Like many others, I felt the recent England v Scotland encounter showed up the failings of our national team.
Indeed, we have now plummeted down the ratings, and find ourselves below such nations as Benin.
No, I didn’t know where that was in Africa, either!
Several readers got in touch with comments, with most unable to be printed in this family newspaper.
Rob Boag, though, contributed a view which is so different, yet one which many can identify with.
He opened: “Degradation and pain inflicted or imposed on oneself, either as a result of one’s own actions or the actions of others, especially the tendency to pursue humiliation while in self-denial.
“The above is a definition of a masochist, it is also a definition of myself, and I suspect others, as supporters of the Scottish national football team.
“Before the game at Wembley on November 11, I recognised the Scottish team fell a bit short of skills compared to a mediocre England side (remember their defeat to Iceland?).
“However, I pursued that inner self delusion that — on any given day — any team can beat a better one. We just need a bit of luck, I told myself.
“Well, Lady Luck wasn’t with us that evening, and neither were the defensive and finishing skills that are essential from Scottish players contesting a World Cup qualifying game.
“Once again, that cloud of disappointment settled on me, with the last 15 minutes of the game uncomfortably close to humiliation.”
Remembering Scotland greats of times gone by, Rob went on: “A defence mechanism kicked in and my psyche began to throw out names.
“Names like Denis Law, Archie Gemmill, Billy Steel, Jim Baxter, Billy Bremner, Eddie Gray, Dave Mackay, Billy McNeill, George Young, Willie Henderson, John White, Bobby Lennox, Willie Waddell . . . the list goes on and on.
“It was a world class pool of talent that Scotland naturally produced, an endless well of football skill.
“There was a generation of brilliance that emerged out of mining villages. There were young lads who honed their early craft playing on streets that were overshadowed with dreary tenements.
“What happened?
“I believe it was in 1904 that Scotland was listed as No 1 in the football world ratings.
“We can all list countries that have successful youth football programmes and academies but Scotland isn’t one of them.”
Rob concluded: “My favourite songwriter Leonard Cohen died days before Scotland’s defeat.
“It was a sad week.
“But, as Leonard has told me many time in one of his songs, “There Ain’t No Cure for Love.”
“And that is why, when Scotland run out on to Hampden next year, regardless of who is the manager, I will have discarded all rationale and tell myself . . . on any given day.”
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