Scottish international football is in a bit of a crisis at the moment.
Well, that's being kind, as after the most recent international break produced a draw at home to Lithuania and a discouraging 3-0 loss away to Slovakia, the manager's head is being called for ahead of a massive clash with England next month. It's crazy to think how badly things have gone to the dogs considering the same squad took four of a possible six points from Ireland in the last campaign.
Scotland need to win if they want to continue the illusion of possibly having a chance at qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, something that very few people think can happen despite England having comical troubles of their own, but there is one man who believes in the Scots...
Alex Ferguson.
He's absolutely sure that Scotland will give them a good game, but his reasoning for that belief is rather strange, and is built on the idea that Scotland always up their game for a match with the old enemy.
If you go back to the European Championship a few years ago, they went down there and were very, very unlucky.
In the last minute I think it was (Christian) Dailly who had the header that was saved by (David) Seaman. They’ll do well Scotland, they will be fine.
Scotland always do well against England.
It’s always a great incentive, the underdog. And the support will be fantastic, whatever they allocate Scotland it will be treble that. They will find tickets somewhere.
They were very, very unlucky... In the playoffs for Euro 2000?
Scotland also don't always do well against England... As they've only played twice in the past 17 years and on both occasions England won, including two years ago with squads consisting largely of the same players that represent each country now.
He's right about the tickets though, the Tartan Army will be out in force.
Don't get us wrong, in a one-off game any team can win and Scotland will be more up for this match than any in recent memory considering how badly everyone knows a performance is needed, and what a win would mean to the nation, but Jesus, Christian Dailly almost scoring a header in a Euro 2000 playoff is a very strange thing to bring up about a match taking place in 2016.
There's an overpowering whack of "Ah look, it'll be grand" about it all.
[via TalkingBaws.com]
