DOESN’T TELL TALL STORIES

THIS TIME. That was the slogan the Scottish FA came up with on their marketing and branding for the doomed World Cup qualifying campaign.

Turned out to be an empty boast didn’t it.

Well next time it has to be different.

Next time we need a manager who will look at the evidence in front of his eyes and pick players who are performing regularly for their clubs and playing well.

Next time boys like John McGinn, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Tom Cairney must join Stuart Armstrong as viable midfield options in the absence of Scott Brown, who will quit if Gordon Strachan goes, and Darren Fletcher who will almost certainly leave the international stage.

The likes of James appeared to be in the second half against Slovenia. It’s still scarcely believable that our team, battling for a place in the World Cup finals and 45 minutes away from a play-off, should have performed so passively for so long in the second half against a team that had nothing to play for.

Next time we want a manager who was making a substitution at 1-0 up but saw Slovenia equalise to change everything, think on his feet. Not just make the same switch regardless.

Next time we don’t want a manager insulting our intelligence by talking nonsense about genetics when all you have to do is look at our neighbours to disprove his theory.

Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic and Wales belong to the same Celtic gene pool and by virtue of