Germany Is Behind Us - Time To Get Georgia On Our Minds

BEING a greedy bar steward, had I been offered a 2-1 defeat by Germany, before the game, I would have kicked it into touch; I would have accepted a 1-1 draw, however. Still, the realist in me understands, a 2-1 loss in Germany will be a better result than most of the other contenders in our Euro group will get, indeed, it might prove to be the best result any visitors will get against the overwhelming group favourites.

 

Again, being realistic, in this group, we expect Germany to clinch the automatic qualifying place, the play-off place will come down, in the view of most commentators to a three-way fight between us, the Irish and the Poles.

 

Gibraltar we can all but discount, when it comes to the qualifying places, between the various groups, those countries such as Scotland, who are in a six-countries group, will be obliged to drop our results against the sixth country.

 

So, while Poland has set the bench at beating Gibraltar at seven goals, in the long run, should we fail to match this, it might not count too-much against us.

 

The tgwo games about which I worry are those against Georgia. An otherwise excellent qualifying gorup under Alex McLeish was fatally wounded by a bad loss in Georgia - we must guard against a repeat. The Georgians are the opponents who worry me, I think the games against the Irish and the Poles will take care of themselves.

 

Good to see Darren fletcher back, by the way. And, is it me, or, does the fact they get away with murder in the Scottish League, where referees seem scared to book them for stupidity, tell against Old Firm players when playing for Scotland?

 

I ask this following Charlie Mulgrew's totally-stupid and unnecessary red card in Dortmund.

 

 

 

MEANWHILE, back at the ranch, my erstwhile colleagues in the mainstream media in Scotland have returned to their favourite subject - the King over the water.

 

I have been saying since this whole Ibrox soap opera kicked-off. King is a sideshow. Given his track record - and his criminal one - Rangers should, lang syne, have told him to take a long hike. If they will not, then the SFA has to, by making it clear, he cannot meet the fit and proper person test and, while there is nothing to stop him investing in the Tribute Act, which, as far as I am aware, he has yet to do; He cannot be allowed into an executive position with the club.