SURELY NOT ‘SAME AGAIN’ GORDON?

SO, would you have fancied our chances in a play-off against Bosnia Herzegovina? It is unlikely that the bookies would, considering they have just made Ireland — fresh from a world-quaking win over Germany — definite outsiders to progress to the Euro 2016 Finals via the play-offs. Actually, looking at the eight lucky losers vying for a spot at the most inclusive major finals in history, it is difficult to identify any potential ‘soft touch’ opponent for a team of Scotland’s calibre. And, to quote from one of poker’s great truths: ‘If you can’t identify the sucker at the table, look in a mirror.’ Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia, Norway, Ukraine … perhaps only the Irish themselves, beaten in Glasgow and held to a draw by Scotland in Dublin, would be considered truly beatable. Harsh? Consider our lads’ record when the pressure has been on. Lost in Georgia. Failed to win in Dublin. Could not hold on to an injury-time lead against Poland. Four wins from 10 qualifiers, with all but one of those — Gibraltar away — coming at home. It is a fair old litany of let-downs, however much progress we’ve seen. To be honest, despite an improved style and a little more substance, it is getting harder to believe in a brave new dawn just over the horizon. Gordon Strachan has been handed a great responsibility along with that two-year contract extension he signed last week. Given the pride he takes in being one of the keepers of football’s great secrets, never prone to explaining something in detail to those who have ‘never played the game’, Tartan Army regulars cannot expect to receive individually-addressed copies of his master plan for the revitalisation of the national team. On one point, though, we can all be certain: ‘same again’ won’t be part of his planning, surely. Continuing to employ the same methods, only hoping for a bit more ‘luck’, cannot be part of his thinking.