O/T - World Cup 2026 Canada, Mexico, Trumpland

[JamesMcClean]

So now that the ‘meh’-est of ‘meh’ seasons has finally been put out of it’s misery, the big one is at last on the horizon and finally, after 28 long years, we’re actually in it.

How will we do? Will we finally at least not lose to a ‘minnow’ i.e. Haiti? Will we finally qualify from a group stage? Will Clarke finally send out a team in a tournament to like, score a goal? Squad announcement today held no surprises, particularly with Dykes being in it. Despite the euphoria of November, let’s face it, we got lucky qualifying. Battered twice by the Greeks, held on for 0-0 in Denmark, lucky at Hampden with the timing and nature of the Danes red card as but for that we were not winning that game. And if we’d ended up in the play offs, frankly I could just not see us qualifying through that. Based on that, if I’m being honest I can’t see us achieving our basic aims. BUT, phuck me after all that time, who cares? We’re there so let’s at least enjoy it.

Happily not so concerned about THEM ending 60 (SIXTY) years of hurt as opposed to the last two or three tournaments. If Japan can beat them, comfortably, at Wembley, then there’s no need for concern. Plus, phucking hell Maguire is back in FFS - surely they’ve no phucking chance.

[LSArab]

I think we should beat Haiti but knowing our luck we will still not qualify

Unlikely we get anything from Morocco or Brazil

Still very excited to be in it

[GUNBOAT]

13 defenders picked and 4 holding midfielders.So out of the 26 man squad 17 are defensively minded.Dykes at Championship level has scored 6 goals in 51 games,Che Adams has scored 5 goals in 32 games in Serie A but both are automatic picks under Clarke.I have never been so underwhelmed before a world cup but hope to be proved wrong.

[TerryTheTerror]

Credit where it's due, Scotland were 3rd seeds in our qualification group so to win it is a huge achievement.

[GUNBOAT]

Credit where it's due, Scotland were 3rd seeds in our qualification group so to win it is a huge achievement.

I agree with you 100%,the point i was making about Clarke is he just takes loyalty too far.The two strikers i mentioned Dykes and Adams have never had it so good.It does not matter if they never scored a goal between them all season they would still be selected and that's a disgrace.

Now i don't have much time for McBurnie who is a raging Hun but he has scored almost double as many goals this season as Adams and Dykes combined yet he doesna get a look in,it really is very unfair.To have any chance of getting out of the group we need miracles from McGinn,McTominay and Shankland if he gets a game.

Anyone with any footballing knowledge knows that Shankland is the best goalscorer Scotland has but with Clarke that means nothing and there is every chance that Dykes and Adams will stay ahead of him in the pecking order.Kenny McLean is another who always gets picked i do not have a bad word to say about his commitment but there are times we need a goal he will be subbed on ahead of more attack minded players,again this is because Clarke wants to stay loyal to players he has selected for years.

As you will probably guess i have had enough of the current manager,i am grateful he has got us to finals but after paying 700 pounds for a ticket for the Germany game at the Euro's i think me and thousands of others deserved better and i didna like being called a negative Norman either.

[NOSCOTCAPS]

I agree with you 100%,the point i was making about Clarke is he just takes loyalty too far.The two strikers i mentioned Dykes and Adams have never had it so good.It does not matter if they never scored a goal between them all season they would still be selected and that's a disgrace.

Now i don't have much time for McBurnie who is a raging Hun but he has scored almost double as many goals this season as Adams and Dykes combined yet he doesna get a look in,it really is very unfair.To have any chance of getting out of the group we need miracles from McGinn,McTominay and Shankland if he gets a game.

Anyone with any footballing knowledge knows that Shankland is the best goalscorer Scotland has but with Clarke that means nothing and there is every chance that Dykes and Adams will stay ahead of him in the pecking order.Kenny McLean is another who always gets picked i do not have a bad word to say about his commitment but there are times we need a goal he will be subbed on ahead of more attack minded players,again this is because Clarke wants to stay loyal to players he has selected for years.

As you will probably guess i have had enough of the current manager,i am grateful he has got us to finals but after paying 700 pounds for a ticket for the Germany game at the Euro's i think me and thousands of others deserved better and i didna like being called a negative Norman either.

I agree with your reasoning GB. It?s not just the loyalty bit to mediocre players, but I have always felt that there is an automatic presumption that players at bigger clubs get a few ?points more? when being considered for selection. In Scottish clubs case that is the OF. No disrespect to Curtis but why has he suddenly jumped the queue as opposed to other u21 players; accepting if your good enough your old enough! My gut instinct says that had he been purely a Killie player and not on loan from Rangers, he would be no where near, the same with Patterson, who bombed when he went to Everton, albeit injury accounted for some of that.

Shankland even at Ayr Utd should have been capped! McLean always liked as a player but I fear he is past his best.

Anyway good luck to all when they pull that dark blue or salmon pink jersey on. As Luggy says there is no substitute for positive play; none of this hanging on possession nonsense a la Euros! That worked out well!!!

[JUSTaway]

Could be a poor tournament, 32 teams was perfect number, 48 dilutes the quality, and unlike Qatar, comes at end of a long season in extreme heat.

Not sure what to expect from Scotland, despite qualifying they had some truly shocking performances, Clarke seems to have developed a team ethos and loyalty, but he is pretty uninspiring, too loyal, seems to have the usual blind spot for guys playing in England and old firm. He's done ok but after awful performances at last euros I thought he'd run his course and it was time to part ways. Not an easy job tbf, but also think with the players we have, and expanded tournament, we should be looking to qualify for euros at least.

For some context, when Scotland qualified for euro 92 only 8 teams were in finals. World cup gone from 16, 24, 32 teams. If we get past first round this just gets it down from 48 to 32.

[JamesMcClean]

Is anybody else going? I'm in Boston for Haiti game.

[JUSTaway]

No, but I was in America last Jan and it was ridiculously expensive then, could easy see why cost of living would p1ss locals off, and it's only got worse since then.

[Arabdownsouth]

Its literally the worst ever choice at the worst ever time to have the World Cup in Trumps America, even worse than Qatar 2022.
Fifa are just bent as f*ck tbh. The world cup should always always be played in countries where football ( Not f*cking soccer!) Is a way of life and has tradition, meaning and an actual legacy. F*ck America and f*ck Trump!

[JamesMcClean]

Its literally the worst ever choice at the worst ever time to have the World Cup in Trumps America, even worse than Qatar 2022.
Fifa are just bent as f*ck tbh. The world cup should always always be played in countries where football ( Not f*cking soccer!) Is a way of life and has tradition, meaning and an actual legacy. F*ck America and f*ck Trump!

I’m going primarily because I’ve never been to a World Cup and seeing as it’s been 28 years since we’ve been at one then if it’s another 28 years then I may well be deid. Spain/Portugal in 4 years will be a good one but then of course we’ve got to actually phucking qualify and there’s no guarantee of that whatsoever. And then phuck going to Saudi in 2034. So regardless of location it’s all or nothing for me - politics never came in to it. But I appreciate everyone’s got different stances.

[Arabdownsouth]

I’m going primarily because I’ve never been to a World Cup and seeing as it’s been 28 years since we’ve been at one then if it’s another 28 years then I may well be deid. Spain/Portugal in 4 years will be a good one but then of course we’ve got to actually phucking qualify and there’s no guarantee of that whatsoever. And then phuck going to Saudi in 2034. So regardless of location it’s all or nothing for me - politics never came in to it. But I appreciate everyone’s got different stances.

Yeah thats fair enough James. I just hate everything that America stands for, and I hate SOCCER! 🤣

[JamesMcClean]

I see that Manny started and played 76 mins for Ghana in a friendly against Mexico last night so looking good for him being part of their squad you would hope. So that would be him and Naamo going. Not sure if we’d qualify for Jesse Randall going with NZ as not sure if he’d officially be our player by then or not. What’s the story with the FIFA dosh per player? Are we not due to get a decent wedge for each participant?

[JamesMcClean]

Clarke signs new deal. Until 2030 WC no less.

Really not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. We'll know after the Haiti game..............

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c4gvy1lg5glo

[GUNBOAT]

Clarke signs new deal. Until 2030 WC no less.

Really not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. We'll know after the Haiti game..............

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...s/c4gvy1lg5glo

Dykes,Adams,Hanley and McLean will be over the moon.I wonder how that Premier League striker Oli McBurnie is feeling about another 4 years behind Dykes? who is being linked with a move to League 1 in England.