posted Mar 28, 2007

they may beat us on the park but they'll never beat us in the bar.

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posted Mar 28, 2007

If we can hold the Italians for the first half hour we could be on for a sneaky 1-0

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posted Mar 28, 2007

Lets not kid ourselves on we are still a poor team and we need to dig in and hope for a bit of luck a draw tonight is a great result a defeat isn't the end of the world a good showing is all I'm asking for and hoping for a result.

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posted Mar 28, 2007

Italy - world ranking 2, Scotland - world ranking 16, a 14 place gap.

England - world ranking 6, Isreal - world ranking 38, a 32 place gap.

All things considered an away draw, at least, shouldn't be too difficult!

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posted Mar 28, 2007

Let us do the math!

Scotland should beat Lithuania at home and Faraoe Islands away. Chalk up another 6 points to your 12 point tally.

The problem games will be:

Italy vs. Scotland

plus the final two qualification games

France vs. Scotland
Scotland vs. Italy

If you can get 2 points from these games that will be amazing. You would have taken points off twice from 3 HUGE games and that in itself is nearly better than taking all 3 points from one game. If you get 4 points you've definitely qualified at the expense of Italy, but lets be realistic and say you will only manage 1 point from these games.

You will then be put in a position where you have to beat Ukraine at home and Georgia away or else qualification will look gloomy and since they come before the France away match and the Italy home match, these matches look like being the most critical ones.

Georgia vs. Scotland
Scotland vs. Ukraine

are the KEY KEY games. Drop points there and you may have to wave goodbye to your qualification hopes.

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posted Mar 28, 2007

Cick Youngs wit and wisdom, not worth a comment! Can Scotland get a result in Bari? On paper very much no, but in pracise I believe that it will be a lot tighter than the wonderful Scottish media make out. I don't think we should overate either ourselves or indeed Italy. In a fair universe France would have won the World Cup. But as we all know we don't live in a fair universe, so we might actually get a result.

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posted Mar 28, 2007

Having read Will McLeish's earlier article, can he clarify if he went by plane or train to Bari from Milan? I fear he may have enjoyed one Peroni too many already - lucky man! Wish I was there, c'mon the Dark Blues!

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posted Mar 28, 2007

yup chick talks mince and no one falls for it lets get real Italy in bari will be avery tough game if we play for a draw they will beat us 2-0
we have to have some self belief and go at them dont give them a chance to get at us and we will surprise them and we could win and make history for our great nation and hopefuly Andorra can get a result aginst england and make my day

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posted Mar 28, 2007

Hello from Italy!
Seems like Scots and Italians are having a good time in Bari (http://www.gazzetta.it/Hermes%20Foto/2007/03/28/0JFM16BP--400x280.jpg)
Enjoy your time here and shall the best win!(If it was Italy off course I wouldn't mind )

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posted Mar 30, 2007

Hello Saberlow2001,

Ha-ha, it certainly seems confusing. I phoned my columns in as I was finding it difficult to find an internet cafe - I only found one later on in the trip. The train journey from Milan was added by the editor, who must have misheard me. I did fly from Milan to Bari. Thanks for pointing it out, it's been changed to make more sense. I had a fabulous time and can't speak highly enough of the Italians. Here's to qualification!

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