County need 'lady luck' to avoid play-off
We asked for your views after Ross County secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.Here's what you had to say:Rick: Dundee were there for the taking in the first half. They looked disorganised and kept playing backwards, causing the home fans to boo, but we were wasteful, couldn't finish and the game was littered with mistakes - Akil Wright's back pass for example. I couldn't take any more and left in the 90th minute, missing the penalty, but no regrets.Ali: Here we are again, play-off time, unless lady luck shines on us on Sunday. However she has not been good to us recently with the injuries and the loss of form of some players. But we also have to admit that we suffered greatly from some rather enigmatic team selections and tactical decisions of late. We need to get back to a formation that the players understand. A massive performance from Jordan Amissah against Dundee kept us in the game - well done big man. The team are still fighting so the fans need to fight with them on Sunday. Come on the Staggies.
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The National
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The SPFL clubs, who in the past have shown they are more concerned with self-interest than the greater good, have endorsed and embraced their plans. But is it too little too late? Our leading clubs face a raft of challenges running academies and bringing through youngsters who are capable of representing their first teams every year. The issues which Brexit and raids on their age-group squads by their wealthier English rivals have presented in recent years have been well documented in these pages. Far fewer footballers who are good enough are emerging. These are pretty exciting times in Scottish football with Brighton owner Tony Bloom buying a major stake in Hearts and a consortium comprising American billionaire Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers taking over Rangers. With Hibernian a far more formidable force than they were and Aberdeen lifted by their epic Scottish Cup triumph, next season promises to be a belter. 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(Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) Yet, the World Cup qualifying campaign which will get underway with away games against Denmark and Belarus in September may well prove to be the last that Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Christie, Lyndon Dykes, Craig Gordon, Grant Hanley, John McGinn, Kenny McLean, Andy Robertson, Lawrence Shankland and Kieran Tierney are involved in. Some will retire after it, others will stay on. But we are witnessing the last hurrah of a golden generation. Will those who come after that aforementioned group grace, as many of their predecessors did, the Premier League and the Champions League? The majority of them still have some way to go to scale the same heights as their compatriots. A few will manage it, but many won't. Clarke lamented how few goalkeepers he had to choose from when he announced his squad last month. He, or his successor, may be left bemoaning the lack of centre-backs, full-backs, holding midfielders, playmakers, wingers and strikers going forward. There must be a concerted collective effort from club owners and managers or qualification for the finals of major tournaments will be a thing of the past.
