Donald Trump Couldn't Make Scotland Great Again

DISCLAIMER ONE: There are (according to the late Sir Winston Spencer Churchill) Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics.

DISCLAIMER TWO: Given the above, the advice once given me by a distinguished former sports correspondent of the News Chronicle, turned best-selling author: “M'boy, if you note the possession and territorial statistics of any given match, it generally tells you which of the sides deserved to win", comes into play.

BUT, to our tale. Some members (perhaps most) of the Scottish Football Writers Association and the Lap Top Loyal have seemingly decided that: Strachan Must Go. Well, good for them, it enables them to divert the dwindling Scottish football constituency from the realities of Scottish fitba in 2016:

1. A poor Celtic team is running away with the League title – due to lack of competition.
2. An even-poorer Rangers team might not be good-enough to finish second.
3. Rangers are still deep in the financial doo-dah.
4. Our Under-21 team is pish – therefore, the future is anything but bright.
5. The SFA as a governing body has even-less of a clue about running things than the Tories

So, in the time-honoured tradition of “Bread and Circuses” diversions, we are deep in the midst of a Let's Get Rid of Strachan witch-hunt, being led by a body which that esteemed obsessionist Phil Mac Giolla Bhain rightly terms: “The Stenographers”.

Gordon Strachan's record as Scotland National Team Manager reads:

p. 32 – w. 14 – d. 6 – l. 12 – 43.75% wins – 50.00% points won

Jock Stein's record at the same stage in his tenure as Scotland National Team Manager read:

p. 32 – w. 13 – d. 6 – l. 13 – 40.625% wins – 46.875% points won

Gordon Strachan's eclectic team (the guys who have played most in the team) over these 32 games reads, in 4-4-2 formation:

David Marshall; Alan Hutton, Russell Martin, Grant Hanley, Andy Robertson; Darren Fletcher, Scott Brown, Shaun Maloney, Ikycha Anya; Steven Fletcher, Robert Snodgrass.

Jock Stein's eclectic team from his first 32 games in charge would read:

Alan Rough; Sandy Jardine, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller, Danny McGrain; Gordon Strachan, Graeme Souness, Archie Gemmill, John Robertson; Kenny Dalglish, Joe Jordan.

 

Right, the 22 players named above are your Scotland squad - all are at the peak of their powers, all are fit and available for selection – what is your preferred Scotland starting XI?

Now – look again at the performance statistics.

In those first 32 games as manager, Stein took part in one European Championship qualifying campaign, and one World Cup qualifying campaign, having taken over from Ally MacLeod after the opening game of the 1980 European Championship qualifiers. His record in these campaigns was:

1980 Euros Qualifying: p. 5 – w. 1 – d. 1 – l. 3 – 20.00% wins – 26.67% points won - DNQ

1982 World Cup Qualifying: p. 8 – w. 4 – d. 3 – l. 1 – 50.00% wins – 62.5% points won – Q

Overall competitive record: p. 13 – w. 5 – d. 4 – l. 4 – 38.46% wins – 48.72% points won

Gordon Strachan succeeded Craig Levein in the midst of the unsuccessful 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign. He has since presided over the unsuccessful 2016 European Championship Qualifying campaign, and is now guiding us in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. His record in these campaigns reads:

2014 World Cup Qualifying: p. 6 – w. 3 – d. 0 – l. 3 – 50% wins – 50% points won – DNQ

2016 Euros Qualifying: p. 10 – w. 4 – d. 3 – l. 3 – 40% wins – 50% points won – DNQ

2018 World Cup Qualifying: p. 4 – w. 1 – d. 1 – l. 2 – 25% wins – 33.33% points won

Overall competitive record: p. 20 – w. 8 – d. 4 – l. 8 – 40% wins – 46.67%

There can be no argument – Stein had better players at his disposal than Strachan has. Some might argue, the Scotland side of the 1978 – 1982 period faced higher-quality opposition than the Scotland side of 2014 – 2016 has, but, the comparison of the overall records show, we have been failing to meet the aspirations of the Tartan Army for decades.

The combination of Jock Stein's managerial skills and the talent of some of the immortals of Scottish football produced an inferior record to those of Gordon Strachan and a bunch of journeymen. If nothing else, this shows, it matters not a jot whether or not Strachan falls on his sword, or is sacked – Scotland will still be SHITE.

ONE final wee point - Disappointing though our start to this Qualifying campaign has been, one win, one draw and two defeats from our first four games - it is a better start than we made in our last three campaigns. In 2006, we opened with two draws and two defeats; in 2010 (where we were in a five, rather than six-team group), we began with the same one win, one draw, one defeat record as we have managed to date this time round; last time out, for the 2014 tournament, we began with two draws and two defeats. Thus, WGS has made us better, but, still the Stenographers want him out.

This is the fifth time we have been drawn in a six-team Qualifying group, we have managed to qualify just once in the previous four - in 1998. Our "terrible" start to this campaign is actually our third-best from these five Qualifying campaigns in six-team groups. As I wrote two paragraphs above - the chances are, Scotland will still be SHITE. 

SFWA – LAP-TOP LOYAL – MSM - I SHALL WRITE THIS ONLY ONCE:

THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE MANAGER:

THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE PLAYERS:

THE PROBLEM IS THE WHOLE BLOODY SYSTEM