O.K., there's an eency weency bit of tongue in cheek with that. Gary Teale, Derby County and Scotland winger, will miss tomorrow's game with France with a "sickness bug". I'm afraid that as far as I'm concerned Teale is all speed and little else, and bar an assist for Boyd's goal against Georgia in March, has hardly sent Tartan Army pulses racing. It sounds like McLeish was going to play him though, so his absence forces a bit of a rethink.
There are already, surely, ten names already on the Scotland teamsheet (I'm making a rod for my own back with this) - Gordon, Hutton, Weir, McManus, McEveley, Fletcher, Brown, Ferguson (back from suspension), McCulloch and O'Connor - blatantly Boyd will be dropped as despite his goal threat he can't hold the ball up well enough or press defenders enough to play as a lone striker, and two strikers in this game would be more suicidal than bathing in sulphuric acid while drinking lighter fluid (I haven't seen that one on bunny suicides yet but it's only a matter of time). So who will be the eleventh man? Please not Gary Caldwell deployed in a "holding midfield" role, as the only thing he'll be holding is Ribery's shirt while he chases the Frenchman's shadow. I could cope with Paul Hartley, though his form has been mediocre throughout 2007, but he's an all-action midfielder who could put himself about. However, I'd love us to play Fadders, either wide or in a free role, as he's proven he'll work hard and he gives this wonderful je ne sais quoi that could, in our wildest dreams, maybe actually result in a goal for us.
Not a lot has been made yet of the fact that this is not a France team comparable to that of 1998 and 2000, let alone the one that got to the last World Cup Final. Henry is suspended, of course, while they're down to their 3rd choice goalie (Barthez has retired and Coupet of Lyon is injured), while right-back Sagnol is out and Arsenal's centre-back Gallas probably will be as well. Meanwhile Zidane is long gone, Makelele and Thuram are 2 or 3 years past their best and Vieira's only half fit. It's just unfortunate that Anelka's on form and Ribery is playing the football of his life.
Anything's an improvement on the last time we played here, when in a certain unmentionable German's first game in charge, we sent 3 strikers out (including Dougie Freedman!) and got gubbed 5-0. A lot has changed since then - we're much stronger and they are weaker. So maybe this time we'll only lose 2-0 or 3-0. Or maybe, God forbid, we remember what it took in Glasgow last year and lightning might strike twice?
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