Scots hoping time has come

– Scotland face Albania in their first Nations League match tonight with long-suffering fans hoping they can take the first step on the road to ending a 20-year absence from major tournaments.

The new competition is designed to replace international friendlies with more competitive matches and also provides a second route to qualification for the European Championship.

And with Glasgow’s Hampden Park one of the host venues for the tournament in 2020, it gives Alex McLeish’s team, thumped 4-0 by Belgium in a friendly on Friday, added incentive to qualify.

The Scots reached five successive World Cups between 1974 and 1990 thanks to top-quality players such as Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Denis Law, Billy Bremner and Archie Gemmill.

But two decades and 10 major tournaments have passed since they faced Brazil at France 98.

A generation of Scots has looked on enviously as other, smaller, nations such as Iceland, Croatia, Wales and Northern Ireland have qualified for major tournaments.

Managerial mistakes, lack of facilities, poor youth development and even genetics have been suggested as possible reasons for their qualification woes. –