With this result, normal service has been resumed for the Scottish footballing fan. For a year or more we have rubbed our eyes in disbelief as an unlikely run of positive results saw our national team confound all expectations in their attempts to qualify for Euro 2008.
When the draw was made, Scotland, lying somewhere around 85th in the world, thanks to the surreal slide under Berti Vogts, would have been considered lucky to finish fourth, behind France, Italy and Ukraine, maybe even fifth, behind those three and Georgia. But our team only went and recorded an astonishing eight victories in 10 matches, including home and away victories over France, the World Cup runners-up in 2006. The sense of vertigo was enough to induce a collective national nose bleed, but somehow we managed to keep our feet on the ground.
The 606 phone-in programme begged to know why Scotland fans were not ringing in after the 3-1 win over Ukraine on October 13. I emailed the programme a suggestion:
I think it's (a) because we're all pretty stunned, and still can't believe the recent run of results.
(b) we're not overcelebrating because we remember Costa Rica beating us at Italia 90.
(c) we're keeping ourselves in check because we think we're still going to miss out!
And lo, it came to pass, with a slump to defeat against an inexperienced Georgian team, which included a 17-year-old making his international debut in goal. The veterans amongst us knew it had to happen. Normal service has been resumed.
But in a way, that defeat makes everything clearer, and could yet pave the way for an unlikely qualification success.
We now know that the only way to reach the finals in Austria/Switzerland is to beat Italy at Hampden on November 17. No nonsense about a draw being enough, which might have encouraged us to compromise our playing style. We NEED to win. And the only way we will win is by going on the attack from the start, and attacking relentlessly throughout.
I will do my bit for the national team by not watching. It would only curse their attempts if I were to tune in. And as John Cleese's character said in the film Clockwise: t's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. My sentiments entirely.
So, fasten your seatbelts for the final stage in Scotland's rollercoaster journey towards Euro 2008. Will we make it? I'd love to think so, but cannot see us beating the world champions. My prediction is yet another in the long line of glorious failures, with Scotland holding out until the 90th minute, in which Italy will be awarded a free kick in a dangerous area, or even worse, a penalty. And it'll be tears long before bedtime.
Normal service has been resumed.....
