Scott Bain

IF Scott Bain had thought making his debut for Celticagainst Rangers at Ibrox after being called in as a late replacement for injured club mate Craig Gordon back in March was tough, then he will have quickly revised his opinion.

The goalkeeper earned his first cap for Scotland in the most difficult circumstances imaginable in Central America at the weekend - he came on for Jon McLaughlin at the start of the second-half in a friendly at the Azteca Stadium which hosts Mexico were dominating.


The famous stadium was packed with tens of thousands of noisy supporters who were keen to see the home team rack up a big victory in their final warm-up game on home turf before the Russia 2018 finals and he was immediately called on to produce a string of saves.

To top it all, his team were also struggling to cope with the conditions – Mexico City is over 7,000 feet above sea level and the high altitude was leaving the visitors short of breath as the game wore on.

But having worked on a building site as a labourer while he was playing for part-time Alloa and having been frozen out at Dundee at the start of the season, Bain wasn’t exactly complaining.

Winning his first cap for his country and keeping a clean sheet in the 45 minutes which he was on the park on such an incredible occasion and in such impressive surroundings has capped both an extraordinary rise to prominence and a rollercoaster season for the 26-year-old.

“I thoroughly enjoyed getting thrown on there,” he said. “It was an amazing place to play your first game for Scotland.

“You could see that Mexico were a really good side. There is a reason they are going to the World Cup. I thought the boys played really well in terms of limiting them. But as the game went on the boys got really tired because the game was played at altitude. It is a different game. It is very difficult.

You don’t know if you can cope with it, you don’t know if you can play at the level until you are thrown in there. I am thankful to the manager that he wanted to put me on in the second-half there. He gave me an opportunity to show what I can do for Scotland.”

Bain added: “It is mad when you look back to where I started. This season especially has probably summed up my whole career. It shows you can be thrown to the side and then suddenly you are on top of the world. It has been great. The game on Saturday topped it off.

“I think I had the belief in myself that I could play at this level anyway, but it is nice to go on the pitch and do a decent enough job.”

Bain feels that worked under manager Brendan Rodgers and alongside players like Scott Brown, Mikael Lustig and Kieran Tierney on a daily basis at the Scottish champions in the past four months has changed his mindset and enabled him to cope with playing for his country.

“I’ve got a new attitude since I went to Celtic,” said Bain. “I have a new mentality which has been instilled by the manager and the players I am playing with. I enjoy the big games, I hope many more come. I will just keep going. It is a case of getting better every day.”

 

Warming up to the guy, seems to be progressing well, keep this up and he's probably our Christmas NO.1.

 

Picking up Craig Gordon’s bad habits

 

Aside from being caught in no man's land right at the death I thought he was pretty good tonight. His distribution is far superior to Gordon's.

Also likes to get it out nice and early, which is a necessity against teams camped in.

 

For some reason I feel more comfortable with him in goals than Gordon.

Even though I know he's not very good and Gordon is a better GK than he.

Weird.

 

Like him but * was he doing at the end.

 

He's a lucky boy..

Played well before that as well..

Don't come for 30% ball's in your favour when we're 1 up in the last minute for fucksake..

 

Hope he plays in all the Cup games this season..

 

Same

 

Lucky Bhoy.

 

Must be just because it's anybody bar Gordon

 

Nearly * it at the end.

Genuinely don't care who our number 1 is now. Both seem to be prone to the same mistakes and capable of the same outstanding saves as each other in all honesty.

 

He’s not really put a foot wrong until then. So I’m reality he’s doing alright.

 

Did well until the end when he decided he wanted to play Centre Half instead of Goal keeper.

 

A rush of blood to the head at the end could’ve * it

Think that mightve been him trying too hard. Other than that, I though he was decent enough.

Wouldn’t mind him starting the next few games to see how consistent his shot stopping ability is.

His distribution is far better than Gordon anyway. WOUldnt be hard mind you..

 

Gordon * up like him at the end and theres 5 pages of abuse added onto Gordons thread. I understand the anybody but gordon attitude but Bain is literally anybody. Brutal at the end there.

 

Compared to Gordon
He's quicker onto balls that carry into his box, Gordon waits until the ball gets to him rather than moving to the ball
He has faster distribution, Gordon in possession has a very slow release which is the equivalent to our defence sideways passing allowing the opposition to reset themselves
His distribution with feet is far superior

For out right goalkeeping I still think Gordon is better. But to be honest it can rightly be argued Bain deserves a crack.
Apart from the bad decision late on he played well.

Gordons body & reflexes matched with Bains speed & feet and we got ourselves a keeper.

 

Hopefully after that * tonight he gets his chance against at johnstone and holds down a berth in the team.

 

He has to be first choice now. Gordon is a liability.

 

So is hendry and lustig, we are meant to have the best squad depth in the league but it feels threadbare