I NEVER thought I would write this, but: thanks England. The entry of the Master Race into Euro 2012 has given us Scots something to focus on, to take our minds away from the over-riding issue in Scottish football in 2012 - the long, slow, lingering death of Rangers.
Ra Peepul may be history in something like 50 hours, or, Hughie Green's brazen effort to double his money may get the go-ahead via the CVA. Right now, we - the general public - don't know, and with this financial world split on what may happen at the creditors meeting, the experts apparently don't know either.
So, England's Euro-quest at least gives us some football to talk about. This time, it has been difficult to justify the Scot's normal stance on these big tournaments: ABE (anyone but England), simply because, for once, my dear friends in the English media haven't gone to the front line convinced it will be all over by Christmas and God for Roy, England and St George will carry the day. Come to think about, maybe it was the headline writers who were pushing for 'Arry all along? Gave them a chance to roll out their Shakespearean lines.
No, the attitude of the media cheer-leaders has been closer to that of the Tartan Army - the English are seemingly coming round to the notion: We may well be shite, but we're not quite ready to say we are - yet.
I felt the men in white were second-best to France yesterday - but, the got a draw. In fact, you might well ask: "Were you Scotland in disguise"? They did play a wee bit like us, they got the run-around from a technically-superior team, but, by dint of hard work and spirit, managed to get a draw.
I don't see England getting to the sharp end of the event - the last four, but, they could well make it to the quarter-finals, I don't see a lot between the four teams in Group D, so they may well survive. But, at least this time, not even Clive Tyldesley and Adrian Childs is as yet in full-on, volume 11 INGERLUND, INGERLUND, INGERLUND mode.
I CANNOT recall which talking head came up with it, but there was one nugget of truth amidst the torrent of words around the England game - when someone suggested that the proposal, which, naturally the SFA backs to the hilt, that future European Championship finals should be contested by 24 rather than 16 countries, would bring about a lot more dull games.
The reasoning behind this statement was simple, but true - there is a lack of quality. This is evident already, since there isn't an outstanding team in the 16-strong field in Poland and Ukraine. Certainly these are the opening skirmishes, but, let's look at the usual suspects.
As outlined above, the English have realised their squad is rather ordinary, particularly without Rooney for the two opening games. Germany is perhaps one tournament short of looking like champions-in-waiting. Italy is even further removed from being seen as potential winners, ditto Holland. Spain is perhaps one tournament past being special and could revert to type, flattering to deceive - a desription which could be given to the traditional "second-top shelf" teams, such as Portugal and France - while none of the "wild card" countries - Croatia, Denmark, Sweden - looks likely to stage a shock.
But, with no surprise failures to qualify, these are indeed the top 16 nations in Europe; of course from today's second round of games on, they could produce breath-taking game after breath-taking game and I would be left with egg on my face.
But, I feel, since there is barely enough quality in the 16 top teams to produce a consistently stimulating and entertaining series of games - what's the point in bringing in a further eight teams, thereby further diluting the already poor quality of football on offer?
The World Cup Finals are contested by 32 of FIFA's 200-plus member countries - 16%; this is fair enough. There is no way whereby the actual top 16% can be got there, since this would mean a tournament for European sides, plus the Brazilians, Argentinians and a couple of other nations - which would hardly be a World Cup.
The European Championships are contested by 16 of the 53 UEFA member countries, roughly one-third, and some of these countries are there as cannon-fodder. To increase that number to 24, or just under half of the membership, makes no sense whatsoever - it should not happen.
However, money talks - so it propbably will, where it would probably be better for football if the Euros reverted to being contested by the top eight nations. You never know, being further out in the cold, our noses pressed against the glass - might finally persuade the SFA to do something about the lowly state of Scottish football.
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