MOTHERWELL FC: INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

The Mighty Well have the weekend off as Craig Levein's Tartan Army take on Brazil in London. While the rest of the home nations are in Euro 2012 qualifying action, Scotland are being set up to be scudded Samba style in a country that already ridicules us and now has an outlet to relay that to the rest of the UK.

News that Brazillian playmaker Pato is set to out led Levein to bring in his trump card. Craig Mckail-Smith. Not David Goodwillie. Not Scotland's top Scottish scorer in the SPL, David Goodwillie. Not the scorer of goal of the season for his Wayne Rooney-esque bicycle kick against Motherwell, David Goodwillie.

What's that? Dundee United have an important Cup replay on Wednesday nightagainst Motherwell? They've been playing loads of games because their park is in worse nick than Fir Park. Who did Levein formerly manage? Ah, now I get it...

Of course I'm being facetious, and ironically playing the Paranoia card. I'm sure Craig Levein has his reasons for picking Peterborough's cod Scotsman over any other Scottish striker. We should be thankful he is picking strikers at all.

The whole Scottish by association thing really riles me. If the homegrown game is to be improved, then surely that should begin by showing that home grown players are capable of filling in when Rangers players... Oops, ANY players pull out of squads.

Instead, the trend is to find anyone sounding remotely Scottish at the last minute to earn an honorary cap or 2. Apparently the real reason that the Lockerbie bomber was sent back to Libya, wasn't due to illness, but because being called Al Megrahi was putting him in contention to partner Gary Caldwell at the back.

Under Levein, I am not too fussed about Scotland games. I've never liked his managerial approach and the Czech game with no strikers really irked me. It's testament to his methods that the best Scotland performance under him was a typically Scottish "glorious defeat" to Spain. Every Scotland boss gets one.

The Scotland squads under Walter Smith and Alex McLeish instilled me with much more confidence and pride in my country. There was more of a core of a team with these squads. I'll take in to account that times change and those players are mostly injury ravaged or getting on a bit. There's just nothing about Levein's choices that make me think we could cause an upset like beating France twice. Instead we are relieved at getting last minute winners against "minnows".

I can have no complaints at a lack of Claret and Amber selections for the squad, as we don't have anyone at international calibre. Reynolds has been the only one realistically on contention this season, but he seems to have gone off the radar now that he's Sheffield Wednesday. The grass may not always greener in the English leagues but the pay packets certainly will be.

From what I've read this morning, Stephen Craigan has been dropped for Northern Ireland's game tonight. I don't know which way to take this. It could be good in the sense that it keeps him fit for the replay next week, or it could affect his confidence going in to that game. Does it really matter either way? The whole defence's scattergun season shows no sign of letting up, so regardless of the impact of Crags being dropped, it's impossible to predict the outcome.

More of a worry will be getting Darren Randolph back from Republic of Ireland duty in time. A cup quarter final is no time to be chucking in a back up goalie, particularly when Randolph has been the only thing preventing gubbings in the last 2 games.

He was a bit shaky on Saturday, but so were everyone else. Stuart McCall used the word 'capitulate' in his post match chats. That about sums it up. For the first 20 minutes, we had the beating of Killie. Humphrey was roasting Clancy, John Sutton had obviously read my blog from last week by getting 1 then hitting the post. Had his glancing header gone in, we could well have got more. Instead, we chucked it.

Humph stopped playing, and the defence chucked in 3 goals. The penalty was harsh, but to be honest, Jennings should have walked long before it for his 2 footed breenge. Peaks and troughs, eh?

Once this Scotland game is out the way, it's back to FP on Wenesday night, for what could be the step we need to end 20 trophyless years or the kick up the bahookie to salvage a top six spot for the season. A semi v St Johnstone would give us a great crack at the final, but a defeat on Wednesday could effectively end our season.

Next weeks blog will echo one of those 2 sentiments.

Up The Well and Come On Scotland! (I am still supporting them despite my views...)