Equally, there are plenty of countries with low populations and high GDP who are completely useless – Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Finland, Norway.

You are applying tennis or cricket logic to football in a way that is totally inappropriate. You can’t build an expensive facility and build great footballers. If it was that simple, everyone would be doing it. Most great footballers come from the street – and that requires kids to actually be playing in the street, which happens more in poor countries than it does in rich countries.

Population is absolutely a factor. GDP simply isn’t. If anything, a lower GDP is beneficial. The Guardian article made precisely this point in relation to Scotland.

This is one reason why after much fanfare and bluster over a 30 year period, we are still yet to see an African country reach the top 4 (although 2010 is probably the best chance yet) and why the only country to join the elite in the last 30 years who have won a world cup is a large, wealthy European country

.If Uruguay had a GDP like ours, they too could plonk a billion dollars into an AIS facility to produce players who can then claim million dollar contracts around the world. Mind you, they do exceptionally well in that respect, under the circumstances, but they will always be hindered by low population and low GDP. It’s hardly an Earth shattering claim.

The cases of Hungary and Uruguay are clear enough – the combination of low populations and low GDP are killers – no doubt – it helps explain why countries like Denmark and Switzerland manage to stay relatively competitive.

You could even say that Australia is helped enormously by economic prosperity (otherwise the Government couldn’t afford to run an operation like the AIS).

In the case of Scotland – I can’t believe all is lost given their proximity to the capital of club football in the world.

Celtic’s result in Moscow was remarkable for two reasons. First of all it was a great win and a decent achievement but most of all it was the first time Celtic had won an away Champions League fixture since 2003 (that’s 23 matches).

In terms of population Scotland has a bigger population then Croatia and when it comes to international football they are very competitive.

Scotland cricket side has also declined

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2527442.0.Comparison_between_this_team_and_class_of_2005_is_depressing.php

Comparison between this team and class of 2005 is depressing

On the evidence of a miserable season so far – it has ranged from the Scots’ failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup to John Blain walking out on his country in a fit of pique – Gavin Hamilton’s squad go into the fixture almost entirely unencumbered by expectation…….

……..The question, though, has to be asked: why is this the case? A decade ago, the Scots took part in a maiden World Cup campaign and produced a gritty display against Steve Waugh’s masters of the universe before sparking flurries of apprehension among the Pakistanis and almost toppling Bangladesh. There were genuine signs that the team was capable of climbing to the next level……

2003 – Roman takes charge of Chelsea
2005 – Liverpool won the CL
2006 – Arsenal runners up in CL
2007 – Liverpool runner up in CL
2008 – United won CL and Chelsea runners up
2009 – United runners up in CL

The injection of cash by Roman Ambramavich has raised the bar in the Premiership and the top clubs have had to respond by increasing their quality as the above stats suggest.

Before his arrival Arsenal and United always finished 1st and 2nd.

Scotland need to break the monopoly run by Rangers and Celtic, whether this is done by cash or another method it will definitely make the top teams in Scotland more competitive.

1. I confess I don’t follow these things closely, but my impression is that the Scottish national team has actually been on something of an upswing of late.

2. A few weeks ago I was at a conference in Glasgow while all these horrific European defeats were happening. How can one read anything into them given the way Celtic and Rangers devour all the resources in Scottish football? They are such a duopoly that one really cannot expect the rest to be competitive in Europe.

3. By chance I was standing outside a Glasgow pub as an eruption occurred. I soon learned that Celtic had scored a 92nd minute goal to achieve a 2-0 win in Moscow that got them through to the next round of the CL. That’s a pretty decent achievement against such opposition. It seems to me that the Glasgow giants are pulling their weight in Europe (e.g. they have each been in a UEFA Cup final this decade), it’s just that this weight is not as great as that of England’s big 4 – where’s the disgrace in that?

4. What more should one really expect from a country of 5 millions where the climate is shite? (I was there in the middle of summer, and even then one would struggle to find a mud-free football field for kids to kick around on!)

Just a few discussion points … I am of no fixed overall view here!