Listen to the noise, listen to the passion in Hamden Park.
Let's jump again. Let's start it.
Let's move on the grain. Down by dunvish chance, down for
Scotland. Hello and welcome back to the
Scots with my podcast I'm back your host Finn Crocker.
I'm with James Scott today talking about that dramatic game
last night against Greece and Athens obviously didn't come
away with the result. We were hoping going into the
game we needed a draw is what we thought.
We ended up with a three two loss battling back from three
nil down at one point. But luckily Belarus of the one
was a big favour drawn away in Denmark after being one nil
down, they came back to to lead to one.
At even one point Denmark equalised.
Then it was a long wait after full time to see if they would
hang on. They did.
And now it's all in our hands. Come Tuesday, a win and we are
at the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Can we do it? What do you think, James?
I mean, if we play as good as we played at the best parts on
Saturday night, I think we definitely can.
But if we play from much of how we started the game to buy a
different story. But yeah, I mean it's on our own
hands. That's the main thing stuff is
the case of common events. Thank you.
Look at length about the different combination results
that could happen. But a Belarus when or draw was
not something that ever came across.
I have discussion and that's the way that's how it ended up.
Yeah, I mean, Belarus have not got a point before that game
yesterday and obviously they looked a bit better against us
at Hampden, but no one expected them to to get a point.
So. So it's really good to see them.
Obviously we started extremely well.
The first sort of five to 10 minutes we actually were on the
front foot, I feel like. And then the defensive
performance from I think Grant Hanley and John Seuter last
night was was woeful. I think Grant Hanley on that
first goal. Yeah, I think it was Grant
Hanley or maybe it was John Suitor.
Where the ball. And John Suitor for the first
goal, you get kind of just tied in knots.
Him and Andy Robertson kind of go, go, go with a runner, you
know, and say one of them staying with the man.
I think it's John Suitor's really stay with the guy there
and just you don't like the. Block yeah, I think, I don't
know if it was John, John Suitor or Grant Hanley who actually
comes out to the man. And then as he's as he's
reaching the guy, he actually almost like kind of stops and
pauses and that kind of allows the guy to to shift.
Yeah. I mean, it's, I mean The thing
is as well, one of the most disappointing things that
concede now was Craig Gordon made a fantastic save and then,
you know, passing pass, like I said, that's even gets the ball
and slots away to make it on now.
So I watched that possible in that aspect.
Yeah, I mean, as you said, Craig Gordon made I think throughout
the game quite a few big saves to keep us in the game at first,
then I want to. Say given three nil.
A really, really bad start. I think it wasn't even until the
45th minute or an injury time where we actually had a first
shot on target. Obviously McDonald had that
chance. Really nice layoff by I think it
was Christy, maybe Chatham, I'm not sure.
And he hit the bar from that shot.
Then it was Che Adams at the back Post.
What a massive chance he had with that header and that went
wide. And then the last chance, the
half, Ben Duke, one-on-one really good movement to to get
that chance for himself. And then he has to for me,
either put that near post, lay it back or chip the goalkeeper.
I think far post was the wrong choice there.
Obviously he did get his his first senior Scotland goal later
in that game in that kind of fight back that we saw in the
second-half, which we'll talk about.
Yeah. But going into halftime, one
nil, despite how many chances Greece had, just because of how
many chances we had at the end of that first half, you kind of
felt like we should have been level.
Yeah. I mean, we went in half time
forward income at the best time for us, but it was a chance to
sort of reset and we knew if we came out and played how we had
been when we went and we'd be probably looking quite strong to
get a goal. And we we did that.
But we came in brilliantly. And then, you know, after a fair
bit of pressure against the run and play, you know, again, I
think it's kind of defensive mistake and highly I don't know
if I'm being unkind and seeing hesitated too much, but you
know, let's say a striker get up and round and then make but for
crisis. And it's just I mean that was
such a sucker punch because I felt worse.
We were moments away from 112 down.
Yeah, that Chay Adams chance, I think that was at one nil where
Ryan Christie's through one-on-one and he cuts it.
Yeah, he cuts it back to Chay Adams.
And again, kind of a reoccurring theme with throughout the whole
game, kind of just that split second hesitation, that maybe
lack of confidence. I'm not sure what it is, but but
we had, yeah, honestly just he is even even after he takes that
touch, he's hit it on the floor. I mean, you have to hit it high
into the net. Maybe more like London Dicks
against Greece. Hampden, obviously you were
there. James, you're in the airport
right now ready to fly back for for the game on Tuesday.
So if you can hear any background noise, apologies.
But obviously you had a different view, had the whole
build up, the whole atmosphere. Firstly, how was it in Athens in
the build up to the game? And secondly, how, how did you
feel the the the game and the atmosphere progressed as the
game went on? Obviously very up, up and down
night, obviously going three nil down.
Then the fight back thinking we're going to get that third
goal, it not happening, thinking we're out.
Then then the Belarus news. I mean, how was it all for you?
Yeah, I mean I arrived on the Friday morning, but it's usually
if she goes beside and always Budapest girlfriend for short
trap and then caught 50 LB fights on daft and so it was
decent and then you know they'll play extra away the sheer
numbers taking over. Thank you know guys in the cut
and I'm really estimating those of course, 4000 pillars
definitely a strong number in the home end and you know as the
day the Friday progressed, it was just good atmosphere, good
mood. Everyone was out making noise,
but decent areas. My fans were congregating.
I'd say the book was good. You know, realized that I speak
to someone that seemed to think we're going to lose.
Again, everyone seemed to be anticipating Scotland, at least
a draw. You know, match day came around
and again, skirts were high. You know, any Greek we spoke.
This seemed very pessimistic about the game.
I lost counting how many times they told me, oh, we've got
nothing to play for. But I always, always came back
and went, well, Scotland, I'm pretty sure on the vet, maybe
it's Scotland, maybe it's over, I can't remember.
But I seem to remember there's enough history of me going to
games where teams have nothing to play for and they gave us a
doing so. New Georgia, for example.
That's one. Don't get me started on those
games. Well, let's let's keep it.
I mean, but it's just, you know, that's how that was in it.
You know, everyone spoke to the geek was, you know, pitching a
Scotland run. I went to the dream, really good
numbers. Just again, it's a good
atmosphere. If you've been out of Scotland,
you know what it's like. Everyone's you know the song.
So we've got McGann and all that rest all the classets do a deer
on the train. Some of the locals want the
president. There's many some people that
are on their commute home after I sat out there working so.
A few renditions of Alexandria. Never might have been Yeah, it
was do a deer on the train that got me.
I like I like do agree a lot of the younger the younger
generation and the and that one. But I do like it yeah.
And, you know, we got onto the ground and I mean, the first
thing it struck me was how purely the Greeks had shown up.
I mean, it's a dead rubber. But when I say the place was
empty, it really felt like it, you know, less than how I feel.
That's that's what it struck me as most of who looked when were
kids, you know, when you just know by the sound that crowd,
it's quite a young audience. That's how it struck me.
And it's everything seemed to be pointing towards, you know, the
cage not there. We were making all the noise and
nothing like March. Hopefully we could, you know,
she kept going 1 and that's not how it went.
Like you said, we started quite clearly generally take any risks
then get the ball moving about quick and we're capitalized on
that. And the fans really stuck with
the team because you know, once we've gotten to half time and
the ward around the guys that were sending me was, you know,
the signs of life in there. You know, we started digging
purely, but we're showing it now.
We come out, we can do it second goal win and actually the fans
are still with the team at that point.
That is, you know again 2 two goals down.
It seems achievable, which obviously was because reminds
the bad two goals when the third goal went in the place dead
start to empty. A lot of people got off and left
that I met, but always things. Crazy from the Scotland awake
roads. Yeah, wow, wow.
How, how how much it cost to go from?
Yeah, I will never leave from an away game.
Never. Yeah, yeah, I've watched the
overs. Going to be 5 one.
I didn't leave early. Yeah, and I was in Athens when
we got beat 69. Well, we weren't allowed to
leave after 50th minute, but I wouldn't.
I don't know if they're, I don't know if they were allowed to
leave Ben Dope scores so quickly.
Those guys are trying to make their way down the stairs
towards exits that hadn't even reached the exit yet, so kind of
stopped and then went back and took their seats.
Yeah, then they. Came back, yeah.
Yeah, And then Keste gets a goal.
And to be honest, at that point, I genuinely, genuinely thought
it was just a matter of time before we thought, you know, I
didn't have so much confidence in the sport when they were
going up. And I just thought, it's coming.
I just thought it's coming. There was a similar roar for the
second Belarus goal in the stadium.
Like, because I heard that going up and I was like, I thought it
was just like a rallying title of players.
And the guy next to me is Gabby went it's 21 to Belarus and
that, you know, at that point I was like, right, steady.
They're still so compatible in both games, you know, I mean,
but yeah, they obviously managed a high on that was that was that
was what made them so interesting because I mean,
before, just before the Emmet comedy was going to squat goal,
it seemed like we'd thrown absolute everything after and
come short. But we knew the score in
Copenhagen. We knew there was 7 minutes had
it on that it really only just started when our 94th minute.
Eventually we knew and kid you not, you looked around and
everyone just go to their phones.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know how we only got 4 minutes, by the
way, It should have been at least 7, as John McGinn said in
his interview, I think, yeah, I was about to say, I think it's a
travesty we only got 4. The referee was I think per all
night and I think that's the most chances I think I've ever
seen a Scotland team create, whether it's again San Marino,
Lichtenstein, Cyprus, I think that's the most big chances I've
seen, was great and they were all in the second, second-half.
That's enough chances for a campaign, Yeah, like.
Honestly. Yeah, honestly, chances across.
All four other games, it's just it's just it's crazy, yeah.
We could have scored five or six there and on another day we
obviously do. It didn't go our way in that
game, but obviously we got a fortune elsewhere, which in
previous campaigns you feel like we haven't got those results to
go our way. So like we said in September,
we're riding our luck a bit. It's the sign of a good team
when when you play badly. But but when?
Anyway, we didn't win tonight, but we got a bit of luck and
yeah, maybe it's just falling our way and maybe it is is our
year. Yeah, I know.
So for me like there was just like I said, I don't know if I
mentioned already about the fact that those getting that result
against what mentioned about the pot.
One side thing, the Belarus. Or no, it's not.
Yeah, like I honestly, I've not checked about if someone, I
don't think there will have been in Hustler a game where Belarus
has taken a point away from home off the pot one side.
Yeah. Must be a first in their history
of the national team of that to come on the night where we.
Need that to happen. It's just.
That it's just, and for me, something's cooking here,
something there's extra forces at work.
Like I mean if someone tells me you're going to get to the whole
cup, you're going to get absolute torture to get there,
you're going to miss all these chances and Greece, it's going
to feel time. You're going to have to wait for
7 minutes because the team that moved the sentence halfway,
we're just sat there for 7 minutes all waiting and then
someone at the front got a notification 1st and the roar
that went up. It's just.
Oh, I can imagine. Tuesday night it's going to be
it's going to be different. I mean, yeah, we've, we've not
qualified. We've we've obviously 2024
euros. We officially qualified after
Norway drew with Spain €2020.00. We obviously qualified through
the playoffs and it was COVID, so we didn't get that moment.
So we've not had that one moment at Hampden yet since I think God
19, I'll get it up 1990 where we drew one run against Norway to
qualify for the World Cup. So we've not had that moment in
so long and I think if we do get that on Tuesday it would be it
just be such a moment to save her.
I think all everyone in the country that's followed the team
a holding way for so long deserves that moment.
Obviously probably the most supported country outside of
just the host in Germany at the 2024 Euros.
We brought so many fans over and it was such a great experience.
I was there for the full thing and yeah, I hope that we can do
it. I hope we can get to to the USA
and let's hope that the the team can can do it.
Let's all get behind the team, Steve Clark said in his press
conference after the game. We need the whole, we need the
the Tartan Army to get behind to get behind us.
He said that one of his favorite quotes to tell the players is to
play with an anticipation of success, not the fear of
failure. And he's going to ask the same
with the Hun hunting crowds. So yeah, if we can all get
behind the team, we all know how special Hampden can be and let's
hope for for a win. And something else to touch on,
there has been reports of a of a big sickness bug going around
the the Danish camp which ruled out Rasmus Hoyland and Joaquin
Anderson of Fulham out of the game against Bellerose.
How big maybe that was because what, on another day they're
both in the team and maybe Holland scores a couple, I don't
know. So let's hope that spreads as
much as possible. Hopefully it's nothing serious,
but hopefully it's just enough that they they missed the
Scotland game. Yeah, I don't know who's been
wasting their shit for whatever. So one of those style game
reactions where you know the actual.
Undercover Scottish, Yeah. Yeah, but the guy is putting
that it's the the guy that's the hygiene fig it's going on.
He's putting stuff in the soup. It's making everyone sick.
They catch on CCTV someone saying that Steve Clark placing
the the canteen food that the best.
Yeah, but yes, I mean, it's yeah.
I mean, again, that's a matter of fact that it's coming into
that like it's just it's something it's just so strange.
You know, I thought that make it you, you'd look back and go
well. What a peculiar.
It's all these little things that that are going our way,
yeah. Like that's touching what you
said at hand and like for me, I've been a wee bit disappointed
in recent years when things my valuable in Scotland very proud
haven't backed them. You know it isn't.
It doesn't take much for the crowd to turn.
I know we were really disappointed in September, but
even their way support was superb And and and after you
think we're two mil down team was still getting backed.
You can see the farther less like people seem to always
actually fair. But as soon as dog got the goal,
you know, they they were really around the 12th man and that can
be a difference around benefits. It's got a full house. 52,000
people get behind the team first minute class.
Do you know what, even if we end up going to nil down, just like
in Athens, we have proved so many times the team don't know
when they're beat and they keep on the final whistle.
So we've seen so many crazy things on supporting Scotland
over the years. You know, don't let don't let
little things get in the way of creating defensive atmosphere
possible for players in the first night last because they
look determined, they look they really want to.
I just get a feeling. Yeah.
I mean, no more than Andy Robertson.
No more than Andy Robertson. I think you can see in old press
conferences recently that obviously this is his last
chance to get into a World Cup. He's won Champions Leagues, he's
won Premier Leagues, he's been to the EUR of his country, but
he's never been to the World Cup, obviously.
And that's something that he's, I'm guessing, dreamed of since
he's a little kid. So for him to be able to
accomplish that, I think he'd be absolutely chuffed.
So, yeah, looking ahead to Tuesday, obviously there's been
calls for Trey Adams to be benched, maybe Grant Hanley to.
Would you make any changes? There's been a lot of Hearts fan
saying Craig Calcott and Lawrence Shankly need to start.
Personally, I think Lyndon Dykes would be better up front.
And then obviously Doke and Megan kind of the same as as
last night. Would you make any changes and
if So, what would it be? Yeah, I think, I think she, she
did a good background for us in Athens.
You know, no, the, the financial was more bizarre than that one.
But he did put in a good share for us and I think it would be
worth chucking. And Dykes from the start there
was Dykes we've said before he tends defenders, he occupies the
space, he makes him work hard, but it's not just a one man job.
Sometimes you need to double up on him and that that does things
for the other guys. Mccomany is a more room when
he's been a total nuisance, you know, up nearly seven halves.
And I think I'd like to see that data is good in Copenhagen as
well. So you know, like whether I know
questions, you know, everybody's playing league wise.
Well, you could like hope to that level.
He's proved time and time again you can score against also
opposition and all that's been. I think she Addams as well
because I think people. Yeah, that's what I was about to
say in. Fact he's he scores against the
lesser nations but yeah, I don't know I don't know why as if it's
confidence or what wish Adams but I would like to see dates on
from the start. You mentioned Hanley as well.
He again, I've defended them for a while, but he was incredible
on on on Saturday night and in the canal.
He's playing a good level DK and week out was a grab, you know,
and I've always admired his sort of physicality as well about
when balls he's passing as well. You know, he's a good player.
So I think for me that would be the only two changes I've made.
You know, Gilmore probably even if he's fat, I can't see him
getting rest from the start. It was a shame because I don't
think either Chrysler or Ferguson off those teams about
the guys in terms of taking the balls and and have them and you
know, he takes the balls was back from the field and so I
managed to get there and get it for a pass away.
But yeah, I think I'm a happier midfield dork and again played
their best football for Scotland in a while.
So I was not too back on you in September.
So yeah, I think, I think Doug was absolutely key to obviously
it wasn't a successful fight back, but I think Doug was
absolutely sensational. He made a lot of big chances.
Obviously that cross to Mcdorman right at the end there.
I think Duke in the last few games is kind of shown that he
was a lot of people were maybe thinking that he was better off
the bench and that he wasn't ready to start.
But I think last night he really showed that he can step up in
the big moments. And like you said, and when you
touched on Dykes there, he scored in the in the big moments
for Scotland. He scored against the the upper
echelon nations, if you want to call them that, whereas
chairman's apart from obviously that that one Denmark goal last
World qualification campaign has not really scored against
anyone. I mean, I think what Pharaoh
Islands, Belarus, San Marino, Liechtenstein, those types of
nations are the ones that you scored against.
Hopefully he can prove in the future that you can score
against bigger nations, but he's not done thus far.
And so I would start like on on Tuesday and then touching on
Gilmore, I'd completely forgotten about him.
Just I just put him to the back of my mind.
I really hope he is fit for for Tuesday because he is the only
midfielder I think that really does progress the ball forward.
That's his main aim. He gets the ball and he's always
looking up, he's always looking to progress it and to get us
moving up the pitch. Whereas Ferguson and Christie,
as good as they are sometimes to just take the safe option and
you kind of need that that tenacity that Gilmore brings.
And I think he'd be a big mess if he did miss the game on
Tuesday. Yeah, because I mean Christie,
Christie, one of Christie's great strengths to give them
some praise as his ability to carry the ball on for really
good at breaking the lines for us on Saturday night.
No, he's probably with all his feet but technically gifted like
that. So but like you said, he's just
not got he's not got that ghetto my husband standing passer of
the ball and maybe spoke a dog there again.
One thing I would be critical of him that's, you know, when he
thinks he's going to have to learn to bring to his game
because it's the next step for him.
He's a brilliant dribbler. You know, he beats his mind.
He does lots of good things, but his aim follow up is still to be
desired. You know, two clean cut chances
through. I mean he did well with his
goal, but he had the chance at the end of the first half and
then he also had the chance to be scores at the Adams.
I think that went I was offside anyway.
Wasn't it something there was his flag for so it wouldn't
stood and I said I accepted, you know, from dying noted at all.
But you know, I just I feel like he's definitely got to it was a
couple of times to go around and he just wasn't first half again,
especially he's getting him behind his mind.
But then stopping put me back to Crystal and Berks and the edge
of the box just wasn't packing the right choices.
His decision making wasn't there.
You know, for the important Tommy, the end is superb and
that's what we want more from. But I really hope we can learn
to bring this game. It'll be interesting to see how
that progresses with born my over the course of the season,
because that is how he gets to the next level.
That's how he gets done and so. Yeah, I mean, he's still so
young. He's still so young.
He's just turned 20. And it's not No, it's not.
And it's not his them, you know, Yeah, you know, if he's going to
be like the next ugly class, like someone of that level, you
know, this is when he has to start doing this.
You can't if he can start doing this when he's 26, that'll you
can still be a good player for if he's going to be a world
class player in my world class, we mean, you know, hot, hot
player above not so many world class, but you know what I mean?
I'm saying that you mean the step above is the elite almost
if he if you can, you can get, but he that's somebody really
supports on his game. And you know, I just I just hope
that I mean he did play fantastic on Saturday.
He's one of the first games of the team.
Shoot for me on Tuesday night and I'd love if he could he
could grab. I don't know why either Vision
hadn't scored the last minute goal last night.
Yeah, I mean, it was too bored with goal scorers actually on
Saturday. Obviously he's still 20, but
yeah, as you said, if I mean, look at how young Billy Gilmore
was when he was chucked in against England and, and to to
kind of seize those opportunities when you get them
because you don't know how many you will get.
So, you know, Tuesday night could be one of those those
those big career defining moments where you look back and
say, you know, that's where he broke out And and let's hope
that is Tuesday. Yeah, you know, yeah.
He's the one that qualified Scotland for the World Cup for
the first time since 1998. I mean, yeah, he he he's, he's
going to get more game time at Bournemouth.
Obviously he's he's integrated and still I bet Christie will be
a big help in that. So let's hope that you can get
as much game time at Bournemouth as possible.
But first, obviously main priorities on Tuesday.
Any last messages for the Tartan Army ahead of Tuesday?
And then can I get your unbiased score opinion please?
No, Mr. Tartan Army, it's just get to Hamden on Tuesday, get in
early and get the atmosphere gone.
We want to be the 12th man, back the team all the way, no matter
how the night is going. We've seen the Scotland team do
amazing things, you know, kill, kill wins from the jaws of
defeat. We could be the 12 man and
that's, you know, that's the past.
Yeah. What was the other question?
What's your score prediction? Protection, protections,
Parliament, then after, then when I'm posted, I always put
you guys not get away with it. Yeah.
I'm not going to predict anything other than a Scotland 1
and I'm going to go to 1 score. Yeah, let's hope for another
magical night at Hamden, one that we can remember for a long,
long time. That will be to the end of
today's episode. I hope you've enjoyed.
It's been a bit of a shorter one, but we don't want to take
up too much of your time before the the big game on Tuesday.
If you have enjoyed it though, please live as a rating on
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let's hope that the next time we're talking we can talk about
our potential opponents for the World Cup.