Has the brief Scottish revival come to a halt?

Scotland were fairly well beaten in Macedonia on Saturday. Despite George Burley claiming that his side had been ‘outstanding’, you could find few others who would have agreed with that view.

The weather was incredibly hot, the pitch was not fantastic, but if Scotland have true ambition to qualify, they should have got something from this game. You can’t see Holland or even Norway leaving Skopje empty handed.

It was as miserable a start to a campaign as was Wales’ and England’s, the only difference being that the other two picked up the three points.

Scotland were truly dreadful in the first-half and although there was a slight improvement after the interval, it still wasn’t very pretty or in the least bit convincing.

There are seven games to go so the defeat to Macedonia is not fatal at this stage, but they are not a good team and this was one game where Scotland needed to get at least a point.

Highest point

Just a few months ago the world of Scottish football was at its highest point for many years. Rangers had reached the final of the Uefa Cup, Celtic had produced some wonderful performances in the Champions League, at home at least, and the national side had completed the double over France and run the world champions Italy very close.

It seems that in such a very short space of time the whole thing has started to unravel. Rangers’ challenge in Europe this season ended almost before it had begun in embarrassing fashion. Perhaps more understandably, Queen of the South’s challenge lasted no longer.

Maybe Celtic can turn the Scottish fortunes around but their woeful record away from home in Europe looks likely to continue to stifle their progress.

The facts speak for themselves

Although things briefly looked good for Scottish football, the facts speak for themselves. The national side have only qualified for the World Cup finals once in the last four attempts and have only qualified for the European Championships twice in six attempts. Having qualified, Scotland have never gone beyond the first round in either tournament.

At club level, the last time a Scottish side won a European tournament was back in 1983 when Sir Alex Ferguson led Aberdeen to success in the Cup winners cup. Prior to that it was Rangers eleven years earlier in the same competition.

As national manager, George Burley is yet to win in four attempts. These have included the Macedonia game and a friendly at home to a weakened Northern Ireland, so the opportunity has certainly been there.

Despite the great names who have managed Scotland in the past, Alex McLeish is the only man since the early sixties to average two points a game or more with the national side. Even Walter Smith only achieved an average of 1.63. Bertie Vogts averaged less than a point per game and Burley has just two points from four games.

How many Scottish players would be picked?

It is not entirely the manager’s fault as he can only use the players he has at his disposal. If a Great Britain team was selected, how many Scottish players would be picked? There would be very few, if any, and the other British sides are hardly setting the world alight.

So when the revival of Scottish football was being held up as a beacon of light a short time ago, was there any basis to the claims? Was there actually a revival in Scotland or did Rangers get to the final of the Uefa Cup playing anti-football as accused by Barcelona and Scotland display a great deal of courage, but not much ability in what was ultimately a failure to qualify for a tournament again?

What was it that made us think that Scottish football was on the up and why has it all gone so suddenly wrong?

McCullough disgusted

George Burley has said that his team won’t slip up in Iceland on Wednesday. If Scotland are to have any chance of qualification then he has to be right. Nothing less than three points will suffice for Scotland or quieten the growing clamour of discontent with the manager. The reports that Lee McCullough is allegedly disgusted with the Burley regime and will refuse to play for him will not help.

A defeat in Iceland would be likely to see more players speaking out and that could only mean the beginning of the end for Burley.

Hope

Hopefully Scotland will get their qualifying campaign back on line on Wednesday and Celtic will make good progress in the Champions League. It would be a shame if all the optimism of last season were to disappear so quickly.