Scotland vs Italy - Official Thread

[bluenose_72 198]

1 Argentina 1533 1 82

2 Brazil 1459 1 15

3 Italy 1387 -2 -101

4 France 1271 2 51

5 Germany 1245 -1 -85

6 Spain 1226 1 48

7 Netherlands 1207 -2 -39

8 Portugal 1203 0 34

9 Czech Republic 1174 2 92

10 Croatia 1155 0 4

11 England 1137 -2 -28

12 Romania 1086 0 49

13 Scotland 1049 1 24

it would be great for us to be ranked ahead of engerland :bouncy:

[bluenose_72 198]

Scotland assistant manager Roy Aitken revealed that confidence is soaring as the players who carry his nation's hopes prepare to take on Italy.

The Scots are training by Loch Lomond for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against the reigning world champions.

There are no injury concerns in the 25-man squad and Aitken said: "The spirit is really high.

"Everyone's motivated for the game and there is a sense of anticipation there. We are out to get the three points."

Interview: Scotland assistant manager Roy Aitken

That victory would secure Scotland's qualification from Group B and a place at next summer's Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland.

A draw will mean all eyes turn to next Wednesday's clash between Ukraine and France in Kiev, when a defeat for Les Blues would send Alex McLeish's Scots through.

It was nice for the Old Firm guys to have a break and they enjoyed that

Scotland assistant manager Roy Aitken

But Aitken was hoping for a repeat of recent wins over Lithuania and Ukraine rather than having to rely on other results.

"This time there is a prize at the end and that's the difference," he said.

"But there will be the same relaxed attitude which has served us well until now."

The Scottish Premier League's decision to postpone weekend games involving Celtic and Rangers has helped ensure the absence of injuries to key players.

"They are all fit and ready to go," Aitken said at the club's Cameron House hotel base. "It was nice for the Old Firm guys to have a break and they enjoyed that.

"Everyone else is fine and has played enough football to be ready."

McLeish wants his Scotland side to shake Italy's composure at Hampden.

"We know we face the world champions," the Scotland manager told Tennents.com.

"They've been in these situations many times before and they should be able to handle it with their mentality.

"But it's a football match, 11 against 11, and I'm sure the Italian guys are as human as anybody. If we can rattle them, it should be very interesting."

McLeish hailed the achievement that has the Scots challenging both Italy and France for qualification.

"I don't think anybody would have believed it at the start of the campaign," said McLeish, who took over when Walter Smith resigned before returning to Rangers in January.

"And I think it's been a tremendous campaign whatever happens."

[bluenose_72 198]

just reading that theres rumours going about that uefa would lose £50m if italians failed to qualify......if there is ANY truth in this, i wouldnt be surprised if the italians did get a penalty on saturday, like what jasper said.

[Del Juve 1]

just reading that theres rumours going about that uefa would lose £50m if italians failed to qualify......if there is ANY truth in this, i wouldnt be surprised if the italians did get a penalty on saturday, like what jasper said.

Let the conspiracy theories begin!

[nvager 498]

It's a certainty that the ref will favour Italy! Just look at the corruption over there.

Hope I am wrong.

[biotechnology 2]

All we need to do is follow our Welsh cousins.They have beaten them twice in a row in Cardiff.

They beat them in 2002 as well.WE CAN DO IT.Crowd behind us, country roaring us on.We have done England,Spain France,Holland & Ukraine when we needed to so we can do these cheating,unsporting, corrupt,lieing arseholes.The rest of the world want vengeance on the tallies-They should have been banned from the World Cup.

Wales secured their second consecutive and vital win against group favourites Italy. Two magnificent goals from Simon Davies and Craig Bellamy maintained Mark Hughes' boys 100% record in Group 9.

Only one change was made to the team that played in Finland with the unlucky Andy Johnson missing out, with Craig Bellamy coming in. The ever-impressive Danny Gabbidon continued to partner Andy Melville in the heart of defence. Mark Pembridge was given the holding role in midfield, with John Hartson alone up-front.

Wales started brightly from the kick off putting the Italians under pressure. Success came in the 12 minute after excellent work down the right between from Delaney,Bellamy and Davies eventually released Davies into the box, he riffled his right foot shot low past Buffon into the corner of the net.

Italy equalised after 32 minutes when a deflected Del Piero free kick scooped over the head of the diving Paul Jones. Ryan Giggs came close just before half time when his excellent free kick hit the upright with Buffon beaten.

The second half started brightly for the Italians and another deflected free kick from Pirlo produced an excellent save from Jones. After 72 minutes the Millennium Stadium erupted when Bellamy latched on to a Hartson though ball after good work by Gabbidon, he rounded keeper Buffon and slotted home from eight yards to give Wales the lead and the victory.

All in all a thoroughly deserved win on an emotional night which will long live in the memory. No hero just the team, and the result puts us a little step close to Portugal in 2004.

[port_bear 86]

Should Boyd start on Saturday ??

Been having a debate with a few guys in the office and they reckon Miller should start ahead of Boyd on saturday due to his higher workrate etc etc . For me this is a total nonsense, Boyd should start alongside McFadden (who I see as the perfect partnership) as they both compliment each other.

Also the stats speak for themselves in terms of goals per game ratio:

Craig Beattie ..................Played 7.......Scored....1

Kris Boyd .......................Played 12 ....Scored....7

James McFadden .............Played 36 ....Scored....13

Kenny Miller ...................Played 34 ....Scored....10

Garry O'Connor ..............Played 15 ....Scored....4

[blueben_d 40]

If we go for two up top then I would play Boyd. Faddy would do the graft with Boyd ready to pounce, no point in having two similar players running about like headless chickens - a strike partnership needs contrast.

However I don't think we will play that way and will stick with the 4-5-1 formation, in which case Boyd will not start, Miller would start with Faddy playing the support role from midfield

[port_bear 86]

If we go for two up top then I would play Boyd. Faddy would do the graft with Boyd ready to pounce, no point in having two similar players running about like headless chickens - a strike partnership needs contrast.

However I don't think we will play that way and will stick with the 4-5-1 formation, in which case Boyd will not start, Miller would start with Faddy playing the support role from midfield

This is exactly the same comments that are comming from the guys in my office........ Alan is that you ???

Playing Miller with McFadden in the so called holding role and calling it 4-5-1 is just a cop out IMO because it is really just a different variation of a 4-4-2. By saying he is playing 4-5-1 he doesnt have to pick Boyd (our best striker) and can say he is playing a "lone striker" (which is a nonsense) and therfore has to play Miller who is more suited to that role. If he goes with this tactic on Saturday then i'm sorry to say this but we WON'T win, we might not get beat but we certainly wont win.

The Georgia game away proved that McFadden and Miller arent suited to play in the same side (no matter what you call the formation) they are far too similar. I mean how many times did we get forward and throw crosses into the box only to find that Miller had run out wide and McFadden didnt get into the box quick enough. IMO we need big Boydie to start so that if Hutton gets forward (which I reckon he will) his crosses into the box arent wasted and we have someone in the box to aim for.

[Danny 9]

believe it or not boab, football violence in italy has actually improved over the last 4 years - that is according to gabriele marcotti. he says violence was a lot worse 4 years ago and things have improved.

Gabrielle Marcotti is the biggest moron in the press who is simply fluent at delivering BS.

He's good at convincing people, but factually his stuff is at best rhetoric and at worse wrong.

It summed him up when after a recent match he admitted his analysis was basically crap; 'what the hell do we know'.

I have no time for the man.

[dummiesoot 16,265]

believe it or not boab, football violence in italy has actually improved over the last 4 years - that is according to gabriele marcotti. he says violence was a lot worse 4 years ago and things have improved.

Gabrielle Marcotti is the biggest moron in the press who is simply fluent at delivering BS.

He's good at convincing people, but factually his stuff is at best rhetoric and at worse wrong.

It summed him up when after a recent match he admitted his analysis was basically crap; 'what the hell do we know'.

I have no time for the man.

As an aside tho' he loves slagging the tims and the sevul calculator so give tha man his due.

[dummiesoot 16,265]

With all the reports I have been reading the Italians seem to expect Miller & McFadden up top and will be preparing for such a formation, is it worth springing a surprise and putting Boyd in instead of Miller?

[Boab 73]

believe it or not boab, football violence in italy has actually improved over the last 4 years - that is according to gabriele marcotti. he says violence was a lot worse 4 years ago and things have improved.

Gabrielle Marcotti is the biggest moron in the press who is simply fluent at delivering BS.

He's good at convincing people, but factually his stuff is at best rhetoric and at worse wrong.

It summed him up when after a recent match he admitted his analysis was basically crap; 'what the hell do we know'.

I have no time for the man.

I hear he speaks highly of you, Danny

[J_RFC87 762]

Really looking forward to this on Saturday now, espicially the banter

[Poetry_In_Blue 1,043]

I can't even hazard a guess as to who will start, but it is good to see that all of the squad are actually fit for once!

Maybe it was the right decision to cancel the Rangers and Celtic games after all.

[blueballss 3,027]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/sol/newsid_70...p=wm&news=1

to get us in the mood for saturday!!! what a goal from greigy!!!

[Poetry_In_Blue 1,043]

The Rangers Influence! Nice wee bit on the Rangers website:

http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Ne...1168579,00.html

[bluenose_72 198]

heres a pic of the new screens at hampden. they are a lot better than the shite that was there!

[Stuart_RFC 41]

As it gets closer i am getting more confident.. i fancy us to win this

[superally07 387]

C'mon Scots Get an early goal pleeease

Btw do uz like the bebo skin http://www.bebo.com/jamie-RFC-1990 Wee Scotland Italy one

[bluenose_72 198]

As it gets closer i am getting more confident.. i fancy us to win this

im the opposite. the closer it gets the more i think its going to be a draw or the ref will give them a didgy pen/free kick. lets hope the tallies get complacent, all they seem to be saying is "we are world champions and we will win".

[bluenose_72 198]

Azzurri goalkeeper Gigi Buffon insists that it is Scotland who should be afraid ahead of Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifier.

Roberto Donadoni’s side travel to Hampden Park needing just a draw, but the history books suggest a tough test as no Italy side has ever won in Scotland.

While the Scottish camp has been very upbeat in the build-up to the game, Buffon is confident that the world champions will have too much for them.

“We could be afraid if we didn’t have experience, but the squad is full of players who have played in Serie A, the Champions League and the World Cup,†he told The Guardian.

“We won’t find ourselves under-prepared and if anyone is afraid it is Scotland.â€

However, the Juventus custodian was keen to stress his respect for the opposition.

“Perhaps compared to us they have been inferior technically, but from the point of view of character they have always had a good squad that can narrow the gap,†he said.

“As a goalkeeper I have to look out for the strikers and I must say that James McFadden is a very good player and Kenny Miller has also impressed me.

“These are top players. We aren’t playing against a side from the Scottish Fourth Division!â€

[bluenose_72 198]

Blog: Highland sting

Despite claims of split loyalties there is only one side that Steve Wilson will be backing on Saturday. However, any anxious Azzurri followers should read on to calm their own nerves

The Scottish Press are enjoying painting the Italians as arrogant and over-confident, viewing them as smug posers who are already booking their hotels in Austria and Switzerland. The real fans know better though, while the world champions on paper are the clear favourites to go through on Saturday night, their tifosi will be chewing their nails and having cold sweats at the thought of missing next summer’s Finals.

Well, if you are one of those nervous and frantic fans then calm down. As much as I would desperately love to see Scotland reach their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup, history tells me that it just won’t happen. After the superb triumphs over France, home and away, Ukraine at Hampden and the important wins over Lithuania we sealed our exit by failing to defeat Georgia.

Had we taken three points from Kakha Kaladze’s nation the whole landscape of the weekend’s game would have been different. We would have been able to play for the draw, frustrate Roberto Donadoni’s men and force them into pushing forward – allowing James McFadden to play his counter-attacking game and Alex McLeish to confidently rely on ‘keeper Craig Gordon to repel wave after wave of Italian offensive.

That dire display in Tbilisi means that now we must chase the win. We must beat the world champions, a team that has bags of experience in closing out games and playing for the draw that will certainly clinch a place in the Alps next summer. Meanwhile, Scotland have dozens of gold medals for snatching defeat from glory. We are experts at playing the unlucky, brave underdogs who are always thwarted at the last moment.

Yes, Saturday will be one to remember for the Tartan Army. We will puff out our chests with pride as Flower of Scotland fills the air, we will roar louder than the most rampant lion as the game kicks off and we will hope and pray for a last minute miracle as the seconds tick down, but ultimately it will be the Italians celebrating into the night on Sauchiehall Street. And to compound matters you can bet Israel will upset Russia as well.

[papaguy51 941]

Woooft.

Shiting myself at the moment, and it's only Thursday night.

[Jelle1880 628]

Woooft.

Shiting myself at the moment, and it's only Thursday night.

That means you'll be all empty come saturday, no worries