Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

I'VE HAD my rose-tinted specs on constantly since watching yesterday's friendly between Brazil and Scotland from the Emirates. And, by the way, STV's coverage was nothing like as poor as I feared it might be. However, even with these glasses on, I cannot be a positive spin on a match in which the final score was 2-0 going on 6-0.

Thankfully, this time around we didn't have a bit daft Angus "loon" like David Narey in our team and ready to score against them, thereby angering the Brazilians into really skelping oor bahookies.

We got off lightly, on which point, well-done Howard Webb. I've long believed you to be a crap referee; at least in confirming this impression you did us a favour by not awarding the Brazilians a stonewall penalty for that late hand-ball by Gary Caldwell.

But how demoralising is it to realise we - Scotland - the nation which invented team work, which pioneered close short passing, support play, pass and run, can no longer get close to the nation which best picked-up on what the Victorian English termed "the Scotch passing game".

Time and again they cut through us, like a knife through butter. In every aspect of the game, we were a poor second. Even Charlie Adam, the man onto whose shoulders the cape of Baxter and Co has fallen, couldn't adequately match-up with his opponents.

Charlie has made his reputation this season from his "World Cup passes", the 50 or 60 yard cross-field passes to free-running team mates. Sadly, on Sunday, he either over or under-hit his trade mark balls, although it must be said, it seemed to me his team mates didn't always read Charlie's passes properly.

Aye, it wis a sair fecht, and sadly I don't see it getting any better soon. We might still be good enough to finish second behind Spain in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, but Sunday only emphasised that, the first time we have to get past a decent team, we're doomed, doomed ah tell ye.

ENOUGH doom and gloom. At least we are aware of our failings and limitations. I had a good laugh at our southern neighbours' take on what was apparently a stroll in the park in beating Wales on Saturday.

England were, apparently, in cruise control. LIke Brazil against us, they won 2-0, but whereas Brazil rattled our goal fram a few times, missed at least three chances which I never expected to see a Brazilian player miss, and were of course denied that one stonewall penalty, and a possible other.

The English scored two and never looked like getting a third. But, so dire were Wales, they were never in danger.

Pardon me but, if England are as good as the English like to tell us they are, how come they could only score two goals in a cake walk? A top-class team, playing markedly inferior opponents, should score at least four or five.

I feel the English are still shite - but that fact hasn't yet hit home.

THE Spanish referee who sent him off, apparently has "form" when it comes to exiling managers to the grandstand. However, is there nobody within "the Celtic Family" able to tell Neil Lennon: "Screw the nut wee man".

Getting sent to the stand in a meaningless friendly will do him no favours with the SFA, who are truly out to get him any way they can.

At this rate Paul McBride QC will be easily the highest-paid man within Parkhead this season. Wonder if he can play in central defence, since they need a good defender.

MIND you, Celtic don't need a good QC as much as Rangers now the institutionalised power of the Catholic church is on their case. Their intervention after the sectarian singing at the League Cup Final is just about the last thing Rangers need and maybe now, at long last, the club will seriously have to do something about those of their fans who are hell-bent on pushing their right to free speech to the absolute extreme.

It can be done, but Rangers will need to be serious and consistent in their efforts to finally silence the bigots.

It's all very well going on about "their" bampot tendancy getting a fairly free ride. But as the old adages say: "People in glass houses etc" and "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". But if you don't muck your own byre out regularly, you can hardly complain about a lingering pong.