I think Billy Gilmour is Scotland's present and future and I'll explain why. You talk about Modric. That is the exact kind of player Scottish coaches have consistently failed to produce. Don't forget, the genius you see as Modric now, was once a player who was assessed to be too small for the English Prem and played on the left wing as a result. Had he came through youth systems in Scotland or England he would not have become Modric, he'd have become a wee, half decent left winger who's too small and too slow to get to the top level. A Scottish example of an identical scenario is Callum McGregor. Once Rodgers came in to Scottish football he identified McGregor's technical qualities and moved him from a right winger to a central midfielder. Cal Mac is Celtic's best player at holding midfield, can you imagine he'd been coached to play as an attacking central midfield player from 5 years old? He'd be world class, instead he's a bit awkward in there. Gilmour is the first player to come through to senior level having been properly coached even without the kind of 'bruiser' attributes so often promoted in central midfield players by Scottish coaches. You say 'he needs top players to play it to' well how can top Scottish young players develop in Scotland without a guy like Billy Gilmour playing them the ball - both at senior and youth level. You have 1990s minded coaches who prefer McGinn, Christie, McTominay type players at both youth and senior level and without Gilmour type 6's giving more creative players good possession it becomes a self fufilling prophecy. Gilmour is the present and the future. He is the example of Scotland FINALLY taking steps into the modern game and, in my opinion, anyone who doesn't get Gilmour simply doesn't get European football or why Scottish players are so techincally awful. With respect lol.
Fully take on board your point. He's at an interesting point in his career heading into his prime and I feel like he needs to start having more of an impact (seems to be falling back to the fringes at Napoli). 2 assists and zero goals for Brighton last season, what's all this "technical ability" amounting to?
Gilmour's job isn't to make assists. His job is to progress the ball into the area of the park where players then make assists. For reference Luka Modric in 32 games last season for Real Madrid made 6 assists. Modric is obviously a genius and not a reasonable comparison and yet he only made 6 assists, playing for Real Madrid. Do you ever ask what is all of Modric's technical ability amounting to? I doubt you do, it's obvious what it amounts to, better quality possession for more advanced players. If what we're saying is that our more advanced players are so crap there's no point giving them better possession, then I think those players/positions are where the problems lie.
I think Billy Gilmour is Scotland's present and future and I'll explain why.
You talk about Modric. That is the exact kind of player Scottish coaches have consistently failed to produce. Don't forget, the genius you see as Modric now, was once a player who was assessed to be too small for the English Prem and played on the left wing as a result. Had he came through youth systems in Scotland or England he would not have become Modric, he'd have become a wee, half decent left winger who's too small and too slow to get to the top level.
A Scottish example of an identical scenario is Callum McGregor. Once Rodgers came in to Scottish football he identified McGregor's technical qualities and moved him from a right winger to a central midfielder. Cal Mac is Celtic's best player at holding midfield, can you imagine he'd been coached to play as an attacking central midfield player from 5 years old? He'd be world class, instead he's a bit awkward in there.
Gilmour is the first player to come through to senior level having been properly coached even without the kind of 'bruiser' attributes so often promoted in central midfield players by Scottish coaches.
You say 'he needs top players to play it to' well how can top Scottish young players develop in Scotland without a guy like Billy Gilmour playing them the ball - both at senior and youth level.
You have 1990s minded coaches who prefer McGinn, Christie, McTominay type players at both youth and senior level and without Gilmour type 6's giving more creative players good possession it becomes a self fufilling prophecy.
Gilmour is the present and the future. He is the example of Scotland FINALLY taking steps into the modern game and, in my opinion, anyone who doesn't get Gilmour simply doesn't get European football or why Scottish players are so techincally awful. With respect lol.
Fully take on board your point. He's at an interesting point in his career heading into his prime and I feel like he needs to start having more of an impact (seems to be falling back to the fringes at Napoli). 2 assists and zero goals for Brighton last season, what's all this "technical ability" amounting to?
Gilmour's job isn't to make assists. His job is to progress the ball into the area of the park where players then make assists.
For reference Luka Modric in 32 games last season for Real Madrid made 6 assists. Modric is obviously a genius and not a reasonable comparison and yet he only made 6 assists, playing for Real Madrid.
Do you ever ask what is all of Modric's technical ability amounting to? I doubt you do, it's obvious what it amounts to, better quality possession for more advanced players.
If what we're saying is that our more advanced players are so crap there's no point giving them better possession, then I think those players/positions are where the problems lie.