LET'S all laugh at England - no, maybe not. We Scots simply love schadenfreude and anything which gives us a laugh at the English football team diverts us from having to laugh at the Scottish team - it's either that, or we cry - because we really are in a bad way. At least, the English have the European Championships to look forward to.
The manner in which the Capello reign ended again shows how out-of-touch we, the football public and the football media, are when it comes to realpolitik. In football in this country, in spite of the higher profile enjoyed by the likes of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, Vladimir Romanov at Hearts, Craig Whyte at Rangers or even back-seat owner Mr Desmond at Celtic - we still look on the manager as THE MAN in a club.
They are not - not even Sir Alex Ferguson. If push comes to shove in any club, the manager goes, the owner stays until he decided to sell. I cannot think of a single manager who was in reality THE MAN at his club since Bill Struth during his final decade at Rangers. Back then, he was the club's largest share-holder, he was vice-Chairman, he represented the club on the SFA. Not even Jock Stein had that power.
Perhaps he remained in office too long, but, Struth had the luxury of retiring at a time of his choosing, Big Jock didn't have that luxury. Capello didn't have that luxury at the FA.
The story is, he felt the FA blazers under-mined his authority by relieving John Terry of the England captaincy while he faced his trial over his alleged racist abuse of Anton Ferdinand. On the face of it, Capello has a point - however - given the media storm which is already surrounding this case and which will increase in power as his court date nears, I don't think the FA had any choice. For the good of English football, Terry had to go. Indeed, I feel he should have been left out of the England squad until the case is over and Terry is found guilty or innocent.
Capello was a foreign mercenary, the FA blazers are the guardians of the game. They have made mistakes in the past, they surely will again in the future - but, in this case - they got it right and Capello got it wrong.
MEANWHILE, back up here in la-la land, we have the on-going conjecture as to whether or not Ally McCoist should walk away from Rangers, or if he should be pushed.
There have long been rumours to the effect that Coisty never has had the confidence of Mr Whyte and that the owner of the club wants Billy Davies in as manager.
Rangers slump out of the Scottish Cup to Dundee United and suddenly, Billy Davies, is all over the media. Coincidence - or conspiracy.
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