Euro 2020, Group D, Hampden Park, 22/6/21.

Well we know this is how it goes. A gallant effort but this was knowhow – and class – against inexperience. Their control, passing and movement made it look like men against boys.

At least we got a goal.

It’s hard to resist the thought that – notwithstanding they’d never beaten us before – the Croats targeted this game. They certainly played way better than in their previous two outings. They never looked at all bothered or likely to lose and in Luka Modrić they had an outstanding player who totally bossed the game and scored a superb goal. And Ivan Perisić wasn’t far behind.

Maybe Scotland’s players will have relished the experience and it motivates them to want to have it again – whether at Qatar next year or in the next Euros.

We can hope.

But it’s the hope that kills.

Euro 2020, Group D, Wembley Stadium, 18/6/21.

Well. The first thing you have to say is that Scotland deserved at least a point. It was a great performance by the players – perhaps unlucky not to get the win. But for that you have to put the ball in the net. We were never convincing about the ability to do that.

A win against Croatia ought to see us through. But they’ve got quality in midfield and upfront and it will be a very difficult game. The other thing that worries me is that they’ve never beaten us. That run has to end sometime.

And we know how this goes. Scotland put in a gallant effort and somehow still contrive to muck it up.

On Tuesday evening Croatia will burst our bubble with about ten minutes to go. Watch through your fingers.

FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Europe, Group A, Hampden Park, 15/10/13

Well, beating a team ranked in the world’s top ten twice inside a few months without losing a goal isn’t too shabby.

Again I only saw the highlights but it looked from them as if we played the ball about quite well – at least once we had scored. Croatia also seemed to play better this time than last and had a decent team out.

Encouraging signs, then.

It’s a long time till the next qualifiers, though, and fourth place won’t help our seeding any. (More than sixth or fifth would have done, right enough.)

I see our southern cousins managed to make it without benefit of play-off. Well done.

FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Europe, Group A, Philip II of Macedonia Arena, Skopje, 10/9/13

Two wins on the road is not to be scoffed at, but we rode our luck in the second half. Overall Matt Gilks had more saves to make than the Macedonian keeper had in the whole game.

Ikechi Anya, though, has a welcome injection of pace and willingness to get forward. His goal was very well taken.

Scotland had much the better of the first half and our failure to score could have come back to haunt us. Macedonia were much more positive in the second half and looking likelier to score just before we did but didn’t let us in the game after that. When the equaliser came it didn’t look likely they could lose. But up stepped Shaun Maloney to do what he’s done for Wigan and usually doesn’t get the opportunity to do for Scotland (because we don’t get free kicks around the area that often.)

If results in other games go against us it may still be we’ll need to beat Croatia – who have second place in the group in the bag anyway – next month to avoid bottom spot.

FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Europe, Group A. Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, 7/6/13

This just shows how unpredictable football can be. Most people (including apparently Croatia’€™s manager and at least one of his players) gave Scotland not a hope. I wasn’€™t too hopeful myself. Then again Scotland quite often do this sort of thing in this sort of situation. But this was more of a triumph for organisation, determination and application. And, despite a couple of scares, a surprising absence of shooting ourself in the foot.

We had one chance and took it. Croatia had a couple of chances – one glaring miss when the guy only had to chip into an almost open goal. That’s football.

True, Croatia didn’€™t play well but perhaps we didn’€™t let them. Keep it up, lads.

International Friendly, Pittodrie Stadium, 6/2/13

I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies. A win’s a win after all – and those were difficult to come by under Craig Levein.

The highlights didn’t look very exciting and a poor pitch didn’t help. The goal came from a set piece – which is how we’ll have to hope to score against the likes of Belgium and Croatia – and Allan McGregor saved the jerseys at one point.

Gordon Strachan’s mood music is brighter than Levein’s, he’ll most likely play in a more attacking style. The players might take heart from it.

It was only Estonia (no mugs, but also no great football power) but a clean sheet is always welcome.

We also have a few players in England’s top level, not something that could be said for a while.

It’s still going to be an uphill struggle to get a decent draw in the next European Championship.

I’ve not posted about Euro 2012 yet because I’ve not seen many whole games.

I did catch all of the England – Ukraine game last night, though. If Ukraine had had a striker they’d have won this. England rode their luck and not just with the ball over the line incident.

I take issue with the commmentators over that. In real time I couldn’t tell if the ball was over the line or not. Even with the benefit of the replay using the along the line view I couldn’t tell that the whole ball had crossed the line when John Terry kicked it out. Neither could the fifth official be sure. And he has to be sure to give the goal. It was only when Terry was stripped from the picture and the frame was frozen that I could tell – and how was I to know what other manipulation may have been done to the image? The line official didn’t have that luxury.

Still, roll on goal line technology.

It must be said Uefa haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory over the Niklas Bendtner fine and ban for ambush marketing vivs-a-vis racist chanting and inappropriate banners.

As to possible winners; who knows?

Spain look get-at-able at the back. If it weren’t for Iker Casillas they would have been going home early: both Italy and Croatia would have beaten them. They also seem to have developed this novel way of trying to win football games. It involves not trying to score goals. (To be fair Dumbarton have been using that system for donkey’s years; but not deliberately.)

Against Croatia the Italians did that Italian thing of taking a lead and trying to hold it. The only thing is their defence isn’t good enough these days to sustain it. Had they gone for the second they might have saved themselves a fraught third game. They looked good going forward against Spain though.

Greece? Not likely, but we’ve thought that before.

Germany look impressive and Mario Gomez has morphed from being the German Luca Toni and suddenly found goal scoring form in a tournament.

Czech Republic? I doubt they’ll have enough to beat Portugal who were too fragile at the back against Denmark. But do the Portuguese have enough striking options beyond Ronaldo to get to the final?

France were shown up against Sweden and must play Spain.

England are teed up to lose to a Mario Balotelli goal. They have exceeded their usual Euro performance in getting to the quarter-final, after all.

At this stage it looks like the Germans.