THE question is shamelessly loaded, the resultant answer surprisingly encouraging.
Those of us who have thrown in our lot with the Scotland international football team in recent years and bygone times have grown so used
to disappointment that when we go searching for positivity, reality hits us with all the subtlety of a Jim Holton tackle from behind.
So, when I ask whether the Scotland Under-17 teams’ win over Spain in Marbella is worthy of getting excited about, I do expect the response from Brian McLaughlin, the head coach of our victorious side, to be an order for feet to be stuck upon terra firma, while remembering which race of people we are.
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However, after second or two of delay, a familiar voice comes down the telephone and tells me: “Yeah, it’s okay to be excited.”
Bloody hell. I did not expect that.
On Tuesday night, in what was a build-up game towards the European Elite Round for players 17 and younger, Scotland beat Spain at their own casa.
By every account it was a deserved 2-1 win.
To give this some context, the senior team beat Spain 6-2 in 1963 with an eleven containing Denis Law, Jim Baxter and Billy McNeill. It remains our only win over them over there.
The last time the Spanish were defeated by our lads at all was back in 1984 in a World Cup qualifier which for a certain generation of supporter remains the best international match of them all. Kenny Dalglish’s spectacular goal, his 30th for the country, equalled the record set by Law, as we won 3-1 at a packed Hampden which roared on The King, Graeme Souness and Willie Miller, all three made the country’s greatest ever team, plus some journeymen such as Davie Cooper, Alex McLeish and Paul McStay.
This week’s win for the weans came courtesy of two penalties from Aberdeen’s Dean Campbell, and a few days after a 1-0 victory over Poland, a country ranked seventh in the world at under-17 level.
This does not happen all the time.
“They are good players first and foremost,” McLaughlin tells me with unmistakable pride. “There is a huge amount of talent there but the thing about this bunch is their desire to get better, their focus and determination to become professional footballers.
“They realise, even at their age, sacrifices have to be made. They want success. They don’t waste a training session. They are, of course, 16 and 17, so are still young boys, but in my 16 months with them I honestly don’t think I’ve had to raise my voice once. Their attitude is superb.
“So, yes, it’s okay for you to get excited about this team. I’m excited about them. But there is a long way to go, of course. It take more than ability to make a career in football and they get that.
“This is why I am so encouraged and genuinely believe they stand a chance.”
The 20-strong squad McLaughlin, a fine winger in his day with Celtic, is working with is the first of its kind in that 14 of them came through the SFA Performance School participants, this has never happened before, which the head coach believes is directly responsible for such recent success.
“Those who have come through the schools, and the six from the clubs’ schools as well, are intelligent because of what they learn. They have school in the morning and then go to their clubs, which is ideal at their stage.
“We are going to produce a lot of clever and talented footballers through the schools. I’m telling you. “
Back in the day, and take this from someone who used to cover Scotland under-18 and under-21 teams, stories would emerge and quickly be comfirmed about our best young players sneaking out of hotels in the search of some mischief that they would always find with an accuracy which, if they could have transferred to their passing, would have made them world beaters.
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“Listen, they are very young,” said McLaughlin. “This means there will be times for a laugh and a joke. But they know when it’s time to work, we work hard. Even after the win over Spain, they were back to being focussed the next day.”
Malky Mackay, the SFA Performance Director and former team-mate of McLaughlin at Celtic, is and will remain a divisive factor; however, McLaughlin has nothing but praise for his old pal, making the point more than once than standards have been raised since MacKay was brought into Hampden.
“The under-21s beat Holland, the under-20s beat Brazil for goodness sake, and the under-16 got a win over England,” said McLaughlin. “There is a new way we are working at youth level. A lot of that is down to Malky.”
So, Brian, how on earth did we beat Spain?
“I told the players that the only way we were going to beat the Spanish, a good side, was if we dominated the ball. If we had more possession, then we had a chance. That’s what we did.
“We train the same way we play, with intensity and focus. We worked to get on the ball and take the game to them. It isn’t just the win, although that was fantastic, which pleased me and the staff so much. It’s how they have carried themselves while over here.”
Scotland end their stay in Marbella with a match against France today, which is why our conversation must come to an end as there is one more training session.
Before he goes, McLaughlin says; “Thanks for the interest. The boys deserve it.”
Hopefully, in the not too distant future, it will be all of us saying thank you to them.
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