The national side ran out at Hampden full of pride and bursting with passion in an attempt to keep the feelgood factor that has engulfed Scottish football at international level through some amazingly over-achieving performances against the mightiest teams on the planet over the last 18 months.

Unfortunately George Burley did not have the majority of the Rangers contingent who have been dropping like flies from the offset of this international midweek. Why is that, the story goes about injuries. OK, that's fine. If Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch and Alan McGregor are truly injured. it would be unlikely for them to make the Old Firm game on Saturday, wouldn't it?

David Weir has already been withdrawn because of the number of games on his schedule. That's very kind of Burley, I wonder if Walter Smith will allow him Saturday afternoon off to rest his weary bones? Two years ago a certain journalist in Scotland demanded that Shaun Maloney and Stephen Pearson should not be allowed to pull on a Scotland jersey after pulling out of a national squad in favour of participating in pre-season friendlies with Celtic.

'The silence from the SFA is deafening. I'm putting myself up for a real onslaught of abuse here but I don't care'


There was outrage, back-page headlines and huffing and puffing by the Scottish media at the sheer cheek of these two players to do such a thing.

Has the impartial and completely fair Scottish media rounded on Rangers for pulling players out of an international? No, no, no. The back pages are full of stories about Artur Boruc moving to Bayern Munich. That makes sense. The day our national team is embarking on a new era under new management and the tabloids are concentrating on a story that first appeared months ago.

It's farcical. Now I will eat my words if those four players are not on the teamsheet come Saturday. Ferguson is the captain of club and country and has been taking painkilling injections to continue in this posssibly monumental season for his club. Why can't he do it for his country? The silence from the SFA is deafening. I'm putting myself up for a real onslaught of abuse here, but I don't care.

Rangers want an extension to the season because they have too many games to play. Tough. Celtic asked Rangers to postpone an Old Firm game by one day during their UEFA Cup run and it was turned down. So Celtic played Boavista on Thursday evening and then Rangers at Ibrox on the Saturday.

What makes Rangers an exception to the rule? Nothing. They asked for a postponement of a league game earlier in the season to help in preparation for a European tie. They got it. It's partly of their own making.

Now Rangers are saying it's unfair that they might have to play four games in eight days. They shouldn't have to they cry as the UEFA Cup is important for Scotland's co-efficient in Europe. Utter tosh, they will try anything. Why should all of the other clubs in Scotland change their plans to suit Rangers?

You'd think they would relish the possibility of winning four trophies in one season. It has got to be by their rules, though. It's an absolute disgrace yet not a single word has been said against this blatant skullduggery.

Will that journalist call for the four Rangers players never to pull on a Scotland shirt again? I very much doubt it.