It’s tough but we’restilltothe four in Europe

FOUR Scottish teams were in action in Europe in midweek with varying results.

A 2-0 win for Celtic at Parkhead against AZ Alkmaar seems a good lead for the Hoops to take to Holland next week but the Dutch side should not be underestimated.

They will be a force to be reckoned with on their own pitch – and they were short of match practice, with few games under their belt this season so far.

In Azerbaijan, on what seemed to be a shocker of a playing surface, Aberdeen went down by a solitary goal to Qarabag.

It was a disappointing night for Dons fans but the deficit is not unsurmountable and could be overturned on a decent Pittodrie surface next week.

A 1-1 draw in Austria gives St Johnstone a real fighting chance of going through on another fine pitch in Perth.

Considering the McDiarmid Park side’s record in cup competitions last year, you would not bet against them against LASK, especially at home. And at Ibrox, Rangers dominated but found it difficult to find the net against Alashkert. Losing a player to a red card did not help but the club and the fans had reason to thank oftenmaligned player Alfredo Morelos for being in the right place at the proper time to score the winner. Thursday’s second leg in Armenia will not be easy by any means and matches against Ross County tomorrow and Celtic next weekend only add to the pressure.

Next week sees Scotland back in World Cup qualifying matches so I thought I would whet your appetite.

In the summer of 1935, a Scotland touring party in North America played 13 matches, winning every one of them.

At the start of the following season, on this day August 21, that same year, this 11 – chosen by the selectors – was sent out at Hampden to face England in a friendly: Jackson (Chelsea), Anderson (Hearts), Cummings (Partick Thistle), Massie (Hearts), Simpson (Rangers), Brown (Rangers), Delaney (Celtic), Walker (Hearts), Armstrong (Aberdeen), Mills (Aberdeen) and Duncan (Derby).

There was a crowd of 56,318 in the national stadium by the 6.30pm kick-off that Wednesday evening as Scotland won 4-2, with goals from Jimmy Delaney, Matt Armstrong and Tommy Walker (2).

I finish with a fairly easy question. On this day, this time in 1978, which well-known Scottish football figure joined an equally well-known club in England as manager?

With Perth side’s cup record last year you would not bet against them