Is Steve Clarke getting the most out of Scotland players ? The Football Show LIVE
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00:00Welcome to the football show on PLZ.
00:06So McConnell and Tom McManus are here with me.
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00:36at your fingertips.
00:37There's so much to talk about and obviously we usually always
00:41have a full team in on a Friday Tam, but sometimes bigger stars
00:47decide that they are going to be late and just rush into the
00:49studio at the last minute.
00:50Yeah, I don't need to tell you who that is.
00:52The man with the biggest ego here.
00:53Yeah, World Cups and all that and just turned up literally 30
00:56seconds ago because he couldn't get out of his bed.
00:59So when he was doing Macca's podcast, he was there three and a half
01:03hours before.
01:04Yeah, he was.
01:04Yeah, he just takes it for granted in here now.
01:06That's why he's going to get bumped.
01:07This is not only a football show.
01:09It's now a road traffic show as well.
01:11Don't go along that eerie road.
01:12It's a nightmare.
01:13Yeah, absolutely.
01:15With all due respect, the majority of our audience doesn't live
01:20in your area, Raffy.
01:22So we've got lots to talk about.
01:24You can give us your opinion as well in the section below and
01:28don't forget if you want to support PLZ Soccer in our bid to be
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01:33We've got a link there for our Kickstarter project, which is up
01:36and running.
01:37What are we going to talk about?
01:38Harps have their sights set on the new manager.
01:41Scotland are going for the must win against Croatia.
01:45Brits abroad.
01:45We're going to talk about Scott McTominay.
01:47He's a star in Naples and we've got the inside track on that
01:51and the football world mourns the death of Peter Cormack, another
01:56great gone and Raffy, I think you're probably best placed to
02:02talk about him in a sense of having contact with him because
02:04he was your manager at Thistle.
02:05Yeah, he certainly was.
02:07Thistle going through a bad time at that stage.
02:09We were sort of a part-time, full-time.
02:12Peter was the manager.
02:13We had only two full-timers on the book.
02:15It was me and Alan Hanson and Peter was our manager every morning
02:20What a gentleman.
02:21Anybody who's come into his company is just so nice.
02:23I hate to say it, but it's so nice to be a manager.
02:27He was just a really, really nice guy and I met him four months
02:32ago.
02:33I think it was at wee Rookie's funeral and he wasn't too well
02:36then, you know, you could see, but he made the effort to go at the
02:39funeral because he knew how much Rookie was about the Hibs.
02:43But he was a Hibs man as well and Liverpool, obviously.
02:46But Patrick Thistle, I think I'm going to remember him tomorrow
02:49or tonight.
02:49I think it is at the game.
02:50Yeah, nine international caps, two league titles, the FA Cup
02:54and the FA Cup as well during a four-year spell at Anfield
03:00between 72 and 76.
03:02He worked under Bill Shankly and to be perfectly honest with
03:05you, to be a regular in that side and what I would call
03:10the Halcyon days of Liverpool.
03:12That gives you an indication of how highly regarded he was.
03:16Yeah, and anybody get the luxury of seeing him playing.
03:19He was a gifted player, a very stylish player, lots of
03:24ability and to be in that team with the players that you're
03:27mentioning and I'm sure the whole of Liverpool will be saddened
03:31by his loss.
03:32Yeah, a wee bit older than you, Ruffey, wasn't he?
03:33Yes, he was.
03:34Yes, he was, yes.
03:35But the team, that Liverpool team then, you know, was
03:40absolutely a fantastic team.
03:42Yeah, I'm thinking of Lawler, Emlyn Hughes would have been
03:46in it as well as Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan as ever, all the
03:52greats and to win the European trophies as well.
03:56Must have been an absolute joy being in that dressing room
03:59with Bill Shankly, but great memories and of course,
04:02Hibs fans will undoubtedly be paying tribute to him as well.
04:07So with that in mind, if you want to, if you are of a certain
04:11vintage and you want to just give us a little indication
04:15of your memories, if you actually were able to see Peter
04:18Cormack play, then by all means, just share it and we will
04:21read it out to you as well.
04:23So from Peter Cormack, we move on to the issues of today
04:27and Hearts.
04:29Look as if they're closing in on Per Matthijs Høgma is the
04:35man that they're talking about, 64 years of age, Norwegian,
04:39won the title with Rosenberg in Haken in Sweden, manager
04:42of Irawa Red Diamonds in Japan and it looks as if he is
04:48the man and we were talking about it Ali, no sniffs of anybody
04:51that's probably why.
04:53Yeah, absolutely.
04:53I think it was interesting that there was nothing really
04:57circulating until maybe around yesterday afternoon when
05:00there was a couple of names that emerged, but yeah, I'm
05:04not sure that too many Hearts fans will know much about
05:07him at this stage.
05:08I think they'll maybe be away doing their homework now.
05:11An interesting appointment, intriguing to see if he can
05:13make it work.
05:14No surprise that there were a hundred notes of interest
05:19in the job, but Hearts, a great club and people would have
05:22seen that potential.
05:23So many people would have thought, oof, I'd love a tilt
05:26at that job.
05:27Yeah, it's a big job.
05:28It's a big job in Scottish football, obviously in European
05:31football as well, which would be attractive to managers
05:33abroad.
05:34I think with the money going to come in from Tony Bloom
05:36and his associates, then it is a really attractive job.
05:39So I'm not surprised there was a lot of interest in it.
05:43Looks as if they're going to get a very experienced manager,
05:45a great pedigree, you know, as a manager, won titles
05:48in different countries, coached in different countries
05:50and again, would be an exciting one, obviously with Jimmy
05:54Tulane, you know, the Scandinavian, you know, managers
05:58seem to be hot at the minute.
05:59So if he comes in and does well at Hearts, then the Hearts
06:01fans will be delighted.
06:01Yeah, well, Blair Malloy, our journalist caught up with
06:05Lars Magnus Reuss, who's a Norwegian journalist from TV2
06:10to get his thoughts on what the Hearts fans can expect
06:13when the man eventually puts pen to paper.
06:16I am interested to see how he copes with sort of a Scottish
06:21physical style of play because it's very much a football
06:27romantic, if you could say, and he's always, but then again,
06:32he can be pragmatic as well because as I mentioned with
06:36Norway, he's not had the, well, what's the best pool to
06:41choose from when he was a manager in the playoff against
06:45Hungary.
06:45He very famously chose to play without a striker, which
06:51obviously wouldn't be the case now with Norway having
06:53Södertälje and Holland, but he can very much adapt to
06:58the personnel.
07:00Well, it'll be interesting to see.
07:02He's a bit of a romanticist, Ruffy.
07:05I think at 64, some people would maybe raise an eyebrow
07:09at his age, but he's got all that experience.
07:11He's someone who'll go in, in fact, I think the last manager
07:15of any great age at Hearts would have been Jim Jefferies.
07:19You know, Craig Levine would have been of a specific,
07:22he may be in his late 40s, but certainly the experience
07:25would have been Jim Jefferies, an older man, but 64
07:29and as we heard there from Lars, he can adapt.
07:33He can, you know, I don't think Hearts fans would be happy
07:35if he's going to play without a striker, but let's hope
07:37he adapts and brings something to the party.
07:40The only thing I would say, Ruffy, as Tam touched on it
07:42there, he'll have to adapt, I think, to the blueprint
07:47of Tony Bloom.
07:49Well, we'll have to wait and see what input they had in
07:52that, you know, obviously he's been about, you know, and
07:55obviously that, the way that they do it might have thrown
07:58that up, you know, that he's been a success in the countries
08:01that he's went to and the teams he's been at.
08:04So, you know, it's always a gamble when you bring somebody
08:08else in, you know, there's no guarantee and what kind of
08:11player he's going to bring in, what, you know, from what
08:14country or whatever, because they won't really know much
08:16about our game. So, in Hearts I've already went down the
08:19line of identifying Scottish players.
08:21So, it remains to be seen where he's going to get the players
08:24from. Well, I think there's going to be, you know, I was
08:27talking to a Mad Jambo today, if there's, you know, I think
08:32all Scottish fans fit into certain categories.
08:36You've got a die-hard Celtic fan or a die-hard Rangers fan
08:40and then you've got, you know, Mad Jambos, Mad Hibbies,
08:44Dandy Dons and... I'm going to start the reverse, there's a few
08:52others I can't think of, but, you know, from the point of
08:56view of Tony Bloom, I think there's going to be a big
09:01change. I think the biggest change is Bloom, how much money
09:04and then from there, the strategy that allows the manager
09:08to coach the players that they want to bring in.
09:11I think that's where the biggest change will come, if
09:14indeed, you suddenly get the emergence of Tony Bloom and
09:17his money. Yeah, I think that's exactly how it
09:21operates in an ideal world.
09:23I think that is the identification of players that fit
09:26a particular mould, financial and otherwise, and in terms
09:30of attributes that the manager identifies that he needs,
09:34but also too, you have an existing pool of players that
09:37are there just now, who are all contracted to the club.
09:40Your first job really is to go in and try and get the best
09:43out of what you've got, to get a tune out of the players
09:45that are there and get them away from where they are just
09:48now. You know, a really difficult start to the season
09:51for Hearts. First job was just to focus on winning games,
09:55getting a bit of confidence back, have a look, assess the
09:58squad where it is and then we'll see where this comes into
10:01play. Yeah, I'm dying to see how it all takes shape.
10:04The one thing, his immediate remit is, never mind anybody's
10:08stats or any kind of money ball strategy here, get them
10:13away from trouble. Yeah, and that's the thing, Peter,
10:15he's obviously got bigger targets going forward.
10:19I'm sure he had an interview and it's all went well in the
10:20interview and he's impressed and he looks as if he's going
10:23to get the job, but you're right, he's got to start winning
10:26games. Hearts are bottom of the league, two points,
10:28I think, from eight games. Terrible start and they've
10:31got to get up the table, but I think the Hearts fans will
10:34be excited. It's not the usual manager in the men who go
10:37around, you know, people get sacked in Scottish football
10:39and they end up with another job. I think somebody completely
10:41left field and somebody I think will excite the Hearts fans.
10:44I do hope he's exciting in a press conference, Ali, because
10:48the amount of times we're going into press conferences
10:50now and we're thinking, come on, Jimmy Tullian, say something
10:53unbelievably out of left field, but he's just firing
10:58the same narrative every week. It's too early in the season,
11:02but it's coming. No, no, we like a line.
11:05Yeah, we absolutely do. We like a bit of colour and we like
11:09opinions and we like people to share their opinions with us.
11:12You must have loved it when Ronnie Dyer came in and said
11:15if we win the league, he's going to run round the park with no clothes on.
11:18That must have been a good line. Yeah, we've done that in America.
11:22Yeah, when we won the league we went to New York and took his gear off.
11:24So he lost a bet with somebody earlier?
11:26We went and done press-ups in the park, no, that was naked.
11:28I don't think he was down to his pants, you know,
11:31but I don't think that would have gone down well.
11:34And to be fair, there was one little area there
11:38you mentioned that kind of went against the grain, running
11:42round, because I don't think there was too much running going on with the players
11:44because they looked well and truly unfit, Ronnie Dyer.
11:49And somebody says, but more importantly, Peter, is he a good lad?
11:52Well, we're about to find out, aren't we?
11:54And the pronunciation on this, just to keep it right for us,
12:00is apparently Per Matthias Høgma.
12:04Høgma? Høgma.
12:06So that's from a Norwegian.
12:08So that's exactly what it is.
12:10We're going to find out exactly what he's going to offer the jambos.
12:15Thank you to Les, who says, I thought Rangers would be described as staunch.
12:20And then die-hard Celtic fans.
12:22This could start off a whole line.
12:25Unreasonable lust.
12:26Yes, absolutely, Ali, of people describing certain fans
12:32in the Scottish Premiership.
12:33Thanks to Brian, who says, mad Peter Martin.
12:37I'm happy with that, Ruffy.
12:38I've been called worse.
12:40But getting away from relegation is absolute key for the jambos.
12:45And I did notice a story, Ali, and you can always tell,
12:48Tam hates International Weekend.
12:50Because, you know, in his eyes, nothing happens.
12:54And you can tell it's nothing happens.
12:56When I was putting together the old script and it says,
12:59wolves are looking at Jimmy Dillian.
13:01And I thought, really?
13:03That's a journalist sitting with a can of Kestrel thinking,
13:06I'm toiling.
13:07Is that fair?
13:10No.
13:13Absolutely.
13:14I don't think he's been linked with wolves.
13:16You're not having your can of Kestrel.
13:20Ali, when I first joined, Ruffy, you'll be aware of this.
13:22When I first joined, there was a couple of journalists that,
13:25when I first, and I'm not saying where I was working,
13:28but they waltzed in on the Monday, said hello,
13:31and we never saw them to the Thursday.
13:33Really?
13:35Absolutely.
13:36There was an old guard who could go for a bevy and then
13:40suddenly come out on the Thursday and deliver a line or a story.
13:43Look at Ali.
13:43She's about to defend the profession.
13:46Ali, I know.
13:48Smart.
13:48Yeah, well, exactly.
13:50A few lunch times.
13:51Yeah, absolutely.
13:53Thankfully, I'm a toucan, Dan, much to your annoyance.
13:56So going out to the pub was not on my agenda.
13:59So from hearts on to Tam's favourite subject,
14:02which is quite simply, international football.
14:06And this weekend, I think it's an absolute disgrace.
14:09Ruffy, Alison, and myself are all having to head to your house
14:15to watch Croatia against Scotland.
14:18We're going to watch it on your phone, I think.
14:19Well, we're going to.
14:20We're going to get a laptop.
14:21We're heading to your house because we know you're going to Blackpool.
14:23That's right.
14:27It's on YouTube only.
14:28What?
14:29It's a farce.
14:30I don't understand how a TV company has not purchased a game
14:34or it's not on the TV.
14:36YouTube.
14:36There's no commentary, I believe as well.
14:39I don't know how that's going to work in bars and pubs.
14:41Do they just log into YouTube and put it up on the screen?
14:43I don't know how it's going to work.
14:44But, you know, people won't be able to.
14:46Obviously, you can cast it to your TV and watch it on the telly.
14:48But yeah, I just think when you look at England last night
14:52live on ITV, STV, whatever you want to call it,
14:54and then we can't get a game on by watching YouTube.
14:57I just think we're treated like second-class citizens again.
15:00Yeah.
15:01To be fair, and I'll be blunt about it, Ruffy,
15:03if it's only BBC and they can't buy it,
15:05there's no other broadcaster in Scotland.
15:08That's it in a nutshell.
15:09There's nobody of any...
15:10There's nobody...
15:11There's no other broadcaster on mainstream television
15:13interested in Scottish football.
15:16No, but I think the company you're mentioning
15:18should do their best to get it.
15:19I mean, we're all paying the licence fee, you know,
15:21so they should be going out of their way
15:24to keep the supporters happy.
15:26As Tam said, why are we watching the England game?
15:28It's the Scotland game we want to see.
15:31Well, those deals are all done by ITV
15:33who control all of the ITV regions.
15:35So that's why we are subjected to
15:39England's Women's Internationals
15:40and England Men's Internationals.
15:43That's it in a nutshell.
15:44ITV control all the regions
15:46and they are dictated to
15:47you're getting a feed of English programmes.
15:51So that's why you're getting it.
15:53But the only broadcaster who could potentially pick it up
15:57is BBC.
15:59The rest of them may well be offered a package,
16:02but they wouldn't bite.
16:04It's much the same as in this commercial market,
16:09the opportunity to try and get the Celtic-Aberdeen game.
16:12When we were talking about the space of seven days,
16:14you can't watch Scotland
16:16and you can't watch Celtic against Aberdeen,
16:18the biggest game on the calendar
16:20in the first quarter of the Scottish Premiership season.
16:23Yeah, we spoke about it the other night.
16:24I think just given the figures,
16:26the financial figures that were involved,
16:28£75,000 to show that game.
16:31I think you can see why Celtic said,
16:33no, we're going to keep it at three o'clock.
16:35It means that everyone can access the game.
16:38It suits their supporters.
16:39It doesn't put people out.
16:41It doesn't inconvenience people.
16:43We're going to turn down the money and keep it
16:45because you're not talking about a substantial amount of money.
16:47Yeah, absolutely.
16:49So quite simply,
16:51we're going to have to watch it on YouTube
16:54and over and above that,
16:56are we watching another defeat for Scotland?
16:59That's the big question
17:00because clearly when you look at some of the call-offs
17:03and the players that he has available,
17:05what side is he going to put out?
17:07How is he going to line them up?
17:09And what's the message to those players
17:11and how they're going to play?
17:13Well, Kenny McLean's adamant
17:14that Scotland are going there to win.
17:17Of course, I don't think anybody wants to be suffering
17:20at this level,
17:21but we are against good opposition,
17:23but we've got good players.
17:25We're a good squad.
17:25We're a good team.
17:26We need to believe in ourselves
17:29and believe in what we're doing and we do.
17:32We'll go to Croatia with belief that we can get a result.
17:35If not, we'd be as well just staying back here to be honest.
17:37So it's something that we're going to go over there.
17:40We'll prepare as well as we can
17:42and we'll do everything we can.
17:44Yeah, I mean there is a genuine argument here
17:49where you're saying to yourself,
17:51do you want to play bigger nations,
17:54come up against a good level,
17:55know the level you have to reach
17:57and Scotland are playing against big nations.
18:00So they really are getting tested.
18:02They're not winning the games,
18:03but they're getting tested at a higher level, Tam.
18:07Yeah, they are.
18:07And listen, I prefer this to playing good nations.
18:10I know it's, listen, it's the results business
18:12and everybody's going to point to Steve Clarke's recent record,
18:15but I think if you look at a lot of those games,
18:17they've been against top level opposition.
18:20I watched, I think England are in the league below us now,
18:22you know, and you've seen how good Greece were last night.
18:24So there's some good nations out there, good teams.
18:27We're up there because we've done really well last season
18:29and the Nations League have been bumped up into the top pot.
18:33I would rather be in there than playing against Gibraltar
18:35and San Marino's and learning nothing.
18:36I think the players will learn more playing against good opposition
18:40than turning up and playing against the cannon fodder.
18:42Yeah, what do you want to see from this, Robbie?
18:44Because you've been, at times, quite critical.
18:47I'm just worried about the ranking side of it.
18:51You know, if we keep continuing to get beat,
18:54once we get the World Cup qualifiers,
18:56we're going to have two big ones.
18:57We'll be the third team, you know,
18:59so you're going to come up against better sides.
19:02If it works, if the theory that they're throwing out,
19:05you know, there's a lot of hurt before there's,
19:07you know, let's go on winning ways and it works.
19:10Great, fantastic.
19:12We have to wait and see if that is the scenario.
19:15Yeah, that's a line that came out from John Carver.
19:17There's going to be quite a lot of pain before there's gain.
19:21Yeah, I think we've seen quite a lot of pain already.
19:24I think you've seen a real stagnant Scotland side
19:27across the last year or so,
19:29when you look at the running results
19:31and the run of games without a win.
19:33I have to be honest and say,
19:35I don't see that ending anytime soon.
19:37I don't think Scotland will take anything
19:38from the next two games,
19:39either against Croatia or on Tuesday night against Portugal.
19:43I just think the calibre of opposition is such
19:46that there's just no evidence to suggest
19:48that Scotland are capable of getting a result.
19:51And is the manager under pressure
19:52if he doesn't get anything from these two games?
19:54It's inevitable that questions are asked.
19:56I think the longer it goes without winning,
19:58then I think you do have pressure circulating.
20:03I think you come back to that question,
20:06the stats of now this is now 14, 15, 16 games without a win.
20:10I think it becomes impossible not to ask it
20:13in the aftermath if there's another defeat.
20:16I do think that he will have time.
20:18I do think that he'll get the World Cup qualification campaign
20:24before the decision is made.
20:25I think you saw that in the aftermath of the European Championships,
20:29but inevitably when the team aren't playing well
20:32and aren't winning,
20:33these are questions at our mainstays.
20:35On that point though,
20:36I think that's where the dilemma is, Tam,
20:39which is quite simply,
20:41you have a remit and a contract.
20:43And the remit is get us to the World Cup
20:46and your contract's two years.
20:47So I'm of the belief that he will get it.
20:50I share Ali's belief on that.
20:53The only thing that would scupper that attitude
20:57is if you start to lose heavily and badly
21:01and you don't see anything in the performances
21:04that suggest the players are responding
21:07or able to follow the manager's call on this.
21:11Or maybe the manager's style is such
21:14that it's not only scunnering the Tartan army,
21:17but we're just getting nowhere.
21:19I don't think we can play another style
21:21but with the players we've got, Peter.
21:22It's not like it's club football
21:24where you can pick and choose who you play.
21:25I mean, I look at the squad we've got.
21:27You know, we've got to play the way Steve Clarke plays.
21:29We can't be open and expansive against teams
21:31like Portugal and Germany.
21:33We've got to try and sit in and hit the counter-attack.
21:35We've done it well against Portugal.
21:37Obviously their quality told in the end,
21:39but I just think that's the squad he's got.
21:41I think he will.
21:42He'll get to the end of the World Cup campaign
21:45and if we qualify,
21:45then he'll still be in charge.
21:47And if we don't, then he'll walk away.
21:48But I just find it hard to believe
21:50that there's a manager out there
21:51who would come in and get more out of the same pool of players.
21:54Yeah, there are players that we're hoping are coming back.
21:56I mean, Rab has just said,
21:58Peter, do we have an ETA on Paterson and Hickey?
22:02Well, Hickey's long-term,
22:03but Paterson I think is now due to come back
22:06into the Everton line-up.
22:09He's certainly training.
22:10I don't know how extensive that training is,
22:11but he's certainly training and ready to come back at some level.
22:15It'll be a slow process, though.
22:17Well, it's a position that we need.
22:18There's no doubt about that.
22:19We've been chopping and changing there
22:21since he got injured.
22:23You know, the worrying thing for me is
22:24we've been raving about our midfield,
22:27saying it's the best part of our team,
22:28and if you throw the Euros into it,
22:31they haven't been the best part of our team.
22:32You know, so that needs to get sorted as well.
22:35Who's going to be our best three in the central bit?
22:38You know, we know we haven't got a prolific striker.
22:42Don't know who that's going to be.
22:43We keep talking about the wee boy Doak.
22:45I hope he starts him.
22:47I think we're all fed up hearing about how good he is
22:49in training and how good he is down at Middlesbrough now.
22:52So let's see him.
22:53Throw him in.
22:54Other countries throw 17, 18, 19-year-olds in.
22:57So why shouldn't we?
22:58Yeah, I agree with you, Robbie.
22:59I think, you know, after the pain,
23:04every time you mention Germany,
23:07I just get into a cold sweat.
23:09It was painful.
23:11And that was before I actually went to the games.
23:14But it was painful watching at times
23:18because I thought for the players that we had at our disposal,
23:22we should have offered a different style,
23:24a different approach, a more, you know,
23:27on the front foot when the games were there for the taking.
23:30We didn't do that.
23:31I think that was the biggest criticism,
23:33that there wasn't anything you could hang your heart on.
23:36There was nothing, there was no spark in any games
23:39that you thought there's a moment there
23:40that can just be the catalyst to go and have a successful tournament
23:44and a campaign.
23:45And I think what was particularly difficult about it
23:48was the optimism leading into it.
23:51When you look at some of the scale Scotland had taken,
23:54Spain, for example, going in,
23:56the organisation, there was a creativity,
23:58a fluency, just a real energy about performances.
24:02And then you got to the actual Euros
24:04and it felt as though it was incredibly flat.
24:06It was very limp.
24:08And then not really changing it within games
24:10when you were seeing games,
24:12it just felt very staid, very stale,
24:14not maybe making changes within the game
24:17that would have energised the team.
24:18I think for many people, and I would share the view,
24:21I thought James Forrest might have had something to offer,
24:24to utilise him, to bring him in.
24:25He had a very strong end to the season with Celtic
24:28when he'd come in, arguably helped Celtic go on
24:32and win the title and the Scottish Cup,
24:34a real pivotal role in those last six weeks or so of the season.
24:38I thought he could have been utilised more,
24:40but ever since then, I think you've just felt this hangover
24:44from Scotland.
24:45Yeah, I'd like to see, on that point,
24:47I'd like to see Doak thrown in.
24:49I'd like to see them be more adventurous,
24:51especially on the basis, Ruffy,
24:53that, you know, we're not expected to win.
24:56We're not expected to win against Croatia.
24:57I mean, they still have a guy.
24:59I think Modric is about 104 now.
25:02He's still fantastic.
25:03It just shows you how old you get, Ali,
25:06because I can remember looking at Modric
25:08as a young player playing for Croatia
25:11at Hampden against Scotland,
25:13and he was a teenager.
25:14And I looked at him and I thought,
25:16what a signing he'd be.
25:17And eventually, somebody said to us,
25:18half of Europe is chasing that lad.
25:21No, Croatia have always produced quality players.
25:24I remember playing against Olic
25:26for Scotland in their 21s, Croatia.
25:29Guy played with Bayern Munich,
25:30was superb crank jar, was at Rangers,
25:33was at Tottenham, along with Modric.
25:35Ripped us apart that night.
25:36So they've always had top quality players.
25:38Croatia, even before that,
25:39Davos, Trucar, guys like that.
25:41So I think we've actually had
25:43not a bad record against Croatia away from home,
25:45but I think it's got a real tough
25:48for us to go over there
25:49and try and get a point.
25:50I would go 3-5-2.
25:51Peter, I would play three at the back
25:53and I would play Do Coffee.
25:55I'd play Do Coffee, Dykes.
25:57Yeah.
25:57I'd crowd the middle.
25:59I think Croatia are very strong
26:00in the middle of the park, good possession-wise.
26:02And I'd play three at the back
26:03and I'd play Devlin.
26:04I'd play Devlin right wing back
26:05and play Robertson.
26:07He's not going to play two up front.
26:08He'd play one up front,
26:09but I'd play Doak just off him
26:10in a free roll, just getting about him.
26:12Yeah.
26:12In a free roll and try and get us up the park.
26:13But it'd be interesting to see what he plays.
26:16I would try and pack the defence
26:18and pack the midfield against Croatia
26:19and try and hit them in the counter.
26:20But you need pace to do that
26:21and that's why I would play Doak.
26:22Okay.
26:24Stephen says,
26:25Damien Moyes for Scotland.
26:26They're already looking at other people
26:28who want to take the job.
26:30We've got another job in the Premier League.
26:31Well, I was going to say, there's a...
26:33Sometimes you're...
26:34Back to West Ham.
26:34Yeah, you could...
26:35God almighty.
26:37Sometimes you can be lucky
26:38in the timing of getting a particular manager.
26:41But I think Steve Clarke,
26:43you know, some people don't like him,
26:46but I tend to look at it and say
26:47in the cold light of day,
26:49he's got that two-year contract.
26:50He is the manager.
26:52We have to look and say,
26:53okay, you know, we're going to back you
26:56unless it gets just unbearable to watch
27:00and you're going to have to produce something
27:01along the way.
27:02I'm looking at that squad, Roffy.
27:05There's obviously that late change
27:06where Shankman's out, Nesbitt's in,
27:09Dykes, Adams, Morgan, McTominay,
27:11McLean, Irving, Christy, Doak,
27:14Forrest-Gauld, that back line,
27:16Devlin, Hanley, Lindsay of Preston,
27:18Mackenzie, Porteous, Ralfson,
27:20Robertson and Souter.
27:22And then they'll pick from,
27:23well, I think Craig Gordon's going to get the shout
27:25with the backup of McCracken and Robbie McRory.
27:28Yeah, I think we're all sitting here
27:30talking about all these players there,
27:31but we know what's going to happen.
27:32He's going to pick as near enough
27:34as the same players as he's picked the last time.
27:36Without Doak?
27:37Well, no, he'll change one or two, I think.
27:39You think he'll play him?
27:40I think he's got to.
27:41I mean, ideally you would want to play him at home,
27:44you know, in front of our own fans,
27:48but Croatia have a team that don't beat you up.
27:52You know, they just get possession of the ball.
27:53I think we probably could beat one nothing
27:55or maybe snatch a one each.
27:57I don't see them scoring two and three goals.
27:59It's not the way with them.
28:02And obviously Steve Clarke will go there
28:04and be organised.
28:05You can't criticise him for that.
28:07If he goes along there with a plan not to lose goals,
28:10then he'll do that
28:10because that's the way he sets up most of his teams.
28:13So I'd like to see some new faces in it,
28:16but preferably at home.
28:18Yeah.
28:19Okay.
28:19I was just looking at it,
28:21Tam, because I was wondering,
28:23is he the greatest player ever
28:25to play for Croatia?
28:27Look at Morgan.
28:27Yeah, I'd say so in terms of his record as well.
28:30I think Prozinecki was another one.
28:33Yeah.
28:33With Super Davosuker,
28:34was a great player as well.
28:37Kranjic.
28:38No, they've always produced top players.
28:41Are you just reading the ones that I just...
28:42No, no, no.
28:43Ivan Perisic as well was a good player.
28:45Yeah, yeah, yeah.
28:47Anybody else?
28:47Keep going.
28:48Prozinecki.
28:48I mentioned him.
28:49I've got to have him in before you come up.
28:53I wish you'd do that.
28:54I wish you'd do that one week,
28:55the sketch, you know, the American sketch.
28:57Dario Simic, the fullback.
28:59Boban.
29:00Yeah.
29:00The boy feeds him on the wrong name.
29:02I'd love you to do that one next week.
29:04I'll do that to him.
29:05I will honestly do that to him
29:08all through it.
29:08I think...
29:09Modric won Davosuker too, I'd say.
29:12No, no.
29:13If it was me,
29:15if I was picking them,
29:16I'd pick Modric won
29:18and then I'd pick Prozinecki too
29:21and then Davosuker.
29:24Ruffey, I'll never forget standing trackside in Barcelona
29:26playing in a European game.
29:30I think it might have been a friendly actually
29:31against Celtic
29:32and Sir Bobby Robson was the manager
29:34and I was standing as a trackside reporter
29:37and I said to him,
29:38oh, I said,
29:39Sir Bobby,
29:40he wasn't Sir Bobby then,
29:40I said, Bobby, I love your number eight
29:43and he just looked at me and he went,
29:44100 fags a day, son.
29:46100 fags.
29:47You know, and I thought to myself,
29:48wow, this boy must have lungs of steel.
29:52But by the way,
29:53what a player, Ruffey.
29:54Prozinecki.
29:56Unbelievable.
29:56You know, there was a stage
29:59when every sort of a country came to play us.
30:02They had one player,
30:04you know, who just took charge of the game.
30:06Just one player who,
30:07every time he got the ball,
30:08he absolutely destroyed us
30:09and that was at that game as well with Modric.
30:12Yeah.
30:12That night,
30:13just every time he got the ball,
30:14it was just unbelievable.
30:16Do you remember we were watching him,
30:18Ruffey's finest commentary moment
30:20of Real Madrid against Celtic
30:22when they get,
30:23a few years ago,
30:24when they got battered 5-1.
30:26I think Jota scored a belter free kick,
30:29but Ruffey's turn around him
30:30when he went,
30:31Celtic looked really solid there
30:34for the first two minutes
30:35and then Real Madrid had scored,
30:39which was absolutely outrageous.
30:41Solid two minutes there.
30:43Absolutely.
30:43But you know the great thing about it,
30:45Tam,
30:45I don't think Modric played one pass
30:49with his instep.
30:50He played everything with the outside of his boot.
30:52He was unbelievable.
30:53He scored a great goal against Scotland
30:55in the Euros with the outside of his boot.
30:56Remember that at Hampden?
30:57Yeah.
30:58Yeah, just a fantastic footballer.
31:01I think maybe his last season,
31:02I think he's in and out of the team at Real Madrid.
31:04I think he's getting on now,
31:05but I think he'll still remain
31:06to stay in the Croatian team.
31:08Well, I'm out of time, Ruffey,
31:09but he's going to play for Ducla.
31:11I'm going to give him the call
31:12and say, look,
31:14Gerry McCabe's getting on a bit.
31:16Any chance you can come...
31:18KB would say he's not as good as him.
31:19No, no, exactly,
31:20but I'm just saying...
31:20Look at me for a minute.
31:22Do you want to just play alongside me?
31:24You do a bit of the outside of the boot.
31:25I'll do the inside
31:26and we'll just get Gerry out of the team.
31:28No, Andy, if he was in the team,
31:31you'd be going,
31:31hey, this is my bit.
31:33You find a bit of your name.
31:34I'm in this.
31:35I'm in this team.
31:36I've got myself.
31:37You can't have two guys
31:38standing in the centre.
31:39Two clubs.
31:40Yeah.
31:41By the way, just on that point,
31:43I must mention it
31:44because I said I wouldn't.
31:46There is a tribute match
31:50for Gerry Collins.
31:52Which is at St. Roch's
31:54next Sunday, I think.
31:56Sunday, one o'clock.
31:57Yeah, fantastic.
31:59Are you going?
32:00Yep.
32:01Are you going?
32:01It's £5 a head to get in.
32:04Thanks, Roffy.
32:05That is fantastic.
32:06So...
32:07I think my brother's playing for St. Roch's.
32:08Is he?
32:09Oh, it'll be megging him.
32:11He's in a black pillow suite.
32:12It's no great preparation.
32:14So St. Roch's are playing against
32:15Ducla-Pampersen.
32:16We've obviously had to bring in
32:18a few people that obviously
32:20have played the game a wee bit,
32:21Roffy, but only,
32:23you know, it's only right and proper
32:24they want to pay tribute to Gerry.
32:26I think a lot of people want to
32:27remember Gerry.
32:28He was a great guy.
32:29Brilliant lad.
32:31And you know that as well.
32:33Yeah, if you haven't already
32:34through playing-wise
32:36and obviously Partick Thistle,
32:37you know, and anybody again.
32:40We keep saying any players
32:41that have come into contact
32:42with these guys,
32:43the memories,
32:44the carry-on, the laughter,
32:46the jokes and everything.
32:47Gerry was up there
32:49with the most at every club
32:50he was at.
32:51Yeah, and of course,
32:52when he eventually went on
32:53with Chick Young
32:54and Tony Roper to set up
32:55Ducla-Pampersen,
32:56it was really a mix, Ali,
32:58of former players
33:00who still loved playing football
33:02and then what they would call
33:04celebrities
33:06who came in and would play
33:08in the team as well.
33:09Headlisters.
33:10Yeah, thanks for that.
33:11But, you know, these
33:14guys who thought they were footballers.
33:16So it was a good mix
33:18and they raised a lot of money
33:19for charity.
33:20The other thing that they managed
33:21to do, which is quite unusual,
33:24Ali, and you'll maybe appreciate
33:26this, is they
33:28obviously took on a lot of away
33:30games in places like Brazil
33:32where the entire squad had to go
33:34to Brazil
33:35and then obviously
33:38get absolutely
33:41rat-arsed
33:42and then maybe play
33:44the game.
33:47The boys have all said to me,
33:48is there any chance we could really
33:50start to recreate the magic
33:52of that, you know?
33:53But I would never get away with it.
33:55Imagine me saying to my wife,
33:56we're going to Brazil.
33:57I remember one time
33:58when I was playing with Ducla,
33:59we went down to Port Patrick,
34:01the lifeboat association,
34:03to raise money for them
34:04and we played the charity game
34:06in the afternoon.
34:07We were staying the night, obviously,
34:08and I was sharing a room with Gerry
34:10and Andy Ritchie.
34:11Yeah.
34:12And, of course, we'd had a few scoops
34:13and that and we were all carrying on.
34:16We were all carrying on in the room at night,
34:18like throwing boots at each other
34:20and all that stupid stuff.
34:21Yeah.
34:21Laughing a bit.
34:22And then we eventually went to sleep
34:24about three or four or something like that.
34:25Next minute, I'll never remember,
34:27the door got chopped
34:29at half past seven.
34:31And it was a lifeboat.
34:33Air Three had been nominated
34:34to go on a lifeboat
34:35at eight o'clock in the morning
34:37to see what the experience was like.
34:41Can you imagine the three of us
34:42on a lifeboat at half seven in the morning?
34:44Ready to go.
34:45Oh, God.
34:47Not again.
34:48If anything, most of the players,
34:50Tam mentioned, when they come in,
34:52the banter is magnificent.
34:53As with every player I've ever encountered,
34:56and the one that sticks in my head the most,
34:58obviously, because of my friendship with them,
35:00is Tam Burns loved playing football.
35:03You could tap,
35:04you could actually tap Tam's door
35:06and say to him at half six at night,
35:08by the way, there's a game round the corner.
35:10Do you fancy coming and playing?
35:11And Tam would be like,
35:12hold on, I'll get my boots.
35:13I'll just tell Rosemary,
35:14I'm nipping out for half an hour now.
35:16Go and play.
35:17And that's what these boys are like.
35:18I think that's what I missed most
35:20was the dressing room.
35:21I think when you're in and about the boys
35:24and the banter's flying about
35:26and you're training,
35:28you miss that every day.
35:29And towards the end of your career,
35:31you don't miss the running
35:33and the physical nature of being a footballer,
35:35but I think every player you speak to
35:38would say, what do you miss most about football?
35:39And they would say the dressing room,
35:41the camaraderie with the guys.
35:42The best ones that had the banter
35:44and the dukla was the ex-Rangers and Celtic boys.
35:47Yes.
35:47They loved playing in the same dukla team,
35:50you know, because they'd obviously been playing against each other
35:52all their career,
35:53but the banter with them,
35:54wee Bobby Lennox and wee Alec Macdonald.
35:57Yeah.
35:57It was just fantastic.
35:59You'd be happy to know John Macdonald's still playing.
36:01Yeah.
36:02He still plays at Left Back.
36:03It's incredible.
36:05And Brian says,
36:06will there be bodyguards at St. Rock's?
36:08No, no, we're just going to fight our way onto the park
36:10and we're going to fight our way off the park, Brian,
36:13to be perfectly honest with you.
36:14It's going to be a right good day.
36:15There's more than a few.
36:16You're right up there.
36:17I'll send a few boys along for Springburn.
36:18Yeah, absolutely.
36:19I'm really looking forward to it, Ruffy.
36:21Good to know that you're going.
36:22Will you be staying for the duration?
36:24Because I'm going to tell Ali about what happens
36:26when you come to see any game that I usually play in.
36:29Yeah.
36:30You know?
36:30Well, the last one I get told to come to,
36:32you know, I was fortunate enough to catch
36:34Sherteti Abder into the top corner,
36:37but unfortunately, in closer look,
36:39I noticed their goalkeeper had a patch in his eye.
36:44Do you know what he did, Ali?
36:46Honestly, I hit this screamer in,
36:48I hit this 30-yarder into the roof,
36:49and do you know what he did?
36:50He just turned round,
36:51got into his car and left
36:53because he thought, I can't bear it.
36:55You spoke to him by then?
36:56Yeah.
36:57I was just waiting for the hat-tracker.
36:58No way.
36:59Into you?
37:01No, no.
37:01One of the blind goalie.
37:02Oh, yeah.
37:05Thanks, Tom.
37:06Anyway, get along to it.
37:08Next Sunday, it's going to be absolutely fantastic.
37:11If you are around St. Roch,
37:13which is a great club,
37:14I've been there, the boys are magnificent.
37:16We'll certainly take care of you.
37:17Fiverr, it's well worth it, isn't it?
37:19Brilliant.
37:21Come along and see some old legends play.
37:23Just to abuse Peter.
37:24Yes, and I have had that on a regular basis.
37:30By the way, before we get into the next stage
37:33of what we're going to be talking about,
37:34we're going to be hearing about Brits abroad
37:36and one Scott McTominay.
37:38That's coming up after the news.
37:40Hi there, I'm Kerry and here is your Daily News update.
37:42On Friday, the 11th of October,
37:44brought to you by Arnold Clarke.
37:46Wales manager, Keg Bellamy,
37:47has shared his thoughts and condolences
37:48with the family of George Baldock,
37:50who sadly passed away at the age of 31 on Wednesday,
37:53stating that a player's well-being
37:55is the most important thing in football.
37:58You know, a lot of our players as well
37:59have played against him.
38:01And of course, we have players
38:02who've been very, very close to him,
38:03played with him for a number of years.
38:05The player's well-being is the most important.
38:09And that's where my mind went to,
38:12and it is now.
38:13You know, I speak to the players,
38:14I speak to one or two of them again this evening.
38:17Scotland's Kenny McLean has stated
38:19that it's the responsibility of the whole squad
38:21to make those who have been called up on merit
38:23feel welcomed and part of the national side
38:25in the upcoming games in the Nations League.
38:28I think we've always got that responsibility
38:30of making it a good environment that we're in.
38:31And it's always been a good environment
38:33since I've been here and that.
38:35You know, I'll try and help in that as much as I can.
38:37Obviously, I've been here for a few years now
38:40and I've been away with a lot of the boys.
38:43So it's maybe the first day or two,
38:45so it'll be a case of the lads bedding in
38:47and getting more comfortable.
38:48But it is a good group, good environment
38:51and a good squad to come into.
38:52So I'm sure they've found it easy enough.
38:54And, you know, as I say, they're here on merit,
38:56so they'll be excited to get going.
38:58Finally, Heart of Midlothian have narrowed
38:59their managerial search down to just two candidates
39:02with a decision potentially being made
39:03in the coming days if a deal is to be agreed.
39:06For all the latest breaking headlines,
39:07be sure to hit the like button
39:08and subscribe to PLZ Soccer's YouTube channel.
39:10And don't forget to download our app,
39:12which is available on Google Play and the App Store.
39:15Yeah, thanks to Kerry.
39:17We're talking about Scotland and what they might do
39:20and the players that they have at their disposal.
39:22I have to say, Ali,
39:24Scott McTominay is ripping it up in Naples, isn't he?
39:27He couldn't have asked for a better start.
39:29I think just, I think they love him.
39:31I think the goals, the performances,
39:34I think he's just hit the ground running,
39:35which is good for Scotland.
39:36You've got a player coming in,
39:38that's in that kind of vein of form
39:40and that you're not having to build him up.
39:42He's coming, obviously feeling pretty good about himself
39:44from the start that he's made to his career over in Italy.
39:47Yeah, and it'd be great if Billy Gilmore starts
39:50to really cement his place.
39:52I mean, they've got a really good quality squad as well.
39:56McTominay's come in and seized his opportunity
39:59by scoring a couple of goals.
40:01Yeah, they're flying a top of the league, Peter,
40:02and unfortunately, Billy can't get in the team.
40:05The manager's not going to change a winning team, Conte,
40:07but they're going very well.
40:08They have got a very strong squad.
40:10I think they'll run into Milan close.
40:12They've been dominant force in Serie A
40:14the last few seasons,
40:15but I think they'll run into them close this season
40:17and it's good to see.
40:18I just still can't believe that Man Utd have let him go.
40:20When I look at some of the players
40:21that are playing for Man Utd,
40:23what a shambles of a club to let a guy like that go.
40:26He's come through the ranks.
40:28The heart and soul of the club,
40:29and they've let him go.
40:31I'm not surprised he's doing really well in Italy.
40:33Yeah, absolutely.
40:34Blair Malloy's been really busy.
40:36He was speaking to the Italian commentator,
40:38Paul Visca, about McTominay's impact.
40:42Even when his unveiling on the pitch
40:46was something which was unique.
40:48And so the expectations were high for McTominay,
40:52but he's matched them,
40:53if not gone beyond what was expected from him.
40:56His link-up play with Lukaku is outstanding.
40:59When you kiss the badge,
41:01there was the moment when,
41:02oops, is that a bit too early to go kissing the badge?
41:06Was it match day five?
41:07It was five games into his career at Napoli.
41:11But he was trying to put across
41:14the passion that he's received from the fans
41:16he wants to give back.
41:18And once you've got the fans behind you,
41:21the Maradona's, as it's now called,
41:25you're set.
41:26Brilliant.
41:27Thanks to Paul for doing that.
41:29And that's what happens, Roffy,
41:30if you're immersed in the Italian game
41:33and you're over there and you're a commentator,
41:35you still retain your Scottish accent.
41:38There's a wee bit of Italian sneaks in there.
41:41Yeah.
41:42See that, Ali?
41:45I love the expats that go to Australia for a while
41:49and they come back.
41:51They talk Australian, but it always comes out.
41:53You're going to find that in America.
41:55The American guys have been away for four or five years.
42:00Then all of a sudden, a bit of Glasgow comes out.
42:02It just doesn't look right.
42:05The worst one for it is Graham McDowell, the golfer.
42:08He's not from Northern Ireland
42:09and he went to college in America
42:11and he comes back and he just talks American.
42:13I think he puts it on.
42:14Yeah.
42:14My mate went on holiday for a couple of weeks to Australia
42:18and he came back with an Aussie accent.
42:22You need to have a long, hard look at yourself.
42:25Two weeks and it's a good day, mate.
42:28Have a word with yourself.
42:30Ruffy, I'll tell you one thing though about it
42:32which is phenomenal is,
42:34is it fair to say that Conte has the best,
42:37the best ever hair replacement?
42:42I mean, it's absolutely…
42:44I honestly didn't know he had.
42:46Oh, you need to show him the old pictures.
42:48It shows you how good it is.
42:48I tell you, it's phenomenal, Ruffy.
42:50I mean, that was really thinning
42:52and then all of a sudden,
42:54big giant head of hair, looks magnificent
42:57and it looks real though, doesn't it?
43:00It's supposed to be painful, that operation.
43:03Yeah, you get spikes in your head with some of them.
43:05Ruffy, would you, yourself, I mean, I know…
43:07My brother's had it done.
43:09Andy's teeth.
43:10Is that right?
43:11He's got a turn, just goes back and forth to Turkey.
43:15He gets his hair done and he's got the Turkey teeth in
43:18and he's miss killing them.
43:20Is it painful?
43:21Oh, killing them, aye.
43:23Because they're all setting into his mouth
43:24and he's said it's like a toothache.
43:26He's had it for about a week.
43:27He came back last week and it's just a throbbing with his teeth.
43:30He's had it done so recently?
43:31He's had it done, he got it done last weekend.
43:33Much?
43:34He went to Turkey for it?
43:36A few grand, aye, he went to Turkey for his Turkey teeth.
43:39It's where everybody goes.
43:41No, he went and got his hair done and all
43:42but he said the first time he got his hair done,
43:43he came back on the plane
43:45and everybody was sitting with the things over their head.
43:50He could just tell all the guys were getting their hair done.
43:53And then some of the women that were getting stuff done as well,
43:55they would come out with a big chest and that.
43:58With a towel?
43:59No, no, no.
44:00Tab, how did they come out?
44:02With a towel over them?
44:03I don't know.
44:04I don't know how they came out.
44:06But aye, he says,
44:07Oh, Robbie's always been to Turkey.
44:09There was a boy in my local garage,
44:12he was of nationality
44:15and he was bald and he went away
44:17and he came back about three months later
44:18and they went,
44:19What do you think?
44:21I went,
44:22What have you done?
44:23He did two wee strands.
44:27Honestly, it was two wee strands
44:29and I went,
44:29Oh, he's looking a lot better.
44:32To be fair,
44:34it's good of Tam just to owe his brother
44:36for his head and his teeth.
44:39Is it something in the DNA,
44:40just out of curiosity?
44:41No.
44:42So he was the lonesome one?
44:44I'm fortunate I've got hair,
44:45but my brother's a wee bit,
44:47he gets his hair done,
44:48but my dad's bald, aye,
44:49so thankfully I take after my ma.
44:51Yeah, absolutely.
44:55How can you tell it's International Week?
44:57I know, exactly.
44:59I tell you.
45:01And by the way,
45:02it brings us nicely to tell you
45:03you've just had your hair done yourself,
45:04which is fantastic.
45:06Thank you for noticing.
45:07Thank God the hairdresser came back,
45:08she was looking like Janis Joplin
45:11at Woodstock at one point.
45:14Now she's brilliant.
45:16She's not seen anything.
45:18Exactly.
45:19We were talking there about,
45:21just in the international football,
45:23we were talking about the fact
45:24that we're playing against big teams.
45:26Last night I watched England against Greece
45:30and, you know,
45:32brilliant for Greece,
45:34they obviously paid tribute to their player,
45:37their former internationalist,
45:40who sadly passed away,
45:43George Baldock,
45:44and over and above that,
45:46England, I think,
45:47they just expect to win every game.
45:49And, you know,
45:50they were just aghast
45:52at the mere thought
45:53that they'd been beaten by Greece.
45:54Yeah, I thought they were very,
45:56very good in the Euros.
45:57You know, I enjoyed watching them
45:59latterly in the tournament.
46:01I thought they were okay,
46:03but they always seem to tinker with it.
46:05They always do this,
46:06what was last night,
46:07was a sort of a non-striker role.
46:09You know, they always seem to think
46:11they're way ahead of everybody else.
46:12They've got that good players
46:13that they can do that kind of thing,
46:15but that'll bring them back down to earth.
46:17See if Kane isn't there.
46:18I mean, Watkins is the only one.
46:20Is there anybody else that you think
46:21can play that out-and-out striker?
46:23He's prolific.
46:24It was Ivan Toni at one point.
46:25Aye.
46:26Well, they had Watkins on
46:27and they brought the big boy Solanke on
46:29as well last night,
46:30but, by the way,
46:31Greece could have won by more.
46:32I think the unbelievable goal-line clearance
46:34from the Pickford mistake
46:36in the first half,
46:37Greece had three goals disallowed for offside.
46:40So, I mean,
46:41it could have been a real tanking for England.
46:44I just think they had too many forward players last night.
46:46I know you've got so many forward players,
46:48but they had so many forward-thinking players
46:52and Declan Rice was the only defensive midfield player
46:55on the team
46:56and Greece just picked him off like Greece were brilliant.
46:58And I was delighted.
46:59I was disappointed when they lost equaliser
47:01because I thought they deserved to win,
47:02but to get the part and get a last-minute goal
47:04I think was fitting for their ex-teammate
47:06who sadly passed away as well.
47:08Yeah, the other aspect of this
47:09is everybody's wondering
47:10who's going to be the manager.
47:11Lee Carsley is under no illusions about his role.
47:16Yeah, I was quite surprised
47:19after the last camp
47:23in terms of the job's mine
47:25and it's mine to lose
47:27and all the rest of it.
47:28My remit has been clear from the start.
47:30I'm doing three camps
47:32and there's three games left
47:34and then, you know,
47:36hopefully I'll be going back to the 21s.
47:39So it's neither,
47:42it's almost no impact.
47:46That's because they get beat.
47:48Well, well.
47:49If England had won last night,
47:51I'd have said, yeah.
47:52No, but that's the nature of football, isn't it?
47:54You get that knee-jerk reaction, Ali, don't you?
47:56Yeah, always.
47:57I wonder who's going to get it.
47:59I don't see any,
48:00do you see any out-and-out candidate
48:02you're thinking is emerging
48:04even from an English perspective?
48:06No.
48:07I can't think of anyone.
48:08Can you, Roffy?
48:09No.
48:10I'd offer Baganja.
48:11Yeah.
48:12Yeah, just gung-ho football.
48:14Oh.
48:15The gate watch.
48:16Yeah, absolutely.
48:17I don't think he'd win anything.
48:19But nevertheless,
48:20just before we go, lads and lassies,
48:23I think it's only right to mention
48:25the real pain that a lot of Invernessians
48:29are feeling at the moment,
48:31wondering if they're going to have a club.
48:33There's a lot of people,
48:35Ryan Christie,
48:36Duncan Ferguson, the manager himself,
48:38a lot of people are trying to help
48:41in any way they can.
48:42I think Sir Alex Ferguson at one point
48:44had made a contribution.
48:46But it looks as if the next seven days
48:49are critical for Inverness,
48:50Cali, Thistle as a club.
48:52When you consider the history
48:54and the trophy that everybody
48:57looks back on at the Scottish Cup,
48:59for that club to fold
49:00would be an absolute travesty.
49:02I think it just shines a light
49:04on how badly mismanaged it was
49:07under the previous regime.
49:09I think you just see
49:11the difficulties that it's run into
49:14just because of the way
49:15that it's been structured and organised.
49:18Yeah.
49:19Ruffy, I think if we lose Inverness,
49:21Cali, Thistle,
49:22that would be a nightmare.
49:24It's a great place to go.
49:26I love Inverness.
49:27The club itself has got a good history.
49:30They battled long and weary
49:32to amalgamate up there.
49:34After they got over the pain of that
49:37and generations who really
49:39were not happy at the amalgamation,
49:41suddenly you have something
49:43to look back on
49:44in a Scottish Cup win.
49:46Yeah, you touched on it briefly
49:48from a way back.
49:49The people who were part of it then
49:52and see what it's like now.
49:54It's amazing.
49:55A beautiful stadium.
49:56They're really welcoming.
49:58When you go up there,
49:59they look after you.
50:01I'm surprised that some teams
50:04haven't helped out with a game
50:06or something like that
50:07or organised some fundraising game
50:10because it must be difficult
50:11to raise that kind of money
50:12and get £200,000.
50:14But I think they will get there.
50:16I think there are people
50:17who are interested in taking part of it.
50:20It would be a big restructuring
50:22of the whole club
50:23because if they don't,
50:24we all know what happens
50:25when the administration hits in
50:27and people start losing their jobs.
50:29You don't like to see that happening.
50:31Yeah, absolutely.
50:33We hope that something
50:35can actually happen
50:36to help them along the way.
50:38Just before we go, Ruffy,
50:39what about from your own perspective
50:42when we look at these games
50:43and the internationals?
50:44Is there one game that sticks?
50:45I always meant to ask you,
50:46is there one game that sticks in your mind
50:48that was your favourite game for Scotland?
50:50You always look back on it
50:51with great fondness.
50:53It was a brilliant trip.
50:54You played brilliantly
50:55because I know that matters most to you.
50:59The team's been absolutely pumped.
51:01Tell us about the trip.
51:02Scotland and England games
51:03were always the best.
51:04Particularly at Wembley
51:06when the supporters were there.
51:08Anybody had the chance to be at Wembley
51:11and you walk up that stair
51:13and it's just full of Scotland flags.
51:15I miss the Scotland game.
51:17The older guys will remember.
51:19It used to be just flags.
51:21Lying rampant flags.
51:23None of this sort of waving wee things.
51:26I've got photos in the house
51:28I could bring in and show you.
51:29It's just a complete stand.
51:31A complete stand of flags.
51:33It's just amazing.
51:35You love flags though, don't you?
51:36Because you mentioned
51:37that the Aberdeen have got the flags.
51:39I thought it was the first thing I noticed
51:40that they started waving the big sort of...
51:44Up in Aberdeen
51:45I've got four guys holding the one flag.
51:49Interestingly enough
51:50it brings me nicely to the point
51:51that I'm going to mention
51:52to so many people.
51:54Thanks to James who says
51:55Ruffey's save against Wales
51:57was top drawer.
51:58Because I might as well mention to you
52:00some people actually
52:01can't remember you as a goalkeeper.
52:03We were talking about it in here.
52:04I'm not going to mention the name.
52:06Calm your jets.
52:08We were talking about goalkeepers.
52:10I'm slightly biased because of our
52:13friendship or
52:14because we're acquaintances.
52:17But I thought
52:19to go to three World Cups
52:20to play for Scotland
52:21get the caps that you did.
52:22There was a period
52:23where you were absolutely
52:24top drawer.
52:25Ali mentioned a couple of people
52:27who thought you were a dud
52:28and then I just started
52:29fighting with her on it.
52:31The way I look at it is
52:34I wasn't ever the best goalkeeper
52:36that ever played for Scotland.
52:38But I was the best at that time.
52:40Because
52:41for ten years
52:42I got picked
52:43by five different managers.
52:45Can you run through the managers
52:46just to give everybody
52:47a sense of how good you were.
52:49Because I'm biased with it.
52:50Willy Ormond
52:52Tommy Daugherty
52:54Ali McLeod
52:56Jock Stein
52:57and latterly Alec Ferguson.
53:00That's not a bad crew
53:01or a good judge of character.
53:03Brilliant.
53:04Didn't know that.
53:05It must have been a real
53:06death of Scottish goalkeepers.
53:10Thanks lads.
53:11That's why I don't do it.
53:12I don't even know why I bother.
53:13That's why I don't do it.
53:14That's right because
53:15there's people like you on that.
53:18Yeah absolutely.
53:19Listen if you get a chance
53:20we had
53:22on this week
53:23the journals
53:24which I thoroughly enjoyed
53:25Alison.
53:26I don't know about yourself.
53:27This week's journals
53:28is well worthy of
53:30your eyes
53:31and your ears
53:32because we
53:33with
53:34David McCarthy
53:35and Hugh MacDonald
53:36Alison and myself
53:37talked over what was
53:38the best team
53:40of the last 40 years
53:41in Scotland.
53:42And we'd rhymed off
53:43more than a few.
53:44Rangers side
53:45Celtic side
53:47Aberdeen and Dundee United
53:48and then Ruffy
53:49we eventually got to
53:51four teams that we'd picked
53:53that we thought were the best
53:54of the last 40 years
53:56and then we said
53:57if they played each other
53:58who would be in the final
53:59and then who was the
54:00ultimate best team
54:02of the last 40 years
54:03and you know
54:05it was a really
54:06really good argument
54:07right along the way
54:08when you think about
54:09the great teams.
54:10Yeah well
54:11if you take
54:12well we all know Rangers and Celtic
54:13have great teams through the year
54:14but if you
54:15look at the other teams
54:16you look at Gray's Abbas up
54:17and Dundee there
54:18and Tuesday night
54:19and Dundee United
54:20boy was there
54:21and he stood up
54:22and we were talking
54:23about teams
54:24and he read out
54:25the Dundee United team
54:26absolutely incredible.
54:27Yeah
54:28yeah and Dundee United
54:29Celtic
54:30Rangers were in there
54:31and
54:32Aberdeen.
54:33Yeah
54:34some great season
54:35I hope you'll watch it tonight.
54:36Yeah absolutely
54:37brilliant but before you
54:38get ready for the big
54:39will you be on
54:40the big
54:41Pepsi Max
54:42when you go on that?
54:43No I might go down
54:44Saturday mate
54:45have a wee trip down to the beach.
54:46Yeah
54:47we'll see what the weather's like.
54:48Channel
54:49wait
54:50you know what you're like
54:51when you
54:52You're going to kiss me quick
54:53squeeze me tight you know that?
54:54You know what you're like
54:55when you go on a bender
54:56with your mates
54:57or is it?
54:58Whatever you
54:59You still go that aye?
55:00Whatever you do Ali
55:01don't buy the Sunday Mail
55:02on Sunday morning
55:03because
55:04the jam will be there again
55:05in Blackpool.
55:06Is it a mates one?
55:07Oh it's a mates one yeah.
55:08What are you a dancer?
55:09What's the reason for it?
55:10Oh it's just me and my brother
55:11going down.
55:12Oh
55:13just the two of you?
55:14Yeah even better.
55:15Oh I couldn't think of anything worse.
55:17On that note
55:18have a great time in Blackpool.
55:19Jacuzzi heating
55:20all right?
55:25I can't believe the two of you
55:26are getting out
55:27just two brothers
55:28in Blackpool
55:29what a time
55:30that's going to be.
55:31Is this the boy from Turkey?
55:32Aye.
55:33Oh you're going to look odd.
55:37I know he's got new teeth
55:38new hair
55:39and everything
55:40I'm going to look like a dog.
55:41Yeah absolutely.
55:42Okay thanks to Tam
55:43thanks to Ali
55:44for reminding us
55:45what he actually said
55:46in Blackpool
55:47and thanks to Ruffy as well.
55:49Don't forget to hit the subscribe button
55:51on our YouTube channel.
55:52One other little thing
55:53I thought I'd draw your attention to
55:54which quite a few people have
55:56mentioned along the way
55:58is we've launched this weekend
56:00our Kickstarter
56:01with more than a few
56:03people across our social media
56:04offering their support.
56:06Hopefully you can click the link
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56:10and head through to our Kickstarter
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56:14Just a few of our
56:16reporters and presenters
56:17telling you what you have to do.
56:19Hi it's Ruffy here.
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56:31And from everyone else here
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56:35and listening.
56:36Goodbye.