Euro Qualifier: Scotland v Italy - 17th Nov 07

[LAF]

V

Scotland v Italy
Euro 2008 Qualifying Group B
Saturday 17th November 2007
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Kick-Off 17:00

[kenny hoggan]

still to hear if i get tickets, waiting and hoping

[DavidMc]

Massive game. The whole country will come to a stand-still. Hampden will be an unbelievable place to be.

Unfortunately I dont have a ticket but I will be going into Glasgow to join the match build-up. Come Friday night the nerves will set in for all fans, but to have come this far is an achievement itself.

Hopefully we can cross the finish line.

The team will have an amazing support that day and with that anything is possible.

[LAF]

Originally Posted by DavidMc

Massive game. The whole country will come to a stand-still. Hampden will be an unbelievable place to be.

Unfortunately I dont have a ticket but I will be going into Glasgow to join the match build-up. Come Friday night the nerves will set in for all fans, but to have come this far is an achievement itself.

Hopefully we can cross the finish line.

The team will have an amazing support that day and with that anything is possible.

That is exactly why I'm pissed off I missed out. If we qualify it'll be worse. A couple of my mates have tickets and the pricks have been making sure I know about it.

Looking at the Italy line-up they're looking for a draw because they don't have alot of creativety in their MF, it's full of strong hustlers. I can see them looking for set-pieces.

[kenny hoggan]

i got a ticket, my dad didnt get 1 though, do you realisticly think we can do it, i do, weve out done ourselves already , we wont stop now

[DavidMc]

I think we can do it. But we will need certain things to go our way. We will need a bit of luck but with the Hampden crowd behind the team, I think it is possible.

We deserve to qualify now, but its going to be extremely difficult.

Really looking forward to it though.

[DavidMc]

Scotland v Italy - Pre-match build-up

Scotland coach Roy Aitken views Saturday's clash with Italy as perhaps the most important game in his nation's football history.

"It comes close to that," the former Celtic defender told BBC Sport ahead of a game his side must win at Hampden to reach the Euro 2008 finals.

Aitken has himself won titles, cups and Scotland caps but said: "I think it has got to be one of the biggest ever.

"It means so much to us all. To be there at this stage is incredible."

A Scotland victory would guarantee progress to the finals in Austria and Switzerland after emerging from a qualifying group that contained both World Cup finalists.

And it would leave Italy sweating over the result of France's game in Ukraine four days later.

"The fact that the players have got to this stage is a great achievement in itself - a cup final game at Hampden Park in front of a full house," said Aitken.

We need all our players fit and playing at the top of their game - and hopefully we catch Italy on an off-day

"It's a great achievement for everybody and we're all looking forward to it.

"There's a huge challenge to qualify for championship finals and one good win, one victory would take us there.

"But the big picture is that we have done fantastically well to get to this stage and it's still a tall order to beat the world champions."

Aitken is delighted to be part of Alex McLeish's management team and believes the atmosphere within the squad has helped the Scots to the brink of qualification.

"Alex has picked 25 players for Tuesday and I bet you a pound to a penny every one of those players will be there on Tuesday - barring any serious injuries," he said. "They all want to be involved.

"We have some very good players, but our strength is in the work ethic.

"We need all our players fit and playing at the top of their game - and hopefully we catch Italy on an off-day.

"If we can get it right then there is a chance of beating them."

Aitken said it would be the management team's job to prevent the expected media and supporter hype about the showdown with Italy from affecting the players.

"The icing on the cake is this Saturday, when we have given the nation the chance to enjoy this day - and hopefully we'll have a great one," he said.

"The main thing is to keep everybody on a level keel.

"We want the players to go into this relatively relaxed, as they have in other matches."

[kenny hoggan]

you heading to the game davidmc

[DavidMc]

Originally Posted by kenny hoggan

you heading to the game davidmc

Unfortunately not. Will watch it in a pub in Glasgow though. Will be a great day. One massive party. Hopefully we are celebrating into th night too.

[DavidMc]

What team do you think McLeish should start with?

The same team as the Ukraine game?

[llewelyn]

barring injury im guessing it may be close to this:

--------------------gordon-----------------
hutton----weir----mcmanus----naysmith
brown----fletcher----ferguson----mcculloch
-------------------mcfadden----------------
---------------------miller--------------------


i was born and raised in italy so thats where my loyalties will always lie, but ive become a fan of scottish football recently and truly hope both nations qualify (although that's the least probable of scenarios).

good luck this saturday

[kenny hoggan]

good shout, that will probrably be the formation, hopefuly millers speed will put the defenders under pressure and then Faddy can do what he does best, score!

[DavidMc]

I believe with a packed Hampden we can win this game. When you look through our starting line-up now, we have guys with Champions League experience, Premiership experience and these players have proved they can play at a high level.

Midfield will be a key area but I am confident with the likes of Ferguson, Brown McCulloch etc that we can compete against the Italians.

Would be a massive achievement.

[DavidMc]

--------Gordon--------
-Hutton-Weir-McManus-Naysmith
--Hartley--
Brown-Ferguson-Fletcher-McCulloch
-McFadden or Miller-

Id go for this line-up.

Tough call for McLeish on who to start with in attack.

[LAF]

So excited about this. Fucking medias fault.

Anyway, Hartley is amazing at DM, like a mini Gattuso.

Surely McFadden deserves to start ahead of Miller?