Being losers will make us winners in the long term
Friday’s draw with Israel might have seemed like a poor result. In reality it was far worse. Scotland should have been aiming to get no points but now we have one and face the nightmare scenario of landing another three on Monday if the Covid-hit Czechs send out a team made up of furloughed restaurant staff.
It’s blooming typical
Scotland. We get results when we don’t want them.
Hold on. I know what you’re thinking. The big man has lost his marbles here. What’s he on about, wanting to lose?
Believe me, there is some method to this madness.
The Nations League is a bonkers competition. It’s not even a planned-on-the-backof-a-fag-packet idea.
This dug with fleas took about three pads of A4 paper to work out, presumably while the guy scribbling it down had a bong in his other hand.
The wacky tourney turned out OK for us last time out as it bagged us a play-off spot for the Euros.
Fine. Even if it is utterly mindboggling how we can end up back with Israel after apparently getting promoted.
But this time out it’s even more complicated. There are play-off places for World Cup 2022 up for grabs but only for the two best group winners outside the 10 top teams who have already got to Qatar through the qualifying groups, or into the play-offs as runners up.
Clear? Don’t worry, it’s not going to affect us.
If UEFA had any common sense – and let’s not hold our breath for too long to find out – they would shelve the thing this year.
In case they hadn’t noticed, there’s a global pandemic going on. The last thing we should be doing is taking players out of their club bubbles and sending them all around the continent.
The Czech Republic losing the plot is only just the start.
Countries will be putting keysies up all over the shop when the first and second waves of this virus hit various areas at different times.
They’ll be chapping like old boys in a pub dominoes game.
But, if by some miracle, the competition does rumble on in some shape or form, then the best thing Scotland can do is to bomb completely.
Alex McLeish managed to get up out the third tier last time but it’s not much of a reward going up to the B section. It only makes it harder next time.
It would be far better for
Scotland to get relegated back down to the diddy groups for the next Nations League – if it survives that long.
That would give us a much easier section to negotiate for a chance of another play-off against a similar level side for the Euros in 2024, or whenever we can sort that out.
Confusing? Just a bit.
But let’s be honest. We have no business messing around in the upper echelons of the game right now.
Israel gave us a chasing at times and they are ranked 43 places below us, in 93rd spot, one place above Vietnam and a couple ahead of a Kyrgyz Republic, who look more like a collection of letters pulled out the hat on Countdown.
Friday wasn’t a total write-off as that was Israel at their best while Scotland were well below par. The Euro playoff next month – if it goes ahead – will be a different story.
Steve Clarke’s new system could do with another run out in the Czech Republic but that’s all it should be.
Whatever happens against Israel, the rest of the Nations League should get the respect it deserves – not much.
They are glorified friendlies, so use them to nail down the new set-up. Clarke’s line-up looked decent on paper, there were times it functioned well.
We need the wing-backs further up to get balls in the box and scraps for attacking midfielders to feed on.
We need Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay given licence to step into midfield, letting others move up and give our lone front man some company.
These are wee tweaks that can be made along the way.
Just make sure we don’t win these games in the process. It shouldn’t be too hard as we’ve had years of practice.
This time it’s no problem being losers as we’ll all be winners in the long run.
The best thing that Scotland can do in this shambles is to bomb completely