Scotland v Netherlands: World Cup 1978, first group stage — live!

By -

Some literally breaking news from back home: A brick has been hoyed through the window of the Scottish FA offices in Glasgow. All that pre-tournament hubris is coming back to bite MacLeod and his squad on the padded side of their trousers in a big way. Take that going-away party at Hampden, for example. “They should have had the send-off after they came back,” was one Glasgow punter’s wonderfully tinder-dry take during an STV vox pop. The amount of promotional activity undertaken by both manager and squad hasn’t aged well either. In retrospect, the ad campaign for Chrysler Avenger, which showed the team standing around the popular family car alongside the slogan “They both run rings around the competition”, was simply asking for trouble. It’s been pulled, two days ahead of schedule. “It’s not my fault, I didn’t write the copy,” shrugged Alistair Young of International Image Consultants, the firm behind all of Scotland’s sponsorship deals, washing his hands ostentatiously. Chrysler’s response? “It was time to call a halt as the team just did not live up to the copywriters’ claims.” At least Chrysler didn’t manufacture the team bus, eh, ladies and gentlemen. I’m here all week, try the steak with chimichurri.

The pointlessly stubborn Ally MacLeod has finally seen sense, selecting Graeme Souness for the first time in the campaign. Souness and his Liverpool team-mate Kenny Dalglish combined for the goal that recently won Liverpool the European Cup at Wembley, so it’s been something of a surprise that he’s not featured before. MacLeod admits he should have selected him against Iran. Too late? Probably. Anyway, he’s one of four changes to the team held by the Iranians, coming in along with Aberdeen’s Stuart Kennedy, Tom Forsyth of Rangers, and Derby County’s Bruce Rioch, who reclaims the captain’s armband from Archie Gemmill. Out go Sandy Jardine of Rangers, Manchester United striker Lou Macari, and Nottingham Forest duo Kenny Burns and John Robertson.

Ernst Happel, the Austrian coach who won the European Cup with Feyenoord in 1970 and is now in charge of Holland, makes one change to the side that drew 0-0 with Peru. Arie Haan makes way for Johnny Rep.

Continue reading...

from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2020/mar/28/scotland-v-netherlands-world-cup-1978-first-group-stage-live

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Newcastle’s transformation and reconnection testament to Howe’s coaching | Andy Brassell

By -
Club’s supporters’ minds will start to wander to potential trips next season after long-awaited return to Champions League The roar at kick-off, the roar that had been there in most of the previous 18 home games of this season, was maybe given a few extra decibels here. Added to renewed hope, present all season, was a touch of yes, this really is happening. Then came the moment, with fireworks being wedged into the tops of milk bottles, at the beginning of stoppage time, when Nick Pope was finally forced into some sort of movement to deny Timothy Castagne, to make sure it did happen. It came after one of the Newcastle keeper’s slowest days of the season, after what had often resembled a half-pitch, beat-the-packed-defence training exercise against a Leicester team largely too meek to threaten Geordie dreams. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2023/may/22/newcastle-champions-league-eddie-howe
Read more

Richarlison’s first Tottenham goals punish Marseille for Mbemba’s red card

By -
There was the obligatory pre-match footage of Lucas Moura’s winner at Ajax and then the declaration on the big screen at Tottenham’s magnificent stadium, one that is built to stage these kind of Champions League nights. “We’re back.” For so long, it appeared that the grand return after a two-season absence would fall flat, even when Marseille were reduced to ten men in the 47th minute following Chancel Mbemba’s last-man foul on Son Heung-min. It was a dreadful misjudgment by the former Newcastle centre-half. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/07/tottenham-marseille-champions-league-group-d-match-report
Read more

Super Eagles player, William Troost-Ekong shows off his girlfriend on IG as she turns a year older today

By -
Image
Super Eagles and FK Haugesund defender William Troost Ekong took to his Instagram account this morning to wish happy birthday to his beautiful girlfriend. " HBD to my girl. Wish I could be there".  The 22 year old half Dutch, half Nigerian is in Nigeria for the Super Eagles 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania holding in Akwa Ibom state on Saturday.
Read more