One of the most ancient and grudging of rivalries will be renewed in World Cup qualifying at Wembley on Friday nightEngland and Scotland, who meet at Wembley on Friday in only the fourth competitive fixture since annual encounters were abandoned in 1989, are the two oldest international teams in the world. They have played each other more often than anyone else, took part in the first ever international fixture in Glasgow in 1872, and enjoy – if that is the word – one of the most ancient and grudging of rivalries.Or they used to. These days the Scots would rather take on the Auld Enemy in a referendum than a football match. The sad decline of Scotland as a force...
There is a nagging feeling that the contrast between the manufactured controversy and the act of remembrance threatens to undermine the entire point of Armistice DaySo the ridiculous Poppygate saga has come to a conclusion. Of sorts. The English and Scottish football associations have declared they will bravely defy Fifa and their players will wear black armbands with poppies printed on them when they meet on Armistice Day. As they should, if they wish.But has the gulf between the silliness of the debate and the seriousness of the cause ever been quite so wide? Related: David Squires on … football and Remembrance Day Related: Spare us the phoney poppy apoplexy | Marina Hyde Continue reading...
How long will Gordon Strachan remain in charge of the Tartan Army after dire performances against Slovakia and Lithuania? Plus, new manager, same old problems for England; and previews of all the weekend’s games in the Premier League, including Liverpool v Manchester United Subscribe and review: iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, AcastOn today’s Football Weekly Extraaaaa, AC Jimbo is joined by James Horncastle, Gregg Bakowski and Michael Cox to wave goodbye to the international break, but not before riffing on the dross put on by England in Slovenia and – even worse – Scotland in Slovakia. Ewan Murray tells us why Gordon Strachan has to go, dagnammit. Continue reading...
One point from games against Lithuania and Slovakia threatens another campaign and could dissuade the likes of Michael O’Neill from the role in futureAs Scotland’s party shuffled away from the Stadion Antona Malatinskeho on Tuesday night, the fallout from another wounding loss still ringing in their ears, there was cause for optimism from Hanover. Had Northern Ireland claimed anything from their meeting with Germany, Michael O’Neill would have become even more unattainable to the Scottish FA than may already be the case.He is by far the outstanding candidate to replace Gordon Strachan when – and it is now when – the latter’s increasingly unsatisfactory to the point of untenable alliance with Scotland comes to an end. Related: Gordon Strachan says...
Gordon Strachan was unconvincing when he spoke positively of Scotland’s display in the 1-1 home draw with Lithuania in World Cup qualifying and more will be needed in SlovakiaGiven the extent to which soundbites have shaped popular perception of Gordon Strachan, there is something poetic about such utterances now appearing at the root of his undoing. Scotland’s woeful performance in drawing with Lithuania on Saturday evening was alarming enough for beleaguered Tartan Army foot soldiers before Strachan provided the latest glimpses of his signing up for the flat earth society. No sooner had James McArthur snatched a last-minute equaliser than Strachan spoke of bad luck, outstanding displays and similar.Scotland have been in this movie far too often for anyone to...