think your lucky your not a Scotland fan.
why has BERTI MacVogts not been booted out on his *rse.
We're on the road to nowhere .. and Berti still doesn't have any answers
Scotland 0 Hungary 3
SCOTLAND supporters stayed to the painful and bitter end ... but only to jeer their own players. And who could blame them at the end of a miserable Hampden night?
There may have been only 15,850 of them but they paid their money and were entitled to something aproaching value.
They received a slap in the face, a kick in the teeth, as Scotland failed to break a depressing run that has seen them fail to win a Hampden friendly in just more than eight-and-a-half years.
Also, this was our heaviest defeat at Hampden since England beat us 5-0 31 years ago and, no matter where you look in Berti Vogts' side, it is difficult to identify saviours.
Perhaps only God can help us now because we sure as Hell can't seem to help ourselves.
You know, the more you study this struggling Scotland side,even when all the players are available, you realise we just might have too many pretenders who consider themselves big shots.
They are deluding themselves if they think they are even remotely accomplished players.
They're nomore than ordinary, some of them not even that good, yet they believe they have the right to dispute bonus payments ahead of the World Cup qualifiers which begin next month.
If they had any decency, they'd just be glad to get a game for their country.
In fact, they ought to thank their lucky stars they are fortunate enough to be playing in an era bereft of genuine talent and it's time someone told them so.
Damn it, if Vogts won't, then I will.
Too many of the players used last night are inept and instead of worrying about bonus payouts they should be concerned about being found out by the Tartan Army.
They should also be relieved only a handful were in place to witness first--hand the full extent of their limitations and please don't give me any of that tosh about withdrawals weakening the side.
Hungary had a pile of call-offs, too, but with two-goal Szabolcs Huszti - their third was supplied by Steven Pressley, who scored in off David Marshall's back - they got the job done, didn't they?
Huszti's first goal came from a penalty that should never have been awarded - Peter Kovacs dived in the Scotland box - butwe shouldn't allow ourselves to be conned the way French referee Laurent Duhamel was.
We were hopeless and Vogts can't really be confident about the play-offs because two players, who may be vital when the World Cup qualifying campaign starts, Barry Ferguson and Darren Fletcher, were in place at the heart of Scotland's midfield.
And James McFadden was also there with Kenny Miller but they produced nothing but petulance.
McFadden wanted to do his usual, arguing with the officials, and the ineffectual Miller seemed to mouth something at someone as he made for the tunnel after being subbed in the second half.
We keep turning up and we keep thinking it will get better but it isn't happening for Scotland and this defeat highlighted the lack of real, pulsating talent Even twin hopes Ferguson and Fletcher were taken off before the end of this 3-0 humiliation.
They flattered to deceive but even when they are at the top of their form they'll be unlikely to direct the ship away from the rocks that lie ahead because they are surrounded by men who simply can't play.
Harsh?Unfeeling?Perhaps - but it's getting harder and harder to love this team, few of whom will ever make the pantheon of greats even though we now have two Halls of Fame.
Some of them aren't even fit to be doormen.
With most of the Tartan Army regulars opting to give this one a miss - they may be brighter than they look - - Hampden was a pretty forlorn looking theatre and although those who tugged on the kilts tried their best to rouse the players early in the match, there was little response.
We had known it would take something out of the ordinary to make this a night that would live long in the memory banks but if anything it will live in infamy.
The first half came and went without too many exciting moments. The only thing worth recalling was the blatant dive by Kovacs, a substitute for the injured Sandor Torghelle, that brought his side a penalty on the strike of half-time.
Huszti slammed the ball to his right while David Marshall threw himself to his right and Hungary went indoors leading a match in which they had rarely threatened.
The fans screamed at the ref, who had been suckered by Kovacs, - no doubt recalling that he had missed an earlier Huszti tug at Fletcher in Hungary's box.
But even if the Scots didn't deserve to be behind at the break, they were not especially potent themselves, despite seeing a lot of the ball.
McFadden, a player capable of turning games, worked his magic only once or twice.
The closest Scotland came to scoring was when Miller took a good Ferguson pass and darted round Andras Toth just inside the box after five minutes.
Peter Stark jabbed out a leg and managed to deflect the Wolves striker's shot and Gabor Kiraly was almost beaten by the spinning, looping ball but he managed to stretch and touch the ball over.
From the corner Nigel Quashie was able to thump in a shot that the keeper saved.
It wasn't long before Quashie had another chance but this time his shot didn't get through the Hungarian wall and the ball broke kindly for Webster, who forced another decent save from Kiraly.
There were only seconds left in the first period when Kovacs fell theatrically to the turf as Webster, who had mistimed his challenge, stumbled. The defender didn't appear to make contact but Kovacs made the most of the opportunity and got the penalty.
Huszti scored and ran to a small pocket of Hungarian supporters to celebrate as the Scots stood around in shock.
Worse, unfortunately, was to follow.
When Vogts came back out at the start of the second half, hewas still shaking his head in disbelief at the folly of Webster and perhaps also the referee.
The Hearts player seemed determined to infuriate the German and was booked within seconds for pulling Kovacs' jersey.
Gary Caldwell, who had been playing just in front of the defence, was kept inside as Vogts sent on another striker, Steven Thompson.
In 52 minutes, Ferguson's pass to Quashie caught Hungary out but his shot went well wide.
A minute later, Scotland's hopes of winning this match were also given a kicking - but what a kick it was from Huszti!
The midfielder raced forward and blasted a 25-yard shot into the net off the diving Marshall's right-hand post.
The National Stadium was silent because even the Hungary supporters couldn't believe it.
But boss Lothar Matthaus was out of his seat and jumping in the air while Vogts stared into the night.
He was still searching for that light, that little spark that could give him hope but when Zoltan Gera was allowed to ghost between Pressley and Webster, take the ball on his chest and then force Marshall to make a terrific save from an overhead kick, the Scottish manager probably saw only darkness ahead.
Stevie Crawford took over from the ineffectual Miller but the night was falling apart before our very eyes with the Hungarians appearing to draw strength from our weaknesses.
Ferguson was taken off in 70 minutes and Aberdeen's Scott Severin went on. But two minutes later Hungary scored again after a piece of shambolic defending.
Simek galloped down the right flank and fired in a low cross that Pressley tried to clear.
However, he succeeded only in hitting the ball off Marshall, who had raced from his line, and it bounced off his back and rolled over the line.
Stephen Pearson replaced Fletcher but Vogts could have put on all his remaining subs without taking anyone off and Scotland would still have struggled.
There they were, kitted out in their new yellow and dark blue gear for the first time, and you know what? They disgraced the national strip - even if it was an unfamiliar one.
Then again, this was Scotland's third-choice strip and that's just about what this team have become.Third rate.
