Schardenfreude

IT perhaps says much about the depths to which Scottish football has sunk in recent years that our most-commonly-felt emotion these days is that Germanic one: schardenfreude, as we revel in the misfortunes of our Saxon neighbours.

Seldom has that emotion been so warm in Scottish breasts than in these past few days, as that glow we felt following Scotland's 3-0 win at Pittodrie (ok it was ONLY the Faroes, but three-goal wins have been in short supply of late) was further extended by England's dismal defeat at the hands of the French 24-hours later.

We recall how the self-styled football 'Master Race' had rationalised their dire World Cup performance with: "at least we were better than France". Now the poor English cannot even use that excuse.

Of course, post-South Africa the French got rid of their biggest impediment, coach Raymond Domenech, a sort of Inspector Cluseau in an Adidas jacket; enter Laurent Blanc and voila, the vaa-vaa-vroom was back.

England meanwhile have to stagger on under the baggage they seem incapable of jettisoning: "we invented the game"; "best league in the world"; "world-class talent" "the golden generation" - how the self-delusion lingers.

We have known for years that Scotland was poor - "We're shite, and we know we are" first entered the Tartan Army song book as far back as 1996. Now, without getting carried away, it was after all, ONLY the Faroes we beat, we can start to smile at our neighbours.

Not so long ago, if asked to pick a composite England/Scotland XI, just maybe, Darren Feltcher and Barry Ferguson (whose great asset at international level was, he seldom gave the ball away) might have got in as the two holding midfielders in an otherwise all-English XI.

Today: Craig Gordon and Allan McGregor are far-better goalkeepers than Joe Hart or Ben Foster. Alan Hutton and Phil Bardsley are better right backs than anything England has to offer. Fletcher would be even more of a shoo-in in midfield, while Charlie Adam's star rises ever-higher with each Premiership outing for Blackpool. The bigger clubs are circling, like sharks, around West Brom and Graham Dorrans. Kenny Miller is widely seen as the best striker in a 4-5-1 formation in British football, while, like Adam, Barry Bannon's star is definitely in the ascendancy, although he's still very much one for the future.

Now, all Craig Levein has to do is find his best-formation, hopefully during the Carling Nations Cup games; avoid injuries to key men, find a settled central defensive formation, a proven international goal scorer and a cure for the Scottish disease of multiple injuries before big games and we're on our way to Poland and the Ukraine and back into Pot Two for the big tournament draws.

Simples.