National team is an afterthought now

ALAN HUTTON quits Scotland. Meh. As convenient as it would be — for column purposes — to get wound up about a player turning his back on the international team ‘in our hour of need’, to quote most comments on the matter, it’s hard to feel too furious about it. In an age when the SFA hierarchy make it clear that Gordon Strachan is doing us a favour to continue as national team manager, an era when Scott Brown can tease the Tartan Army about whether he’s coming back for good or just for one big night at Wembley, it’s almost impossible to get offended on behalf of the boys in Dark Blue. This is who we are now, an afterthought to be lifted and laid upon a passing whim. To be blunt, we’ve also got more to worry about ahead of Friday night’s clash with England. We’d best enjoy the days and days of build-up, because no one with a working knowledge of football can feel tremendously optimistic about our prospects in London. Our best bet this week is to retreat into comfortable nostalgia, recalling great victories over the Auld Enemy and drawing encouragement from the old warriors who once routed the English with regularity. There’s nothing wrong with this. After all, a nation unaware of its history is condemned to repeat the same mistakes in perpetuity. Whatever it takes to get the boys in the mood, right? But please, ca’ canny. All these former Scotland stars insisting that this is ‘a good time to get England’ are only raising expectations. Never a good thing, where Scotland are concerned.