Craig Levein takes charge of Scotland tonight for the 2nd time in a very hard test vs Sweden. With the 2 teams already naming the teams it gives us (the fans) a wee bit of time to discuss whats going to happen and if Levein has picked the right team. I think what you can say about the Scottish team tonight is that it has the nucleus of the first 11 that will play vs Lithuania next month. The 2 surprises that have got the Scottish fans talking is the placement of Kirk Broadfoot and Gary Kenneth in the first 11.
Going round the fans forums most thought that with all the call-offs that Levein would go for his strongest team??? , if you ask me and loads of other fans then playing Broadfoot in front of Whitaker is a mystery. No offence to Broadfoot but Whitaker is a better player with much more of a goal threat. I like Broadfoot as he never lets Rangers or Scotland down , he always gives 100% but Whitaker is the real deal and with Alan Hutton we have 2 very good right backs for Scotland.
Gary Kenneth is the other mystery as he takes his place in Levein's team , with all the palaver about the Middlesbrough players travelling when they had a game last night and that Kenneth was late in being drafted in by Levein , then its a bit weird hes starting in front of the more experienced McManus. I can understand why the Scotland manager has done this as he knows what McManus can do as he has played 22 times for Scotland. With Kenneth getting the shout for tonight it gives Levein and the fans the chance to see if the Dundee Utd player can make the step up from club football to international football.
Tonights team will see Scotland play in a 4-2-3-1 formation , the same way Levein set his team up vs the Czech Republic in March when Scott Brown gave the Scotland manager a winning start to his reign. It is also a great chance for £7m man Steven Fletcher to stake his claim for a regular starting position as he leads Scotland's attack tonight in the lone role. Charlie Adam will also win his 5th cap for Scotland , hopefully his goal scoring talents that sent Blackpool to the Premiership return tonight as Adam has also been given a chance to impress the Scotland boss.
Scotland team to play Sweden....
.............Mcgregor
Broadfoot.... Berra.... Kenneth.... Wallace
........Thomson.... D.Fletcher
....McFadden.... Robson........ Adam
..........S.Fletcher
Now to Sweden , the Scandinavians have been busy this year as they have already taken part in 5 international games (winning 4 and drawing 1). The Swede's will be boosted by the return of Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic who will spearhead a 4-3-2-1 formation used by boss Erik Hamlen. Ibrahimovic will be supported by PSV's Ola Toivonen and FC Twente's Emir Bajrami in what is an attack minded team. Sweden's only home game this year saw them take 4 off Bosnia in a 4-2 win so Scotland must beware as the Swede's have goal threats from all over their team.
The Swedish side to play Scotland tonight in Stockholm is....
..................Andreas Isaksson
Mikael Lustig....Olof Mellberg....Daniel Majstorovic....Behrang Safari
.....Anders Svensson.....Pontus Wernbloo....Johan Elmander
.............Ola Toivonen....Emir Bajrami
..................Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Prediction?? , well if I'm using my heart then id say Scotland will get a 1-1 draw tonight. But if I'm using my sensible head (no laughing at the back) then i feel Sweden will be too strong for this weakened Scotland side and will run out either 2-1 or 3-1 winners. If Scotland can take anything from this game then it would be a huge boost as it would not only be a very good result but it would show that WE have strength in depth , something we will need for the up-coming EURO 2012 Qualifiers.
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