3134: Scotland: Time for a resurgenc

by : Sam Cullen

Two years ago, Scottish international football was about to hit its nadir. Berti Vogts shambolic reign ended with the Scots marooned at the bottom of their qualifying group with only 2 point from their first three games.

The appointment of Walter Smith may have restored some pride with excellent results such as the draw against Italy and a victory in Oslo which gave them hope of qualification. The gloom however returned with the defeat at home to Belarus which made it academic, and the 3-1 home drubbing against Switzerland in a friendly at the start of March.

On paper, their participation in the "Kirin Cup" looked unlikely to raise moral. After all, both the Hearts and Celtic contingent were unavailable for the tournament. Yet his youthful side exceeded all expectations as they demolished Bulgaria 5-1 yesterday, with debutants Chris Burke and Kris Boyd both grabbing braces.

It may be easy to dismiss this game as a friendly, but as Scotland fans all too well know, they are still competitive encounters. Scoring 5 goals past anyone at international level, aside from over true minnows, should always be considered an achievement especially as it is the first time the Tartan Army have done so since a victory over San Marino in 1994.

A result like this will no doubt put Walter Smith right back on track after the minor hiccup in March. Yet potentially, he has more to look forward to. With a makeshift side such as this recording an emphatic victory, what does he have to look forward to when his big guns arrive?

The SPL this season has seen excellent performances from Gordon, Neilson, Webster, Pressley and Hartley at Hearts, none of who were available for the competition. Play as they have done in Hearts excellent SPL campaign, and they’ll make Smith’s life a whole lot easier.

Celtic also have given Walter reasons to smile. So much of their success this season came down to the excellent performances of Player and Young Player of the Year Shaun Maloney, also absent. Should his meteoric rise continue, then things will be looking that bit brighter north of the border. Steve McManus also had an excellent season and would have no doubt been in the squad had it not been for Roy Keane's testimonal

Wigan's Premiership fairytale has also hoisted two other Scottish names into the limelight, as both Lee McCulloch and Gary Teale have received kudos for their play this season. Teale made his debut in the friendly and let nobody down. Also featuring from England was Reading captain Graeme Murty, making only his 2nd international appearance. Should he take to the Premiership well, then more quality options will be rapidly growing for Smith.

Meanwhile Gary O’Connor has moved to Locomotive Moscow in a transfer which will surely aid the strikers development and could help improve him as a player. Should former strike partner Derek Riordan keep on banging in the goals at Hibs, then Smith will really be laughing.

For the first time in many years, your average Scotland fan has a lot to look forward to. They may have been drawn in the qualifying group of death, but it appears they have a lot of decent talent coming through at exactly the right time.

Sam Cullen
11 May 2006