If You Know Your History

WE HAVE now, sooner perhaps than normally, when, if you're Scottish, you time your television viewing of the World Cup coverage very-carefully: switching on just before the anthems or the kick-off, taking as long as you dare over your half-time refreshments, in another room, and switching off on the final whistle.

To do otherwise, regardless of the game being shown, is to be subjected to long hours of minutiae from the England camp, as, with each passing hour, the men at the top of the BBC and ITV attempt to convince themselves, and us, the mugs watching that, this time, football really is coming home.

It doesn't help their cause when the non-English talking heads, such as the sublime Jurgen Klinsmann and the French dream team of Laura Georges and Didier Drogba, not to mention oor ain Ally McCoist are running rings round the English competition.

Also, their coverage is so centred. OK, it was happening thousands of miles away from Qatar, and, to be honest it was all a wee bit “haund-knitted” but there's nothing wrong with that. However, surely the BBC, of whom we still expect better, could have maybe dropped one of their pre-tournament prepared pieces and given a wee plug to the 150^th anniversary of International Football celebrations at West of Scotland Cricket Club, Glasgow.

After all, if it hadn't been for the match on St Andreew's Day, 1872, which was being celebrated on Wednesday, there wouldn't be a World Cup. That was where the whole show began – they might have taken a few minutes to remember that.

Strangely enough, the fact that 'England' won the commemorative game – something they couldn't do first time round, might just have made a wee mention from Qatar more possible. BBC and ITV, that was a worst miss than the Messi penalty.

SPEAKING OF the lovely Lionel. As with even the finest talents, his is on the wane – he's definitely not the player he was even four years ago. But, he's still head and shoulders above everyone else, with the possible exception of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Some of his passes on Wednesday night were as good as any he has ever delivered,while, against a Polish team whose sole ambition was not to lose by too-many, some of the passing moves which Argentina put together were amazing.

I've been critical in this World Cup of how 'Keepball' appears to have surpassed 'Football' as the name of the game. At times v Poland, Argentina made over 40 passes in succession, but, whereas some teams give the impression, when they move the ball around, they are doing it merely to kill time, with Messi & Co, you got the impression, they were probing for the opening – and when they saw it, unlike other teams, including England, they have players who can play the killer defence-splitting pass to a runner which brings great goals.

ON THE SUBJECT of disappointing teams, that France B team which lost to Tunisia, I'd have fancied Scotland against that lot. Maybe Didier Deschamps was playing the old Craig Brown game - “I'll put them in there, so the guys who are shouting for their inclusion can see – they're not international class.” One or two of that team definitely secured their places on the bench for the rest of the competition.

THAT WAS some decision to allow that Japanese goal, after the ball looked over the line. If we'd had 2022 technology back in the day, one or two long-standing arguments would have been settled lang syne.

In-play by a baw hair

A terrific display from the Japanese team, to take their few chances, then have the discipline to defend for so long. They will not be easy opponents in the knock-out rounds and, having beaten both Spain and Germany, their right to be there cannot be questioned.

Herr Flick of the DFB is surely in for a hard time once the Mannschaft return to the Vaterland, they are becoming serial flops on the big stage, which will not go down well back home.

The all-woman team of officials did well in the game, however.

FINALLY, I thought Graeme Souness missed a trick when he was asked to name his favourite England goal from past World Cups – and he nominated Maradona's second goal from the game in 1986.

Graeme, if you're going to annoy them – you might at least have picked the Hand of God goal, that really gets up their noses.

Personally, I'd have gone for their third goal in the 1966 final – a “goal” so-far short of crossing the line, today they wouldn't even ask VAR to rule it didn't count.