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January 13, 2011

More selection problems for Glasgow

Posted by Editor on January 13, 2011 12:03 AM | 13 comments | Print | E-mail author

Johnnie Beattie will miss Glasgow's remaining Heineken Cup fixtures
Johnnie Beattie will miss Glasgow's two remaining Heineken Cup fixtures with Wasps and the Dragons.

Johnnie is on the comeback trail after injury and played in Glasgow's Magners League match with Munster last Saturday. However, the Scotsman reports that Johnnie is ineligible to play in the European fixtures as Glasgow have already used up the one permitted player-switch last month when they brought in Dave McCall, who had recovered from injury, for the departed Chauncey O'Toole. Only one change can be made to the original squad of 38 named in September throughout the pool stages.

A Glasgow spokesman told the Scotsman: "We are delighted that Johnnie Beattie is back from a long-term injury ahead of schedule but the rules of the competition are such that with one change having been made to the Glasgow squad of 38 for the Heineken Cup during the pool stages we cannot add another player at this point."

With no Magners League games until February the only opportunity for Johnnie to get some game time before the Six Nations may be for his designated club side Ayr. The Millbrae men travel south to face English Championship strugglers Birmingham and Solihull this weekend and then to Rotherham the week after, both in the British and Irish Cup

Posted by Osama on January 13, 2011 08:23 AM | Reply to this comment

Man, that totally sucks. Like a sucky thing. What a bonkers rule. Which tw made that decision? Miffed, of Tora Bora

Posted by MMcEwan on January 13, 2011 11:31 AM | Reply to this comment

Makes you wonder why a player with a permanent contract (McCall) was overlooked for the HC squad in favour of a triallist (O'Toole). Poor decision-making by the management.

Posted by Coruisk on January 13, 2011 11:45 AM | Reply to this comment

McCall was injured at that time and we were down two back row men (Eddie and Beattie) - completely understandable decision-making from management.

Posted by MMcEwan on January 13, 2011 12:40 PM | Reply to this comment

Registering a triallist for the Heineken Cup only to decide not to sign him a matters of weeks later is good decision-making? Completely disagree.

Posted by Coruisk on January 13, 2011 12:47 PM | Reply to this comment

Registering a trialist back row when we have injury problems in that position seems good decision-making, yes. You don't think we should have tried to cover the back row?

Posted by MMcEwan on January 13, 2011 01:35 PM | Reply to this comment

Yes, by all means cover the back row. But at least use a player who is likely to be here a bit longer than a few weeks and who won't himself need replaced when he leaves. Plenty players at club level or academy level would have done the ticket. Plus, the fact O'Toole left so soon after would suggest that the back row wasn't that big a problem area for the management at that time.

Posted by Coruisk on January 13, 2011 03:06 PM | Reply to this comment

Beattie and Eddie were out long term. Barclay, Forrester and Wilson all missed games at the start of the season.

O'Toole was an international backrow who was happy to come over on a short term deal to provide cover for injury and international call-ups. It didn't work out for him but it's no great problem we could move him on when the injury situation improved.

Would you rather we'd signed him on a longer deal? If that did happen I'd sure we'd hear moans about signing a player in a position where we have a bit of depth.

Posted by MMcEwan on January 14, 2011 08:25 AM | Reply to this comment

The point is that we registered a player for the HC who left weeks before the HC started. Are you seriously trying to justify that as a good decision? Especially when, at no point this season, have we not had at least one player (and more often than not two) covering back row on the bench?

Posted by Coruisk on January 14, 2011 09:56 AM | Reply to this comment

I'n afraid you're wrong as O'Toole was in the squad for the opening Heineken Cup game but didn't make the matchday 22.

Do you honestly think it would have been a better decision to include an injured player (Beattie) who at that point wasn't expected to return until during the Six Nations?

What if Eddie had recovered before Beattie?

Posted by MMcEwan on January 16, 2011 12:07 PM | Reply to this comment

Well there you go, you've just defeated your own argument. If Glasgow were as restricted for options in the back row as you make out, why did O'Toole not make the matchday 22 for the first HC match? And don't give me any of this guff about players making a quicker than expected recovery because a) that's not true and b) Glasgow rely on medical experts to give them an accurate account of when injured players are likely to return to fitness.


I stand by my original point. We could and should have registered an academy player who we could replace at a later date when Eddie/Beattie/Forrester returned to fitness, not blow a place in the squad on a player who left the club just over a month after joining and the week after our opening HC game.

Poor decision-making. End of discussion.

Posted by Coruisk on January 16, 2011 05:59 PM | Reply to this comment

I understand why you'd rather end the discussion as you are struggling a bit.

Why do you think Glasgow named an extended squad for that match? I'll help you out - they had injury concerns over their backrow players. They've done it a couple of times this season for other positions in the team.

You say bring in an academy player but that would make no difference to the Beattie situation as McCall replaced O'Toole in the Heineken Cup squad - our one permitted change.

You say we blew a place with O'Toole but what if he'd turned out to be a major find? Lineen has brought in a number of "unknowns" in the past on trial or on short contracts - some work out some don't.

You mention Glasgow relying on medical experts. Well Glasgow's medical experts initial opinion on the Beattie injury was that he would be out for six months.

You should give Kenny Baillie a shout as you obviously knew Glasgow's medical experts were wrong and Beattie - not Eddie or Cusiter - would be back sooner.

The reality is Glasgow were damned if they did and damned if they didn't. The difference is some folk can see that and just get on with it while others start bleating about poor management, lack of professionalism and start demanding people get their jotters.


Posted by AD on January 13, 2011 12:50 PM | Reply to this comment

Shambles, what jackass caused this? Whoever it is needs an almighty kick up the backside and then their jotters.

Posted by russ on January 13, 2011 05:00 PM | Reply to this comment

jotters eh I'd give the whole of the SRU their jotters! Turmoil it is I tell ye!

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