The good old days are back. And that's a definite maybe.
 Scotland were 2-1 winners over Iceland |
The truth is that you just never know where you stand with Scotland, the great unpredictables of international football - Partick Thistle in dark blue. Top of Group Five, teasing the Tartan Army with dreams of a direct route to Portugal 2004 when just ten minutes ago we couldn't have beaten a Rockall select.
Honestly, we're so confused we're over the parrot and sick as a moon.
It was all summed up on one afternoon and night of Saturday insanity when we eliminated Iceland from the race for the play-off place, learned that Germany are far from invincible and then started to feel paranoid about Lithuania.
So can the team from the former Soviet Union cut our grass in the race for Portugal? Well, that's another maybe.
Atli Edvaldsson, the coach of Iceland, warned last week - before the game at Hampden - that Lithuania were ready to explode onto this competition and that his side were lucky to beat them. And then the Baltic state took a 1-1 draw from Germany in Nuremberg.
They are big, they are physical and they can play. Mugs don't get a draw away from home against the World Cup finalists.
Suddenly this is a huge fixture for Scotland.
A win in Kaunas on Wednesday would virtually guarantee the play-off spot and inject a devil-may-care attitude into our squad who could then go at Germany for the top spot knowing that they had already exceeded the expectations of most.
 The Tartan Army were in good voice at Hampden |
The truth is that Berti Vogts IS making progress. No-one is saying that we are Brazil and nor were Iceland France, but there was spirit and character in the team and at long last Hampden was a bit more like its old intimidating self.
The old songs - about dear old Jimmy Hill - which obviously I cannot condone - are politically incorrect, but nevertheless a measure about the passion wee Berti wanted back.
The music pumped through the public address system helped, but the Tartan Army picked up the baton and ran with it.
And just as the manager promised it would, it really did help.
But we haven't gone all the way down the road to the good old days yet.
When the national sport attracts 20,000 less for a vital championship game at Hampden than the rugby side drew at Murrayfield - there are still dark forces at work.
A win in Lithuania will lift the soul again though and surely have fans battling for tickets for the visit of the Germans on 7 June.
Meanwhile, I know how Partick Thistle fans feel. In a sense there is something comforting about being crap all the time because you know where your limitations lie.
And supporting Real Madrid? Well, that must be downright boring.
But with Scotland you just don't know what to think.
Or maybe one member of the Tartan Army here in Lithuania was spot on when I asked him what to think. "I think," he said, "I'll have a drink..."
Make that a couple...
MMIX
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