View Fae The Tartan Sofa - Georgie Girls XI 2 Skitteryland 0

Maybe it was the maroon (stick yer 'burgundy' up yer airchie) that seeped the bottling bridesmaid genes into our all conquering side….then again it could just be the fact we were gash.

There seemed to be the same washed out lethargy and lack of ambition that marked that defeat in Kiev, for me empitomised just after their first when the ball went into midfield, the only Scot in a shot of 20 yards either side of halfway was McFadden.

Now if you wanted to rant and rave you could point to the fact it was a side with a 16 year old in midfield, a 17 year old 4th choice keeper between the sticks and one of the scorers was a 17 year old who can't even get into his club sides Reserves….it should have been easy and on paper we should have won at a canter….but as the ole cliché has it….'Fitba's played on grass etc etc'.

Georgia played very well on the night (and lets not kid ourselves exactly as we did against the French and Ukrainians) and we played very poorly….simple as that really.

Now I'm sure that somewhere, some highly paid professional pundit will point out this was a 'reality check' for Scotland, well kinda.

All last night simply perfectly illustrated what almost everyone I've spoke to knows and bizarrely, given our only claim to the National side these days is Big Eck and his assistant, is equally true of Calderwoods Reds.

They can pull out results and performances that delight and thrill ye when it's a back to the walls and counter attacking game that's required…(France (x2),Ukraine,Dnipro ?)

Ask them to go for it from the outset and you'll invariably end up being disappointed and underwhelmed and at times they look completely clueless…(Ukraine,Georgia..us vs any Bottom 6 side ?) and if they go behind, you'd be as well packing up and going home there and then.

Another Scotland/Dons (rather alarmingly too) is the use of the 'Tactical Tombola'….that midfield looked impressive until you realised where they would each be playing.

Having said that it would be hard to single out anyone for criticsm as they were all poor, though Maloney was particularily dreadful and should have been hooked for Robson (never thought I'd be saying that about the Ginger Inverurie Hun) at half time at latest.

On a personal bugbear, David Weir. Personally never forgiven the c*nt for that game against the Morroccans and his 'retirement' fae the National side was one of the few blessings in Berti Brauns reign. Can't argue with his performance in our recent run however but my great fear is that we'll play him in a game too far….last night was almost that game…he struggled badly with a 17 year old. If we do get to the Alps I'd much prefer a fit Webster in there.

So a positive spin ? ….Well you hardly need to be a Simon Schama to realise throughout Scottish history our greatest results come when we've got no chance and throw something to Heath Robinson the gether….our greatest humiliations come when we're well prepared or complacent.

Last nights result if ye like took the safety off for the Italian game and actually swung the entire balance of the game….it's now the Italian who can go in feeling complacent and we can deliver the sort of performance that got the entire country buzzing.

A bad result aye but we still control our own destiny and it could be worse….we could be English.


The Red Avenger