THE heading to this post may be a saloon bar truism, but, as Sir Alexander Fleming memorably demonstrated, sometimes an accident can bring about something good.
I therefore welcome the decimation of Craig Levein's original squad for tomorrow night's friendly with the Faroes at Pittodrie - the re-shaped Scotland squad may well be the start of something good.
Scotland doesn't "do" friendlies. Our overall record in internationals isn't good, but, if you separate meaningful competitive games from friendlies, we do much better. There is something in the Scottish footballing psyche which demands that a game has to mean something, before we get properly into it.
I have long argued that, notwithstanding possible negative effects on our FIFA co-efficient, Scotland managers ought to use friendlies for experimentation. Pick your best side by all means, but keep it to yourself and hope you can get your First XI all fit and raring to go when it matters; otherwise, weed-out the diddies.
Our press will always bombard the Scotland boss with advice: 'My Scotland team would be' is a regular pre-match filler in most papers. But I shudder to think what would happen if Levein or any Scotland boss ever picked the press's team.
I seem to recall, about 20 years ago, a Yugoslav international manager fell out with the Belgrade press corps about his side and challenged them to pick their team for a trial game. This the press duly did, the boss then picked his side, which won easily. Worth a try CL if you're ever under the cosh again.
Originally, Levein wanted this fixture to be a B international, but, when that wasn't on, he went for the Faroes option. Let me say here, if we cannot pick a B team capable of beating the best the Faroes has to offer, it's time to pack it in.
As it turns out, the Scotland team will be almost a B squad. If we take our optimum 1st XI right now as something like: Gordon or McGregor; Hutton, Weir, McManus, Wallace; D Fletcher, Brown, Dorrans, McFadden; Miller, S Fletcher, well, not too-many of them will be on the field at kick-off tomorrow. So, Levein has a chance to perhaps sort out some problems.
Can the re-called Stephen Crainey provide back-up for the injured Lee Wallace?
Can Phil Bardsley again impress and put pressure on automatic pick Alan Hutton?
Is Cammy Bell our number three goalkeeper?
Will the unfortunate Steven Caldwell again be an international disaster - or can he cut it at this level?
Could Kevin Kyle bring impressive club form to the international arena?
Can Craig Bryson take the step up from club football?
Can Gary Kenneth put his last international disaster behind him and kick-on?
Of course, the drop-outs have left one or two questions still unanswered. I'd love to have seen Chris Burke back in the Scotland squad; I think Levein missed a trick in not finding-out if Andy Webster was fit and if so, giving him a run-out - remember his impressive display in the B international against Northern Ireland at Broadwood, at a time when he was right out in the cold.
The Scotland team tomorrow night will be a far cry from what was expected when the squad was named, but, with the call-offs, this game now looks much more interesting.
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THERE is a very interesting piece by Michael Grant in today's Herald, about the return of the party songs across both halves of the Old Firm.
As ever, young Michael offers no solutions, other than the very sensible suggestion that self-policing is the way to root-out the bigots.
I've long felt this was the way forward. For instance, Old Firm away tickets are distributed through the official Supporters Clubs; the two clubs ought, therefore, be able to identify - once they know from which section of the ground the unacceptable songs are coming - which supporters clubs have members in that section.
First case of bad behaviour, call in that supporters club's officials and warn them: "Sort out your bad boys". If that doesn't work and that club are caught out again - no tickets for a spell; if that still doesn't sort out the lunatic fringe - no tickets at all for that club, which is un-affiliated.
You have to think and hope that the decent fans will get rid of the cancer before that happens.
And, publicise the bans; shame the shameful and often shameless. It's the best way forward.
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