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Boyd for Scotland? (seriously!)


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He's been the embodiment of Kilmarnock's stunning transformation as the Rugby Park club have gone from relegation fodder to arguably this season's biggest success story.

Kris Boyd has had to deal with accusations that his time at the top-level was up and even he looked to edging towards life off the pitch, becoming increasingly prominent as a pundit on Sky Sports.

But then Steve Clarke arrived and suddenly the 34-year-old is a serious contender for this season's top scorer, netting 18 times over the campaign.

He last pulled on a Scotland shirt in 2010 and has seven international goals to his name, but does his form merit a call from Alex McLeish ?

Record Sport Online looks at the arguments for and against bringing Boyd back into the fold...

 

Yes - Anthony Haggerty

Why not? He is the in-form striker in the country at the moment with 12 goals in 14 games and 18 in total for the season. Since Steve Clarke has come in he just looks like a totally different player. He has rejuvenated him and he looks as if he can last the pace despite the fact that he is 34.

Stranger things have happened in football but if you have a guy that is putting the ball in the net as regularly as Kris Boyd does then we don't have an abundance of those guys in the Scottish national team.So it would be worth bringing him back to see how he could perform at that level.

 

No - Michael Gannon

Not for me. We are looking to the future and looking to build. We have the Nations League starting in September and the Euro Qualifiers not till next March when Kris will be 35, knocking on 36. He has been terrific this season and I don't think he is doing anything different. It's just that Steve Clarke has managed to get the rest of the Killie team right.

So Boyd who, for the last two seasons has been scratching around feeding on scraps is suddenly getting a supply line and he is scoring goals. That's what he does. He is older, wiser and perhaps a bit more streetwise in his runs but he is not dong anything too different. But I still think we have to look to the future and build and it would be an extremely short term solution to look to Kris. He was almost retired earlier in the season. So not for me I'm afraid.
 

Yes - Fraser Wilson

Previous Scotland bosses have been pilloried for failing to select in-form players.

Be it Gordon Strachan's refusal to play Leigh Griffiths in the early part of the last qualifying campaign or Callum McGregor in the latter stages or Craig Levein's fall-out with Steven Fletcher, Scotland bosses have always got it in the neck for leaving in-form players on the sidelines.

So why should a player who has just moved level at the top of the Premiership scoring charts be any different?

Boyd may be 34 and carrying an extra few pounds but his goal-threat is worth its weight in gold.

Are there many other strikers who qualify for Scotland who you would trust as much as Boyd to burst the net when the ball drops in the danger area?

There is little doubt the big Killie striker lacks pace and movement but that hasn't stopped him playing a key role for Killie where Jordan Jones and Eamonn Brophy do the leg work for Boyd to apply the finishing touch.

And one area where this Scotland squad isn't short is in wide areas and getting the ball into good positions.

Leigh Griffiths is undoubtedly our number one striker and, when fit, should always start.

But there's room for a Kris Boyd figure in the squad. Someone, when push comes to shove, who instantly boosts the goal threat through his mere presence on the park.

Get him in there!

 

No - Liam Bryce

First things first, Boyd has done brilliantly to turn around a season that started with him looking so off the pace that even his own fans were joining in with those less than complimentary jibes about his physique.

Yet, here we are, six months and he's finding the net once again. But that doesn't mean he should be getting an international recall.

Why, when we finally have a promising crop of young players emerging, should we take another dip into our less than glorious past?

There were enough groans when McLeish was brought back for a second stint as manager, can you imagine one of his first moves being to wheel out the 34-year-old Boyd?

It would only serve to drag up those short-termism accusations that Gordon Strachan had only begun to shake off when he was sacked last year.

Aside from that, Boyd has enjoyed a resurgence but would he really still be able to cut it at international level? Probably not.

And would he even want to? He's on course for a 20-plus goal season for Killie and, at his age, surely has to pick and choose his battles to deal with the rigours of a long season.

Granted, we aren't blessed with as many options up top as in other areas, but the focus for Scotland now should be on looking to the future and blooding young talent.

I tip my hat to Kris Boyd, he's turned things around in the twilight of his career, but he shouldn't be considered an option for the national team.

 
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Not that i think Boydie should be called up to the Scotland squad, but i do find it ironic that Michael Gannon starts off by saying "Not for me. We are looking to the future and looking to build."  Very good Michael. That is totally supported by making McLeish the manager!!!!! For me that's a backwards step.......Been there and done that.

 

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6 minutes ago, jam1869 said:

As good as Boyd has been, i think the 2 with a real chance of a call up are Macdonald and Odonnell.

If I was to pick anyone from our squad it would be Brophy, O'Donnell and Broadfoot.

Three positions we are painfully short of quality in. Griff and Brophy have similarities. Both pests, quick and shoot from any angle and range.

Broadfoot has been every bit as impressive as Berra and will be a similar age. 

O'Donnell is clearly the best Scottish right back in the league.

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No disrespect to MacDonald but if he gets called up it’s more than likely to make up the numbers. A great personal achievement to be in a squad but McGregor, Gordon, Marshall, McLaughlin would all likely start before him. I’ve said before I rate Bain as a better keeper and future international. Someone like Jordan Archer has been number one through the age groups and last I checked was first choice at Milwall is a lot younger and the experience of a call up to the full squad could be of benefit.

Of our current squad O’Donnell seems favourite for a call up. But for competition Taylor as well. Brophy is a player who seems to be going places. Erwin as well if he continues as us. IMO Ian Wilson is a full international in the making as well.

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I'm probably the biggest Boydie fan on here but for me, he's not what we need in the Scotland team. A Griffiths figure, or if we're looking for someone to deputise for him, it has to be someone younger. 

No harm to Boyd, he's obviously in fantastic form and in certain games for Scotland, given service, he probably could still bag us a goal. 

But we've failed to qualify for 20 years. We can't keep trying the same things with the same people. For me, the squad needs a complete overhaul. Guys like McGinn and Tierney need to be seen as the future now and given the chance to prove it. 

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24 minutes ago, Craigie11 said:

Boyd no 

Broadfoot no 

Mcdonald no

Taylor unfortunate that left back is our strongest position 

O’Donnell def worth a look 

Brophy absolutely 

Erwin if he applys himself

 

McDonald could certainly be in a squad with three GKs. O'Donnell's not out the question. The rest, no. Erwin can't get regular minutes or starts for Killie. Brophy and Taylor have potential for future squads but no-way just now. 

 

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Speaking selfishly? Nah, I want to keep him fit for Killie. He's bang in form, and I don't want to disrupt that or distract from it.

Saying that though, if the call came I wouldn't grudge the big man the honour at all. The turnaround this year has been something from a Roy of the Rovers comic. Did SC slip him a pair of magic boots or something? 

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10 hours ago, piffer said:

No disrespect to MacDonald but if he gets called up it’s more than likely to make up the numbers. A great personal achievement to be in a squad but McGregor, Gordon, Marshall, McLaughlin would all likely start before him. I’ve said before I rate Bain as a better keeper and future international. Someone like Jordan Archer has been number one through the age groups and last I checked was first choice at Milwall is a lot younger and the experience of a call up to the full squad could be of benefit.

Of our current squad O’Donnell seems favourite for a call up. But for competition Taylor as well. Brophy is a player who seems to be going places. Erwin as well if he continues as us. IMO Ian Wilson is a full international in the making as well.

Don't understand this excitement about Bain. He got dropped by Dundee, couldn't get in the team at Hibs and can't displace a goalie at Celtic who is pretty poor. But I suppose if all the third choice has to do is sit on the bench then Bain has more experience of that than any other goalie in the top flight in Scotland. 

The issue is who is available now and is playing and the only two are McGregor and McLaughlin so someone else is needed. Why not MacDonald? Samson got in the squad in the past and MacDonald is ten times the keeper he is. 

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he's retired from playing with Scotland and Scotland rarely play with 2 strikers. Boyd is nowhere near good enough to play a lone role at that level.

He's banging them in for us and I'm pleasantly surprised at his upturn in form (he'll probably be too as he was ready to chuck it) but he's nowhere near the Scotland team for a multitude of reasons.

Daft even talking about it,

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9 hours ago, Candygram for mongo said:

Broadfoot is doing well for Killie. But 'way better than Berra'? Think you need a lye down. 

On current form Broadfoot is better. Berra is sitting alongside John Soutter (who is a fantastic player and would be in my starting line-up for Scotland) in a team who are designed not to concede goals and he's looked utter drivel for weeks now. A Hearts team that has double our budget who are below us in the league and out the cup. Apart from Soutter, no hearts player should be near a Scotland jersey. 

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1 hour ago, Bhamkillieken said:

i dont think any of our team are knocking on the door for a competitive start. they might make these stupid friendlies in the summer as no doubt they will be loads of withdrawels.

I wonder what Boyd will say if some of our players get into the squad but obviously wouldn't be starting? Perhaps he would be a bit more diplomatic this time!

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2 hours ago, Bullitt said:

On current form Broadfoot is better. Berra is sitting alongside John Soutter (who is a fantastic player and would be in my starting line-up for Scotland) in a team who are designed not to concede goals and he's looked utter drivel for weeks now. A Hearts team that has double our budget who are below us in the league and out the cup. Apart from Soutter, no hearts player should be near a Scotland jersey. 

'Utter drivel' and 'way better than Berra' ?

Nonsense! 

Naismith would/is a contender for a Scotland jersey. 

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