in March, the
March international window. We'll then have few weeks before
the World Cup where we host Chris OU and then we're off to
South Florida. I think it is It's not oh, it
might be New York. It's not been named yet, but
we're hoping to play Odds I. Peru in a in a friendly.
Peru and a friendly so it's. Not been confirmed the venue but
there's been rumors of Florida but our base has been confirmed
as Charlotte so I wouldn't be surprised to see it there.
Never. I think New York was foored for
the Yeah, we'll see. So I yeah, wild cards.
I mean, there's been a kind of trend on social media in the
last couple of days or not a trend of movement to kind of
Jordan Hills, Jordan Hillsgrove been a good player for Esteril
and League of Portugal been. Falling under.
The radar, it's a completely under the radar.
I think it's a mind kind of thing where you know, he's not
been the best player in the division, but he's been steady.
5 assists this season, one goal in the league and yeah, he's
been really good. One of the best players in the
league according to Portuguese journalist.
I've can't say I've watched them have a decent amount, but
obviously was capped a lot at youth levels.
Did really well. He was under.
The 21 for Scotland, kind of in Edinburgh.
Yeah, aged out of it and hasn't been seen since.
But yeah, I think with the amount of injuries, obviously
our midfield is excellent, one of well the best area on the
pitch. But I think he could be someone
that could add to the squad in a in a different manner.
I don't think, I mean, like you said, it'd be it'd be hard from
to break into the squads. One thing breaking into the
start lineup or even getting off the bench or by Challenge 2
right backs on that list are injured.
Kobe Donovan's not a bad show. I would rather him than Tony
Ralston. I think completely because you
know, we're looking forward to the summer.
We've got options. We've got you want hacky back,
you want Johnson back or Patterson Donovan, you know, as
a fourth option. You never know what the injuries
could be like come that point in time.
I think I would fear him that I was then, especially going
forward long term, I think he's going to be one of the guys that
we could be looking at as a Scotland right back.
Yeah, I think when it's these types of decisions where, you
know, for me, I would say Colby Donovan is clearly better than
Anthony Elson. But some people want to debate
it. Even if it's a 5050 for me, you
have to go with the youth if it's.
Yeah, long term plan. If it's, you know, fourth choice
right back, if you're looking ahead to 2028 when we're hosting
for 20-30, when we're even to get to another World Cup,
Ralston will not be there. He's proven in my opinion that
he's not up to at the big stage. Obviously was at fault for that
Shakiri goal against Switzerland and I don't I don't think he can
handle the pressure. And I've said when he was even,
even when he was backup right back for Celtic, he was starting
for Scotland when we had some injuries.
I'm saying how is the backup right back for Celtic?
Scotland's first choice and I do not think he's up to.
I think Colby Donovan definitely has much greater potential than
anything Anthony Elson has at this stage of his career.
Obviously he's been a decent servant to Celtic, but I think
we need to start looking towards building the team for when key
players age out, which they are. Time is not on the side,
obviously. So yeah, he's definitely a wild
card for me. There's a couple others.
Maybe we'll obviously messing Shankland and Adams will give
and you got dog as well. He's a forward.
There's opportunities for guys to get in there that can maybe
give I mean something different attacking wise.
I mean Robbie Uri you're. 20. Two potentially or 21.
It depend on when this gets released.
He's he has been sort of shipping away in Sweden quite
well. He's a serious.
He's obviously started the Rangers.
He went to Anderlecht, never
really quite made it there. He's gone up into the the
Swedish for top division. Yeah.
And he's just been quietly working away scoring goals to
the extent that he's actually piqued the interest of the
Ukrainian national team. Yeah.
Because a lot of people won't know us and we didn't know until
it got reported. He's actually got a Ukrainian
grandfather. Yeah.
So eligible to represent both wouldn't want to lose him.
So he does seem, you know, he's young, he's clearly, you know,
everyone develops at different points that could be are.
And he just seems to be getting to a good point.
Like he was rumoured to maybe be on the radar of Ukrainian
Premier League team to get signed.
So yeah, it'd be we've lost a few guys over the years to
different teams who looked like they would have been assets to
us. Scott Arfield comes to mind.
Scott Arfield Yeah, I was making more A to Mickey day.
Yeah, Karamoko Denbelly. Yeah, he's not gone yet.
Yeah, no. Yeah.
No, you mentioned there. Yeah, he's been on the radar,
but you? Know what if he hadn't done his
ACL? Karamoko Denbelly.
He would have been in this Yeah, no, he's he's robbery has been
really good at in Sweden. He was good and either like his
team obviously didn't break out into the first team.
Yeah, but he was good there and like you said, he was on the
radar. Ukrainian team, I'm not going to
try and pronounce it, but they're in the Ukrainian Premier
League and also, very interestingly, RB Salzburg.
Oh yeah, Which external Highland?
I'm telling you like that's. He does look like he just got an
eye for goal. You see when you see his goals
clinical, you get into the right areas and stuff.
I mean, if you look at his goals, they look like it
happens. But then you if you look at his
movement, yeah, it's excellent. And there's a reason why you're.
Consistently getting happens. You're doing something right,
Yeah. No, he's in the process of
getting a Ukrainian passport, reportedly because Ukraine are
wanting him for the World Cup qualifiers, their playoffs.
So we need to act quickly. Obviously, even if he did get
the Ukrainian passport, that doesn't mean he will definitely
represent them. I think he's just wanting the
options open. Yeah, but it would be.
If it gets to the point where he's like, I'm not getting a
call for Scotland and he could get called up to Ukraine.
I would blame him. You wouldn't want to be messed
up again. No.
As far as when you could just be yeah, on a plane.
So yeah, fair enough. I.
Think another one in that striking department is Rory
Wilson. Obviously he's been very hyped
for a number of years, kind of. I think you've said in previous
podcasts, I agree with it. When he went down to England,
Aston Villa, it was kind of at the same level as hype as Billy
Gilmore. Yeah, both leave Rangers with
the same sort of level and a guard.
He came down to Aston Villa. That was when Steven Gerrard was
the manager. I think he was a big factor in
in getting him down there and hasn't broke it into the first
team. He's done well at the under
nineteens, under 20 ones now and he's got his first professional
loan move. He's actually on the bench for
the first time today as we're recording this.
So yeah, see how he does if he gets on.
But it's the Sturmgratz Austrian 1st Division.
They've won the league title for the last two years.
We'll know them very well from Max Johnson's tenure where he
where he won both of those league titles as well as an
Austrian Cup. If I'm not mistaken, there was
rumours of him going to Hoffenheim.
Well, we can confirm Hoffenheim made an offer, but what he
wanted was a straight loan with no option to buy and they
weren't prepared to offer that. So it fell through.
But I think Stung Grass is probably a better option, gives
them more opportunity for game time.
I feel in an environment where the squad is eyeing up another
league title, three in a row would be massive.
In a league dominated by Ari Salzberg.
Like we just touched on them, they are, yeah.
It's a great move. And see how it does there.
Yeah, and like you said, we're not being blessed.
We're like. Out and out #9's.
Yeah. So it'd be yeah.
And he would be a sort of closer replacement, maybe a sort of
Shanklander Adams, Yeah. Because right now it seems like
for the March friendlies, the only two strikers that are
locked in are Lyndon Dykes and Kieran Bobby.
Because Jay Adams and. Yeah, that'd be a four.
Shanklin, they're injured, so it's wide open.
One last wild card for me probably, and this is like her
name for the past Oliver Bark. He's he's again just working
away in Germany. He's at Union Berlin right now.
What a hat trick this season in the Business League versus Scott
to do that. Frankfurt 5411 score, yeah,
score goals across other games will grab the cysts.
Very powerful runner, very, very quick, yeah.
And you know, maybe looking more at the winger, but also as just
a a good guy up front that could be running behind and stuff.
It's good to see because he was. He played in Clark first game
against Cyprus. The winner, Yep scored. 91st
minute. I it was a header off the post
that rebounded straight back to him that he then open goal from
that. And so yeah, that was saved.
Their saved their saved their there from my first a draw where
Cyprus team that probably didn't deserve it.
But yeah, I think I think I would like to see Ollie.
I mean he's I think he's the same age as me.
So he's getting on. He's very old.
He's not, he's not quite a fairy, but he's not far off.
But he's Kirkcaldy as well. Yeah.
You all the best guys got
Cairnbury Holly. Mark, you'll get Eddie Kirkaldy
boy in as he can. Yeah.
No, he gives. He definitely gives us something
different. I was going to mention that he
did give us something different at the start of Clark's tenure.
Yeah. And yeah, we've really been, I
feel like we have been limited in our attacking options when it
comes to pace. Obviously Bengar and Doke gives
us that pace when he's available, but you struggled
with fitness. And you notice when he's not
there. Yeah.
I feel like once you've had Gan and Doke and a team and he
disappears, you're like. We're so slow.
Yeah, but it's, you didn't notice it before, but when you
put him in and you take him out to lay out, right, we really
could do with that because it gives us such an extra yeah
dimension to the. An attack we've we've had to,
you know, keep central or when we do try and go wide, we've had
John Mcgahn or Ryan Christie on the wings who aren't the
fastest. Obviously there was mention of
Harvey Barnes. We've not mentioned that since
the last podcast. Yeah, he's well, Steve Clarke's
confirmed that he's focusing on trying to get into the England
squad for me, I think you speaking for both of us.
Good riddance if if you turned in Scotland.
I said I only want. Players that want to play for
Scotland. Like for me, like, the Navy blue
jersey is worth no less than a white one.
You know it's worth more. But yeah, and if you, but if you
get asked once and you say this is I'm sorry, I want to focus.
On I want to keep my options open.
Yeah, it should be door closed. Yeah, You know, you know what?
We would give the pill on a Scotland jersey and play for the
national team. You know, you want guys like
John McGann, you know, you can see the determination.
You know what they give. You want guys like Scott
Mcdorman who just came straight in and have, you know, been.
Even if he's not inherently the stereotypical Scottish guy,
yeah, he's came through the youth and he's wanted to
represent Scotland through his family heritage, so that's
important for me. And that brings me on to, I
think, probably my last wild card.
Elliot, Walt Motherwell. He's a wild card as a wild card.
He doesn't like it. He doesn't like it.
Well, I don't like it. It's just like we have said,
like the midfield is a very competitive area.
But yes, playing in the probably the most exciting football team
apart from Hearts in the league. I think it's more exciting than
hearts. I think they're not as good, but
they're more exciting. I think Elliot Watt, he was
vocal about it as well. That's what I like about him.
He was vocal about I want to get into the squad one day because
he's got grandparents that were born in Govan who were from
Govan. Yeah, so and as well Mark
Leonard also probably competing for a summer position to tell.
I mean, if you're. Can't see if one of them's lucky
enough to Ben that we won or both.
Yeah, I think obviously came on loan from Birmingham City.
His manager at the time said he was good enough to get into the
Scotland squad. Obviously tailed off not as not
as much game time, last end, last part of last season and the
the start of the season. So he came along to Hearts and I
think he's not seen the best of them, but we've seen glimpses of
what he can do. Yeah, he hit the ground running
in that Celtic game, which was going to be a challenge, so he
did well there. But yeah, those are those are
the new additions to the team we could possibly see or the Japan
friendly as well as Ivory Coast one which we have down the road
in Liverpool. But if you are going to Hamden
for the Japan game, there will be a few changes if you've
picked up your ticket for that already.
First one, if you are an appreciator of Scott Mccomoney
art, there is a giant mural now. If you've not seen it, you've
done well to avoid it. Mount Florida tenement now has a
giant painting which spans pretty much the length of the
building off his moment against Denmark in November past.
So they've not wasted any time in getting that up, Yeah.
Yeah, really great to see. I think we mentioned it off
camera as well where that kind of over it.
It'll be seen from Lester Hampden.
Yeah, yeah. Which?
When the national team train on that pitch, Scott Mctominay will
be. Able to my talking point now.
Scott Mizomi will be able to see himself and you can talk about
what one of your Wreath Rovers fans said about the mural and
what it can do. Yeah, he's gone.
Yeah, going to a wreath guy. Robbie, I saw him and he he said
he thinks every town up and down the country should have a mural
of the greatest moments from their respective team.
But you think's a really good shout because the Wolf fans do
get a hard time sometimes, I think from wider society,
despite the fact that it is probably the biggest subculture
culture, whatever it is, the biggest culture of in Scotland.
I'd say yeah, in terms of what it brings and yeah, how much it
does for its communities. And yeah, I totally agree with
that. It'd be nice to, it'd be nice to
have, you know, to walk up the streets of Cricord.
And what? Yeah, what was Wraith's fee?
What for the Rover's biggest moment in my life?
Probably beating Rangers in their arms in cup.
So maybe John Baird jump in as he celebrates.
What competition was that? John's Cup.
Oh did he? Did he cup?
Right. For Aberdeen.
But the biggest, actual biggest moment would be being Celtic and
the League Cup Ibrox so can't appreciate it.
That and obviously for Aberdeen it would be beating Real Madrid
and the the Europeans. Don't age whenever that was
nice. I bet Real Madrid were back when
Real Madrid were rubbish. You love, you love to talk
about, you love to talk about you leading against Bayern
Munich. That was just as far back.
But yeah, obviously winning against Real Madrid in the
European final, still the last seem to do it back in 1983 and
obviously beating Hamburg in the second.
Oh well, you know, we've got 2 European trophies.
Yeah, no, the Scottish clubs done that.
So you've already got the Dickley then?
Not the Dickley, the law. Yeah, Dennis Law, right?
Rightly so. But in my lifetime it'd probably
be, well, it'd have to be Dematar meet off saving Alistair
Johnson's penalty and Callum McGregor crying on the Hamden
pitch. You can have a you need a few
then I think. To be fair, I think that the
folk Aberdeen probably won't be too happy with me saying this,
but the the set escape, the grey set escape is not the most
flattering so. No, get as many murals up with.
The Aberdeen's best moments might not be an idea.
Get as many murals up as you can.
I don't want to see any more granite.
But yeah, but not as good. I mean we have got a few
already, like you said, the the the law one, but the it's coming
home at the EUR. That was quite cool.
I mean, Caroline Weir's got her one in Dunfermline and now we've
got Scott Many one in Glasgows. It's been Cuthbert, Scotland
somewhere. Cough bras definitely go on.
I can't I want, I want to say green, but I don't think is, but
it's something or something, it's something like that.
It's Glasgow direction should probably shoot that right.
Anyway, I yeah, it'd be good. I know that there's a lot of art
in Glasgow. I'd be nice to see it cropping
up elsewhere. Yeah, little clubs getting their
moments because, like I said, there are big parts to
communities, especially the small themes.
They've all got their big moments and it'd be nice to for
them, you know, for that to be there to see for everyone and
another change and then we will hopefully get to it before I
think it's been confirmed. Had the trials with beer at the
other is the League Cup semi final finals.
Yeah, they've had lots of trials at Patodre.
Aberdeen had theirs as well. Patodre's had a couple, but
there will be beer on sale at Hampton.
The world is healing. Yeah, against Japan for me
because I I don't know. I don't know.
Your opinion isn't it? But it's someone like, I'm, I'm
20, so I'm fucked. Well, no.
Well, we're both in the same category here.
We're both from a generation of football fans in Scotland.
Yeah. Like, there is a watershed
moment for most fans, though. Like either went to games when
you could get beer or, you know, you know, you can't.
Can't remember how long when that came in, but there's
probably a. Long most.
People now, you know, I've not really had a beer at football
match in Scotland and yeah, just be, I don't know.
For me, it's not something I'm desperate for.
I'm not desperate, but we definitely are.
Nice at this. It's nice to have.
I think, you know, I don't like looking at the rugby and seeing
them drinking libation thing. And what's so different about
Scotland fans at Hampden? No, no, I think it's been, it's
been discriminatory for a long time.
Where Oh yeah, Scotland fans are less well behaved than rugby
fans, which I don't think it's true.
So I think fans are actually some of the better behaved ones
I. Loved around the world.
Wherever we go. So it'll be, it'll be, it'll be
nice. And you ever know, I think, I
don't know, maybe 4 needs. It's been quiet.
It's not apart from when it's been going well at Hamden, it's
been a little bit quiet. What you get is at Hamden
especially, you can get back queues before kick off because
everyone stays in the pubs as long as they can, as long as and
then all flood over. You know, however long before
kick off, 1020 minutes and it's never enough time.
It'd be nice to think, you know what, let's now talk.
Kick off. Let's get in the stadium and
grab. Be there.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, hopefully it can
be a great day. I think kick offs at 4:00 PM for
that Japan game, 5:00 PM and obviously we're all looking
forward to the World Cup, but if we look a bit further ahead to.
Yeah. September or September?
October I think. No first four games.
They've changed international window for the later the later
games in the year now. So instead of in September 2
games, October 2 games and N2 games, they're combining the
autumn window into four matches are just, you know.
In one window in. One window, yeah.
So they actually straddle the September, October months, OK
and? That's for Nations League.
Just I think it's just because I kind of agree where you know,
yeah, domestic just come back and somebody straight away the
national team. So and that could be fun, you
know, for about the bad games for Scotland really chance for
you know, I mean, you never know what the you ever know what the
landscape of the national team could be that time either that
could be could be a new manager trying to get get his team.
To work. Or it could just be a Clark
trying to, you know, really nail down things after a good World
Cup. Fingers crossed after the win.
So yeah, yeah, try and get the hangover to win that.
I'll still be struggling if we have won it, I'll still be
struggling. My hangover then.
And then we got yeah. So I just to recap, we were a
Part 1 team in League B and we were drawn against the best part
team, 2 best team in Part 2, sorry, who were Switzerland and
then also Slovenia and N Macedonia.
So yeah, Tracky draw in Switzerland, but unfinished
business, I feel they're with us in terms of, you know, that game
of the EUR, we kind of gifted them.
He did very well for the goal, but it was kind of of our own
making with a Ralster mistake. Slovenia and Macedonia, not too
much to be concerned by there, but again.
Tesco, they've got their key #9 which we don't have.
So, you know, you could. Bojan Milski, the absolute rat.
Yeah, it's not an amazing draw depending on what lens you look
at it. I know you've already booked
Switzerland. Cheap flight over.
Bought it Quid. It's Jeanine Vanessa.
Not bad, yeah, but no, I've got me home like, but yeah.
I think it depends how you look at it because I'll shout out
Scotland's coefficient right now on Twitter.
Great account, go follow them if you haven't already.
But we were having a conversation and we both came to
the conclusion that it might be better to stay in League B for
the next cycle. This is if you're playing the
very long game here. The long, yeah, the long route.
Because what we know from past experiences is that if you win
your group, you are promoted, but you're also guaranteed a
playoff for the next major international tournament.
So for EUR 2020, we got that playoff through winning our
League C Nations group. Was it Israel and Albania?
Yeah, it was. League C Nations Group and
obviously we got through the playoff and and did it there,
but with how many different ways we can qualify for EUR 2028, it
feels a bit wasted almost. We're pretty much guaranteed a
place based on the host rule. Yeah, there's there's two places
reserved for hosts that don't automatically qualify or qualify
through other means. So it would be an absolute.
It'd have to be an absolute disaster for.
You'd have to be. Multiple ways not qualifying.
Yeah, it's dependent. Dependent on if it's based on
ranking or yeah, qualification. But yeah, we're basically
guaranteed a spot. So if we say finish second,
don't get promoted and save it up for the next cycle.
You never guaranteed promotion, but I think obviously if you
could get the playoff for either the EUR or the World Cup, World
Cup is too much harder to qualify far as and we've learned
that over the years. And yeah, you'd much prefer the
World Cup. We've.
Done it this time. We've had a playoff, but it's
good to have it in the back pocket.
So exactly, yeah, that'll be. I mean, I don't think we can.
We can. We can sort of thoughts about
what we would rather go. By the end of the day,
Scotland's going to go out and try and win all the games, so
we'll just have to see how that one works.
And if you if you get top 2 in your group, you're guaranteed at
least Part 2 for your 2028 qualifier.
Which is more important? I'd say yeah, so.
I mean, ideally if there's a new manager, say something like
that, you get promoted and then when you're in league, you try
and get top 2 and push on. If you if you want to be, you
know, transitioning from a team that qualifies for tournaments
and a team that competes at tournaments.
But how likely is that? You know, you got to be
realistic. I don't know how likely that is.
So you've got to look at it from all aspects.
I think one other thing that's happened since we last spoke on
the podcast, ticket sales for the World Cup have been
completed. Obviously badly that you had
your early application process, but if I've now confirmed
whether your application was successful, how many tickets
you've got, they've taken the money that everyone's going to
get stressed about that because it's like, oh, FIFA is fine with
saying, oh, if you don't, you need to have available funds.
And then you know, if we can't take the money like all these
sort of threats you get, we're like worrying you're not going
to get tickets every possible way you couldn't get your
tickets. You're stressing about across
the board. Most people got what they wanted
and what they deserved in terms of points and tickets and things
like that. However, there was a couple 100,
I believe, fans who applied for easy access tickets without
realizing that easy access is actually disability access
tickets. And you have to have you have to
have like proof of SL and things like that.
And there isn't actually that many tickets available.
I think it was in the single digits.
Four. Yeah, so crazy.
Well, there's a lot of people weren't too happy about that.
But I mean, the SFA were pretty good with the comms on that
front. They.
Really emphasised. Yeah, Change it.
Check it. So my dad made that mistake,
yeah, but we spotted it so. I spotted it.
Yeah, you spotted it exactly. To be fair, to be fair, I saw
and. I read it as early access.
Some folks saw that as well,
though. Yeah, it's and is, is, I think
it's an easy mistake to make. Yes, but yeah.
And so I but most people are happy.
I got my I got 5 that I'm going I've it's not I don't have
faith. We wouldn't get further, but we
did not have the the funds this year's further than the last 16.
I don't think I've got the annual leave for it either, to
be honest, but keep multiple people happy with how I spend my
holidays. So, but yeah, it's I, No, it
was, it should be. It should be good.
Now it feels like we're one step closer.
It's it's getting very, very real and very, very exciting.
Yeah, obviously we're going together.
So I've got my three tickets for the grip stage as well.
Baller, you've gone cut one like Spender.
Well, I couldn't get anything else.
Obviously this guy's a addict away game, so he's got a few
more points than me. So I had to settle for $700.00
tickets to the Brazil game, I think it was.
But you know, it'll be worth it when we win the whole thing.
But no, I think we we obviously also to touch on the Haiti game,
the most requested the. Most in demand?
The most in demand? Game of the resale platform.
It was a resale trade. It was.
A trade one of one of the two. Which is crazy when you consider
because, I mean, there's no way fans at that game technically,
you know? Hate your fans are banned for
anyone that doesn't know. I hate your fans as well as a
couple of other nations are banned from travelling and
therefore they will be only the support of Scotland fans at the
game as well as neutrals. I mean, obviously there is the
argument that a lot of Scottish expats across the across the
pond and the North East of America and also Canada will be
wanting to go to those games. I think when I when I think
about people like that picture the the two guys from Chin the
fat, he's in sketch. And then they come home.
Oh, man, you some people know I'm talking about they say they
come down like I can't remember. I'm going to put you.
I wouldn't want to do the accent because they would just get
clapped. But yeah, like basically the one
eighth, the 1/8 Scotch, Scotch, Yeah, Scotch brigade.
I'd be out in force. But aside from that, you know,
there are games that include maybe France, Norway.
There'll be two sets of fans driving to the demand.
Well, Scotland, Haiti is. Scotland Scotland fans alone are
driving the biggest demand in the World Cup right now.
I think it's because there's maybe not an assumption but a
strong hope that it'll be a first World Cup winning.
How many years when finals will stop since they because yeah, so
we've not, we've been at €2.00 not.
Even win it. Oh, you could be.
You know, actually you're right there.
Thanks. Yeah, obviously, fingers
crossed, Touchwoods, we do win that game.
We should win that game. Yeah, a lot of even people you
just applied for tickets if they could only go at one game that
tend to be on the. Yeah.
And I think that Flower Scotland national anthem when the Haiti
Haiti game comes will be absolutely incredible, I think.
People, people keep harking back to the EUR 24 in Germany, The
Cologne game against Switzerland especially.
The atmosphere was incredible and the the flower of Scotland
hit a different level that evening.
I think in Boston, 60 odd 1000 Scots potentially in there.
Yeah, in the. First World Cup since that would
be. Incredible.
I think, yeah, the Boston Stadium, AK Foxborough Stadium,
because it's so far away from Boston.
Yeah, but no, I think the majority of that stadium will be
a Navy blue or some type of orange or yellow from the away
kits, and it'll be in a magical, magical experience.
Yeah. That'll be a way we're there
waiting in that game, aren't we technically?
Technically, yeah. Yeah.
So I we could be in. A nice 9:00 PM kick off time,
local time I think. It's at 9 PMI.
Think it is 9 so it's plenty of time to get booze in, try and
sober up before the game and then watches 15 nil and Scott
Mcconney score a hat trick then. It's a small ask.
It's all I want right, But I
think I mean, yeah, I think that's a good we've we've
covered absolutely from there first video format.
We've tried our best. It took ages to set up.
So I hope you enjoyed. It thank you very much for for
listening to this first one. A lot of work's gone behind the
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Yeah, I've been. I've been made.
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which was great. Hopefully I got a couple more
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