Scott7

Not a great fan of Clarke but at least he got his team into the finals with a little bit of luck. Beyond expectations really but then journos get over excited and whip fans into a frenzy who then feel betrayed and demand the bloke’s head on a plate.

With the players at his disposal Clarke was never going to field a winning side playing attractive football. His mission was to try to scrape through and avoid a shellacking. He failed even that in the very first match. Ok it was Germany but this isn’t the Germany of old. In the second match the team actually played very well without looking as if they would score many goals. I could only manage twenty minutes of the first half last night before switching off to do something more exciting. Two points. 1. Guardiola himself would struggle with these players. 2. Scotland couldn’t do it with players like Law and Baxter and a rattling good supporting cast. Is it something to do with our native character?

You’ve got to sympathise. Clarke is obviously fluent in European just hasn’t got round to mastering Argentinian. How much different it would have been if only the ref had been a Spaniard.

Street? What street? Anyway, the mower is Ego battery powered. Quiet as a mouse. Had to give up my Hayter Briggs & Stratton after forty years. Now there was a noise. The mower was fine but a bit heavy for the enfeebled.

I started with Germany dull as ditchwater, switched to Scotland possibly worse stayed until halftime then went out and cut the grass. What is happening now, I have no idea nor am I terribly excited to find out.

He’ll have to do a bit more than beat Hungary to rank with them. McLeod is usually scoffed at but he had a good record up to the match against Peru. He should have played Souness and Johnstone from the beginning, of course and then there was the ridiculous defeat at Hampden against Wales before setting off for Argentina. Wasn’t up to much, was he?

Johnstone was better than Henderson that season but overall I think Henderson was a more productive winger. He would beat a defender and know exactly what to do next. Johnstone would beat his man with ease and then while he was deciding what to do, beat another and go back and beat the first one again. Fabulous entertainment but by that time Henderson would have got the cross in to Millar. GOAL.

That can’t be right. Only one Englishman, Terry Henry and no Scott Brown.

Bertie Auld midfield instead of John Greig? Effective player, Auld but nowhere near the greatest. McNeill for Clark is fine - double centre half instead of centre half and sweeper. The more I think about a McKinnon/McNeill partnership, the more I like it.

Offside, no question.

On that season’s form, I think you’re right. I blame Henderson’s bunion and moustache.

England play better against better opposition.

No need to, old bean.

I had to look up a celtic page to refresh my memory of their formation. The first thing I learned is that the players went to Mass in the morning. Why didn’t we think of that? I doubt that their full eleven turned up at the cathedral.

Good question. Trouble is, only about four of us can answer it, the two others being @alexscottislegend and @MacK1950. Us: Martin, Johansen, McKinnon, Greig, Provan, Jardine, Dave Smith, Henderson, Alex Smith, Hynd, Johnston. Them: Simpson, Craig, McNeil, Clark, Gemmell, Murdoch, Auld, Johnstone, Chalmers, Wallace, Lennox. The select, position for position. Simpson, Johansen, McKinnon, Greig, Gemmell, Jardine, D Smith, Henderson, Wallace, Chalmers, Lennox. Fiddling around a bit, drop Johansen, put Jardine in his place and switch Greig and Dave Smith. Simpson, Jardine, McKinnon, D Smith, Gemmell, Murdoch, Greig, Henderson, Wallace, Chalmers, Lennox.

But but Bellingham. Some mistake surely.

Ach, couldnae beat a bunch of cuckoo clock makers. Good game though. Ralston is dreadful. Mackenna is nearly as bad. Gunn’s not great.

Here’s Larry. Bang one in, son.

Jings. 1-0, after a nice break. McTominay, allegedly. Looked like one of the Schweitzers lashed it high past his own ‘keeper. HANDY TIP. If you don’t want to listen to Squeallum McLeod, tune into one of the English stations. I don’t know who the commentator is but he mostly keeps quiet.

Alex Edwards - electricity on the wing.

bbc tribute footage showed one of his goals for Everton with Ibrox legends Ball and Jeffers in close attendance.

2-1 Portugal. A goal chalked off in the last minutes but their sub scores in added time for a deserved victory. Czechs under a lot of pressure but they didn’t buckle. The game is called football. How can a hand put you offside?

What a goal by the Czechs. 1-0 to them.

I thought the football was quite good. Good attacking from Portugal, good defending by the Czechs. Ronaldo’s finished. Now watch him score three.

Aye but no Scollan’ no party. (Certainly not a fancy dress party, right enough)