Scotland blow it again

BBC Scotland football correspondent Chick Young reflects on another traumatic 90 minutes for the Tartan Army and threatens to leave the country if we can't beat San Marino.

If there was a World Cup for shooting yourself in the foot, we would be playing monopoly with the trophy.

I've been there, seen it, worn the t-shirt, rented the video and cried the tears following Scotland on suicide missions around the globe.

But even by our standards, Saturday took a bit of beating.

At half time in the Belgian game I could taste the sushi and the saki. I was sitting quietly at Hampden with my eyes closed, dreaming of the summer of 2002 in Tokyo where, for the first time in my life, all the locals would be calling me Big Man.

But of course I totally forgot that we were Scottish and that consequently it's never over until it's over. And it might well be all over now.

Flushed down the toilet

Daniel van Buyten's injury time equaliser could be the coupon buster which means we will have to content ourselves with watching the biggest party on the planet on the telly. I honestly fear the worst now.

And yet...we looked so good in that first half.

Scotland got off to a great start

And yet...we were so far ahead of a good, but far from invincible, Belgian side we were on cruise control. And they only had ten men.

And yet...

Days after the game I am still having incredible mood swings about it all from disappointment to downright anger that we took a two goal lead against a depleted side and flushed it down the toilet.

World Cup dream

Professional coaches and players in the game tell me that a two-goal lead is a nightmare one to defend. Apparently at one up you are aware how dodgy it can be and are consequently on your toes, but at two you psychologically sit back and that makes it dangerous.

Frankly it sounds like hogwash to me. How can you not fancy a two goal lead? Is it better to be sitting at 0-0? Or even three down?

Actually, given that we are Scottish, maybe it is.

The bottom line is that we are hanging on to a World Cup dream by our fingertips and not beating Belgium at Hampden undid all the good of the draw in Zagreb. In fact it wasn't only the Belgians who were cock-a-hoop at the Saturday scoreline, because it brought Croatia hurtling back into the big picture.

Will they be at the 2002 World Cup?

Of course we can still qualify. All we have to do is win three home games and one in Brussels and that will be guaranteed. But what the hell gives us any right to assume we can beat a local pub team at our new national stadium?

Frankly, the manager stands at the biggest crossroads of his career. If he pulls this rabbit out of the hat then he will go down as history as our most successful ever coach and I will defend him until the end of time.

But if it all slips from his grasp then they can prepare the farewell night...because the wee man will have to get on his bike.

Panic mode

He did make mistakes on Saturday. Dodds and Hutchison was the right forward combination and they worked their socks off, but they were dead on their feet long before the end and they needed replaced.

I have heard question about how the referee managed to find three minutes of time added on, but remember that he is instructed to add on 30 seconds for every substitution and that immediately accounts for two minutes. So had Craig Brown put another two players on in the time added on that would only have endured the agony by a minute.

On the other side of the coin, it would have broken up the play and I think it would have been worth the gamble.

But the bottom line is that from a position of two up against ten men and playing at home we should never have been dragged into panic mode. Belgium should have been lying with their throats cut.

And so to Wednesday night There is no way we can do anything short of blowing San Marino away. It is inconceivable that we don't hit them for at least five. They are so bad that if Broon gives me a call I could guarantee to get a couple with the old baldy napper. Honestly.

This is a promise. If we don't win this one, I'm applying for a French passport.