Bigger Doesn't Mean Better

OTHER THAN those now rare ocassions when we blow winning positions against THEM, I don't get carried away when Scotland lose. Long years of disappointment have cured me of falling into the usual Scottish trap of failing to treat those twin imposters (triumph and disaster) both the same – any way, that's a very old-fashioned, English attitude.

OK, maybe we should have had one, possibly two, penalties against Morocco, but, this is Scotland; ok, we get the penalties – is there any guarantee we score them? Those Tartan Army foot soldiers who support any side other than either one of The Bigot Brothers, fine they ken, in Fitba, The Diddy Teams don't get the breaks.

In Boston on Friday night, Scotland – FIFA ranking 43 – was The Diddy Team, against seventh-ranked Morocco. If you think The Scottish Football Association “arranges” things to suit a certain two Glasgow sides – they're amateurs compared to the footballing Gnomes of Zurich. Morocco were always going to get the breaks from officialdom.

It's not as if Morocco could be taken lightly. That nation has a proud football reputation, from the days of the great, the original Black Pearl – Libra Benbarek, who was a World-Class Talent 75 years ago. They gubbed us at France'98 and are the current African Champions.

Steve Clarke knew it would be a tough game, some, if not all, the members of the Tartan Army knew this as well. Putting our natural disappointment at another defeat aside, losing 0-1 wasn't a bad result.

We now move on to Miami, to face Brazil. Now, I reckon this 2026 Brazilian side is perhaps their worst since 1974 – when, lest we forget, we still couldn't beat them. If we have a go at them, I reckon we could beat them – provided we find a defender to do an efficient man-marking job on Vinicius Junior.

I wasn't surprised at Brazil beating Haiti 3-0. I said before this whole circus kicked off, the Haitians probably had one half-decent game in them and it was just our luck that we would get them on that day. This may be a poor Brazilian team, but, it is still a Brazilian team.

However, this is just the sort of uphill battle which brings the best out of Scotland, let's hope we can do and maybe we can. Mind you, the traditional Scottish approach to the World Cup is to go out on goal difference or something; which suggests we could well end up as one of the third-placed sides who fails to make it to the knock-out rounds.

Now – forward tho' I cannot see, I guess and fear. All those previous World Cup failures has got me to the state of preparing for the worst, but still being shocked at what happens to us. I can see us not progressing, in which case, 2026 would become our worst-ever World Cup Finals showing. That might yet happen.

In all honesty, I am, for all the valiant efforts of the Tartan Army, struggling to become enthused with this tournament. FIFA's determination to dumb down the game, to “Never mid the quality – feel the width” has turned what ought to be a true showpiece into a marathon slog.

UEFA did the same with the European Cup, when it became the Champions League. When the competition was restricted to merely the champions of each individual league in Europe, winning it meant something. Then, some of the so-called bigger clubs felt they ought to be in it every year, pushed through expansion and it became the bloated marathon it is today.

I could live with a European version of the North American professional sports leagues, the current mish-mash turns me off. Professional fitba – internationally and at club level – is a total mess and I don't see the desire within the game to sort it out.

To repeat, I fear we could maintain our dismal record of finding disappointing ways to exit the World Cup, but, the main thing I have learned from this year's competition is – bigger isn't better and enlarging the tournament has not led to better quality.

There might be something to be said for copying the likes of the ICE HOCKEY World Championship and have various divisions. Qualification for each division would be via results in the various confederation tournaments, such as the European Championships, the African Championship and so on, with, as happens in Europe's Nations League, promotion and relegation leading up to World Cup games every four years, as now.

Forty-eight nations is too many, it dilutes the product. But, I doubt if those Gnomes of Zurich will agree with me.

 

You Couldnae Make This Up

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL-WRITING is in a right moger at the moment. How The Beautiful Game is covered up here has always been governed by a code, which is not written-down anywhere, but, which everyone involved knows by heart.

It's hierarchical; the apex predators are the Chief Football Writers of the various newspapers and broadcast outlets. These suited and booted aristocrats of the printed word – known to the rest of us hacks as: “The A Team” follow a strict schedule: their territory encompasses Hampden, Celtic Park, Ibrox; they mainly report on three teams: The Scotland Men's National Team, Celtic and Rangers. As far as they are concerned, no other teams matter.

As I write this, they are all in Charlotte, North Carolina, covering Scotland's World Cup campaign. This is where they should be, after all, right now, the World Cup is the only show going on – EXCEPT – back home, the speculation around who will be managing Rangers in the new season is off the scale.

Old cynic that I am, I have long held that the close season is when some of the A team, and a lot of the wannabees lower down the food chain, do their best work, speculating about new signings for The Bigot Brothers. Right now, they are moving at peak revs, around the big question – when will Derek McInnes be revealed as the new Rangers' Manager?

Apparently, current incumbent Danny Rohl is heading for Red Bull Salzburg, McInnes has already been recruited as his replacement, all we await are the official announcements. Indeed, some media outlets are already putting it out that this is a done deal.

I've got a long memory – I can remember Maurice Johnston being photographed, holding up a Celtic jersey and saying he was coming home to the only team he had ever wanted to play for. Only, Graeme Souness had other ideas.

The Sun's exclusive, that Mo-Jo was signing for Rangers remains arguably the best EXCLUSIVE in the history of Scottish Journalism. We all know the story of Alex “Chiefy” Cameron, Chief Sports Writer of the Daily Record, being telephoned in the early hours of the morning by the night shift worked on the Record Sports Desk, and told of The Sun's “Johnston to Rangers” “Splash”.

The great Chiefy apparently dismissed the story as absolute nonsense, only to be at Ibrox for the signing less than 12 hours later.

You might think, after that, the papers would be treading carefully around the Mcinnes to Rangers story.

OK, it says much about the relationship Rangers, Hearts, McInnes and Rohl have with out media that the story has been allowed to grow legs and run as it has. “Facts are chiels that wanna ding” and the facts are:

• There is no indication on the official Rangers' website that Danny Rohl has left the club

• There is no indication on the Red Bull website that he is joining them

• There is no indication on the Hearts' website that Derek McInnes has left the club

• There is no indication on the Rangers' website that he has joined the club

It's all pure speculation – it's gossip, and as such should only be being discussed in a paper's gossip column.

OK, perhaps the three clubs involved, Rangers, RB Salzburg and Hearts are all being economical with the truth over the machinations, maybe their pr departments are not fit for purpose, it might be that the three clubs all relish the idea of keeping the media guessing, but, it seems to me, it's indicative of how the Scottish media has dumbed down in recent years, that the story has been allowed to gain the traction it has.

Up there, in the great press box in the sky, I wonder what the likes of Waverley, Chiefy, Dan, Big Doug and the other titans of the past are making of the current nonsense; or what the now retired “Mad Geordie of Kinning Park” might have made of this story.

 

A Win Is A Win Is A Win

THERE IS always one question to answer when we qualify for either of the two major Football Championships – The World Cup or The European Championships; that question is: “How will we blow it this time?”

OK, we have a minimum of two further games to get through, but on the evidence of Saturday night shift, watching the TV broadcast from Boston, maybe we've exhausted the possible ways we can embarrass ourselves on the world stage, but, this being Scotland – I will not bet on that.

When it comes to The World Cup, we've been performing pratt-falls for over three-quarters of a century:

• 1950 – If we're not British Champions, we're not going

• 1954 – It's in Switzerland, Alps and skiing, so winter weight jerseys, in 30º summer temperatures and the team manager resigning mid-tournament

• 1958 – The SFA send Tommy Docherty and Archie Robertson to scout next opponents Paraguay, then totally ignore their report and lose

• 1974 – We play the worst Brazilian team ever off the park, but cannot score and we only score two goals against a poor Zaire, go through the group unbeaten, but still fail to qualify

• 1978 – Ally MacLeod fails to scout Peru, we lose; Willie Johnston fails a drugs test and is sent home, then we fail to beat Iran

• 1982 – Willie Miller and Alan Hansen collide – we're out

• 1986 – We play 88 minutes against ten-men Uruguay and cannot score

• 1990 – Costa Rica

• 1998 – We fail to beat Norway, then lose to a Moroccan team we probably under-estimated

I will not dwell on the many Disasters for Scotland we have endured in the tournaments we failed to qualify for, so, perhaps I'm being a tad unfair in refusing to cheer too-loudly after our hard-fought win over Haiti in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A win is a win is a win, and if this one was not a total minger, it was still far from braw. I fear, perhaps, it might be, as yon win over Zaire in 1974 was, a case of the group's whipping boys producing the one good performance they had in them, before being thumped by the other two teams in the group to leave us struggling.

Hopefully, this was a case of us getting our stinker performance out of the way early doors, before lifting our level for the other two games. We will need to, once again, the group draw has done us no favours, pitting us against two of the nations rated in the world's top ten.

Morocco, our next opponents, looked a very-good side, against a Brazilian team, clearly out of sorts, but, still a Brazil side. I've got the feeling, if the Samba Kings are going to go deep into this World Cup, it may be because Vinicius Jr “does a Maradona” and, as that wonderful wee man did in 1990, carries a poor team on his back all the way.

The above paragraph written, we could well rise to the challenge of facing the African Champions in our next game, or, in typical Scottish fashion, face a “Must Win” final game against Brazil and shock the world by doing just this. That's the beauty of a World Cup involving Scotland.

Let's look at the performances last night:

• Angus Gunn: Didn't have too-much to do, but one or two mishandles was the sign of a player who hasn't played too often this season. Our three goalkeepers' lack of action is still a worry.

• Aaron Hickey: Another player who hasn't played too often this season, but he coped well until he tired and was replaced by Nathan Patterson, another player a bit short of match-fitness.

• Grant Hanley: Had a good game, relatively untroubled and his experience showed.

• Jack Hendry: Also came up with a solid performance, including some crucial blocks when Haiti put us under pressure.

• Andy Robertson: A typical Robbo performance, leading from the front and getting forward at every opportunity. He has crossed better in the past

• Ben Gannon-Doak: Frustrating, he takes on opponents and beats them, but, his final ball into the box is some way short of Jimmy Johnstone or Willie Henderson class.

• Scott McTominay: Nowhere near his best form, but his class showed and he was unlucky with one shot which hit the woodwork.

• Lewis Ferguson: The glue that held our midfield together, stopped some threatening Haitian attacks at source and battled hard.

• John McGinn: Was more Pub Player McGinn than Super John, but, he got the all-important goal.

• Che Adams: Still to demonstrate he and Lawrence Shankland can play together. Kept the Haiti defence busy but had few chances near goal.

• Lawrence Shankland: Another who was a bit off his best form, but, he was always a threat and, on another night – who knows.

• Findlay Curtis, Ryan Christie, Kenny McLean: Came off the bench but failed to perhaps make the expected impact, although, none let Scotland down.

Now, we move on to the supposedly harder challenges of the world's seventh and sixth-ranked nations. Typical Scotland, we always get a Group of Death. However, and let's hope this is not false hope, on the evidence of their meeting, earlier on Saturday night/Sunday morning, we should not be shaking in our boots about facing either side.

That said, we will need to up our game considerably to get out of this group. However, those two additional points we already have over Brazil and Morocco just might come in handy.

A final thought. Once again the Tartan Army were being praised for their support and for their magnificent rendition of Flower of Scotland. For me, that's the ultimate example of Jim Sillars' 90-minute Nationalists.

All the data tells us, most of the Tartan Army members in Boston will favour Independence, but, only a little over one-third of them will support the Scottish National Party – the supposed political party driving the push for Independence. To borrow a phrase from a famous American: “Edinburgh – we have a problem!”

The Talking Is Almost Over - It's Action

HAVING ENDURED disappointment at World Cups since 1954, I am refusing to get carried away by our 4-0 victory over Bolivia on Saturday night. Yes, I know it's rare for us to score four goals in an entire game, far less one half, but, I honestly don't think that win tells us too much about how we might go when it all gets real at the end of the week.

We all know, with Scotland, particularly at World Cup time, it's the hope that kills. This 2026 campaign is our 20^th crack at the game's ultimate prize. We have only qualified for 10 finals: the SFA spat the dummy and didn't go to Brazil in 1950, perhaps taking the not entirely wrong view: “Look, if we cannot beat a poor England team at home, what's the use of going to South America and facing some good teams.” That self-inflicted disaster apart, we have only qualified on 9 other occasions – a less than sterling 45% qualification rate.

When we have got there, our record makes equally dismal reading:

• p 23 – w 4 – d 7 – l 12 – 17% wins

Courtesy of some research on the Planet World Cup website, I have been able to work-out where we actually finished in those tournaments for which we managed to qualify – it does not make great reading:

• 1954 (Switzerland) - 15^th of 16

• 1958 (Sweden) - 14^th of 16

• 1974 (West Germany) - 9^th of 16

• 1978 (Argentina) - 11^th of 16

• 1982 (Spain) - 15^th of 24

• 1986 (Mexico) - 20^th of 24

• 1990 (Italy) - 18^th of 24

• 1998 (France) - 28^th of 32

We have NEVER managed to get out of the group stages in any of the nine finals we've participated in, but, being Scotland we always convince ourselves – this time it will be different. My belief in Scotland, battered by having witnessed a long series of losses and still mindful of my confidence in my fellow Ayrshireman, Sir Stephen Clarke – Ah hae ma doots.

I am, however, confident this might prove a good World Cup for the Scottish fans via our normal interest in the sharp end of matters – waiting to see when will They trip-up. You know them, the nation next door we never mention. Apparently, their 2026 vintage is finally going to end what is now Sixty years of hurt! Aye Right!

They've got a quality goalkeeper and a great centre forward, but, those two aside, it's the usual collection of over-rated journey-men, who will crash and burn via the usual monkey on their backs – English over-expectation.

This time, it is not a case of us having too-great expectations. We have an experienced, battle-hardened squad; getting out of the group and into the knock-out stages is the very least we ought to expect. How far we go thereafter is down to us.

However, after 28 years and six straight failures to qualify – we're back in the Big Show, you have to be in it to win it, so, why not? Let's buckle up and hope for a thrilling ride.

 

Coos' Erses And Banjoes

LEE-ANNE CRICHTON was of course a midfielder; one who didn't score that many goals. But, I wonder if, as she watched her Rangers play Celtic off the park right up to the 18 yard line, then repeatedly fluff their lines in The Red Zone, she maybe thought of putting on a strip and showing them how.

I know the main problem with the Rangers Men's team is – none of the current lot,(I except Lawrence Shankland and Findlay Curtis) is remotely Rangers Class. I don't know enough about Women's Football to make the same judgement on the Women's team, but, as I watched them huff and puff and squander chanc after chance on Sunday, I just knew the ten Celtic girls were going to pull off a great escape.

The vast ranks of Ra Peepul are again suggesting that in Scottish Fitba, the V in VAR stands for Vatican, after that penalty which Rangers didn't get. If you watched that game, either live or on TV, you have to ask yourself: Is there any evidence that Rangers might have scored from any penalty awarded them?

Perhaps agents of Celtic FC are putting something in the water at the training ground which nullifies Rangers' efforts on goal. Watching the Girls become as bad at finishing as the Men's team has been at times, I had thoughts of Coos' erses and banjoes.

But well done Celtic, that was a cup win forged in adversity.

I WAS UNABLE to get a signal from BBC Alba on Sunday afternoon, so I missed Auchinleck Talbot lifting the Scottish Junior Cup (or Communities Cup as it is now known), at Broadwood.

I copped some flak before the semi-finals, when I forecast a Talbot v Largs Thistle final and the near-inevitable Talbot triumph. But, that's how it happened. Scoring two late goals to turn a game around is typically Talbot. I've seen that video before. I wasn't surprised when, inside the final ten minutes, 1-0 Largs became 2-1 Talbot, you can never write-off Tucker Sloan's Troops.

I now eagerly await the day when the Scottish Football Hall of Fame wakens up and inducts Tucker, and his esteemed predecessor, the late Willie Knox, into their ranks.

There was a suggestion post-game that, now they have been promoted into the new Lowland League West for next season, Talbot would be denied the opportunity to defend their crown. However, I understand, they can still enter, but, the Lowland League is not prepared to re-schedule league games if there is a clash with a Scottish Communities Cup date. Talbot Secretary Henry Dumigan's well-known negotiating skills could be in for a serious test in the coming season.

I understand there was a suggestion that the Communities Cup should be restructured as a truly national competition for those clubs outwith the Senior ranks; however, the Highland League clubs didn't want to know. More fool them, in deciding to stay in their own wee kailyard, they are missing a real chance to grow the game.

I can see the likes of Talbot by-passing the Highland League clubs and gaining entry to the Senior ranks in very short order, leaving the Highland League as even more of a backwater than it currently is.

WITH THE obvious exception of poor wee Billy Gilmour, the guy who has missed out on World Cup selection I feel most-sorry for, might just be Jack Fletcher, the Fletcher Twin who has opted to play for England. Because, while twin brother Tyler is in Scotland's World Cup squad and already in the USA preparing for the tournament, Jack is back at home, watching on TV.

Tyler's selection, to replace the injured Gilmour, has not gone down well in some parts, particularly among the ranks of Ra Peepul who follow Rangers. OK, Connor Barron has had his injury woes this season, but, if you cannot, when fit, be a guaranteed starter in the worst Rangers team this century, how can you have international aspirations?

The teenaged Fletcher is not the first left-field pick to go to a World Cup with Scotland. In 1954, with regular Sammy Cox unavailable, the untried and almost unknown Jock Aird of Burnley was taken to the 1954 tournament.

Four years later, Stuart Imlach of Nottingham Forest was the “bolter” who came from nowhere into a World Cup Finals squad. In 1974, Tommy Hutchison was the surprise pick for the squad, so Tyler's selection does not set a precedent.

Selection is different these days. We now have a full-time Manager who picks the team, but, back in the days of the old SFA Selection Committee it was not unknown for a selector to be despatched down to England to check on one of the international regulars, only to have his head turned by an unknown Scot playing in the game and, lo and behold, that unknown would be capped soon after. Mind you, to be fair, a lot of these surprise choices only boosted the ranks of the One Cap Wonders, I am fairly sure that dubious distinction will not befall young Fletcher.