It is possibly best not to make too much of this one. Excuses there are aplenty, mainly in the two penalty kicks awarded by the referee who, frankly, looked out of her depth, and we can also point to our own dreadful penalty miss, the fact that we scored the best goal of the night (well done, Jota!) and that it didn’t really matter anyway, but we cannot really deny that we were outclassed by the team that is generally regarded as the best in the world and has won the European Cup 14 times, Real Madrid.
We wish them well, and there are many nastier and less pleasant clubs than Real. Let us hope that tonight was a learning experience for many of our players…but the game against Dundee United on Saturday is now a great deal more important.
And once again we can wring our hands in anguish at the plight of Scottish clubs in Europe…Everyone seems to enjoy doing that, but it is not really very productive or helpful. It is all too easy to point to wealth disparities, but that does not really solve any problem.
What may help is an examination of our own mental attitude and approach, including the necessity to do the basics of the game well i.e to take chances when offered and NOT to miss penalties. In this respect, Ange can really earn a name for himself. He has already been compared with Jock Stein in some respects. There is now definitely a challenge for the likeable man from Oz.
Some aspects of our European performances have been acceptable, and one would have to say there has been an improvement. The basics may well be in place. But we have a long, long way to go. Ange needs time, and I hope we will allow him this. We possibly do not have the money that others have to throw about for new players, but that need not be a fatal disadvantage. Mental attitude has always been more important than financial strength.
But enough of Europe for the moment. We have enough to be going on with in Scotland. Very soon we will have a break for that awful World Cup, but before then, we have three games which do not, at first glance, look all that difficult. But we mustn’t approach these games in any other way than with the assumption that they are top class opposition. The games must be won.
David Potter
