AFTER all their travails in not adequately covering the Craig Whyte Months at Ibrox - let's face it, Tony Blair has more chance of a come-back than Mr Whyte - the accusations of not being on the ball, of opting not to cover the Rangers case, of being caught-out by various Celtic-minded bloggers, that lovely bunch: the A Team of the Scottish Football Writers Association probably deserve their wee break in Slovenia.
Of course, they will still have to appear to be interested in a meaningless, diddy game, between two diddy teams - when they'd far-rather be back home in Glasgow trying to pick-up the latest Rangers gossip.
The Scotland team is a mess - in the whole way it is set-up, (dis)organised and (mis)managed. Probably the only people who care are those Hampden blazers who've managed to get themselves onto the trip - it might make them feel even more important than they usually do.
And, for all this is a game, involving the national team, the squad which ought to be Number One as far as all Scots football people are concerned - if, as expected, Duff Beer announce player redundancies on Wednesday, then who Rangers are releasing will be the back page story, even if (and I know I'm entering the realms of fantasy here) some Scotland player scores a hat trick and we actually win in Slovenia.
SPARE a thought too this week for another man with problems - caretaker England boss Stuart Pearce, who has charge of the men in white for their friendly with Holland.
He has caused some ripples, which may grow into waves, by naming a fairly young squad and by leaving one or two regular England squad members out. Good for "Psycho", this is a nothing friendly, which has no real bearing on the big task for England, winning at least respectibility back in the European Championship finals at the end of the season.
He has been smart in getting some of the kids into the big team and, who knows, somebody might do a Michael Owen and play so well he cannot be left out of the summer squad. More likely, perhaps, that somebody will do what Craig Brown used to manage - after a lot of clamour to cap him, flop and be discardable.
But, supposing "Psycho" winds them up to the extent that England beat the Dutch, Daniel Levy at Tottenham continues to play hard ball with the FA and suddenly a band-wagon to give Pearce the job on a permanent basis begins to roll.
What does Pearce (and the FA) then do about the Olympic Games gig? Beckham for player-manager anyone? Or how about a Beckham/Giggs/Scholes/Neville "think tank" with a hot line to Sir Alex back there in Manchester? It could work.
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