Feature

Euro 2016: Italy v Germany: A Short History

There have been two constants in European international football: Germany and Italy. England, Spain, the Netherlands and France have all had spells of success, but have been far too inconsistent to be considered regular challengers. The Azzurri and Die Mannschaft, however, have eight World Cups between them. It makes sense, then, that these giants of football would be rivals. But this isn’t one built on war or religion, elements outside the football sphere, but rather competition and success. It’s also a rather one sided rivalry.

We’re not used to seeing the Germans bring emotion into football. Englishmen think of the German national team as a Teutonic nightmare; an ever-reliable and destructive presence. Yet, when it comes to facing Italy, fear enters the German psyche, for the Germans have never beaten the Italians at a major competition. It’s a streak that stretches back to 1962.

 

1962 World Cup – Group Stage – West Germany 0-0 Italy

The Chilean World Cup marked the first meeting between Die Mannschaft and the Azzurri in a major competition. Although both had lifted the World Cup – Germany in ’54 after the ‘Miracle in Bern’; Italy in ’34 and ‘38 – those accolades had marked the beginning of a decline. The Superga tragedy robbed the Italians of a generation of shining talents – ten of their eleven starters at the time were Il Grande Torino players – and as a result the nation crashed out of Brazil ’50 and Switzerland ’54 in the first round and had missed out on Sweden ’58 entirely. Germany, meanwhile, had yet to introduce professionalism to its game – something it did in 1964 when it also created the Bundesliga. Despite their struggles, both possessed amazing talents.

The tournament marked the World Cup debut of Gianni Rivera. Italy’s ‘Golden Boy’ made appearances at the next three tournaments for the Azzurri and is regarded as one of the best attackers to ever grace the blue shirt. He wasn’t the only Milan legend in the team. Cesare Maldini made his only World Cup appearance in ’62, unable to replicate his success at club level for the national team. And behind him stood Inter goalkeeper Lorenzo Buffon – yes, he is related. The Germans, on the other hand, had Willi Schulz, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, one of the best left-backs of his generation, and Uwe Seeler, who scored 43 goals in 72 matches for the national team and was later chosen as one of FIFA’s 125 Greatest Living Players.

Although a lot of great rivalries start out with great matches, this one did not. The Germans had the better of the chances, striking the post on one occasion, but neither team could make the breakthrough. The match finished 0-0. The West Germans went on to top the group, but a 1-0 defeat to Yugoslavia in the next round sent them packing. The Italians didn’t even escape the group.

 

1970 World Cup – Semi Finals – Italy 4-3 West Germany (AET)

If the 1962 World Cup marked a nadir for both the Azzurri and Die Mannschaft, the 1970 edition highlighted them at their peaks. The Italians had suffered the embarrassment of being eliminated from the ’66 World Cup at the hands of the less-than-mighty North Korea – hope Kim Jong-un doesn’t read this – but came back in style to lift the 1968 European Championship. A fresh generation had emerged to lift the national team out of the slumber it had been in since ’49. Dino Zoff, Giacinto Facchetti, Luigi Riva and Sandro Mazzola all broke through at the same time, creating one of the strongest national teams of the time. The Germans had also made vast improvements.

The introduction of professionalism and the creation of the Bundesliga in 1964 ushered in a new era in German football. The changes yielded immediate results. While England defeated them in the ’66 final in London, there had been a noticeable improvement in the standard of their players. Bayern Munich legends Sepp Maier, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller, all of whom would go on to lift three successive European Cups, and Monchengladbach great Berti Vogts added to a line-up which still included the veteran trio of Willi Schulz, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger and Uwe Seeler. Both the Germans and the Italians boasted brilliant teams, but only one could reach the final of the 1970 World Cup.

It’s not often that a game is declared the ‘Game of the Century’. Yet, there is plaque stating as such on the side of the Estadio Azteca. The game in reference: Italy v West Germany. The Italians struck first, Roberto Boninsegna dancing through the German midfield before lashing the ball past Maier within eight minutes. It appeared that it might be enough for the Azzurri to reach the final. However, in the final minute, Schnellinger received a cross from Jurgen Grabowski and side-footed it into the bottom right corner. The Germans had sent the game to extra-time. At that point all hell broke loose. Der Bomber lived up to his moniker, scoring twice and sandwiching goals from Tarcisio Burgnich and Riva. Four goals in 20 minutes had left the sides on three apiece. But one minute after Muller’s second celebration, the Italians were celebrating a goal of their own. Boninsegna charged up the left flank just after the restart and pulled the ball back across the box to Rivera. The Milan legend fired first time and sent it straight through the centre of the German box and into the net. The goal concluded an exhilarating 21 minutes of football.

The exhausted Italians held on to progress to the final. Unfortunately for them, the side they were meeting was that Brazil team. The Selecao demolished them 4-1.

 

1978 World Cup – Second Group Stage – Italy 0-0 West Germany

Germany dominated European football in the mid-seventies. After recovering from their defeat to the Azzurri, the Germans lifted the European Championship in ’72 and the World Cup in ‘74. During this period, Beckenbauer’s Bayern clutched their resilient hands around European Cup, lifting on three successive occasions. However, all periods of domination must come to an end. The reigning champions lost their European Championship on penalties to Czechoslovakia – the last time the Germans lost a shootout at a major tournament – and looked off the pace in the ‘78 World Cup. The Italians, meanwhile, were on an opposite trajectory.

Italy missed out on the ‘72 and ‘76 European Championships and crashed out of the ‘74 World Cup in the first round, losing to Poland. However, another era began for the Italian national team. Paolo Rossi broke through at Vicenza, scoring 24 goals for the promoted side as the team went on to finish second in Serie A. The striker shone for the national team alongside Roberto Dettega and Franco Causio, collecting the Silver Ball for being the second best player at the tournament. With Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile and Gaetano Scirea in defence, and a burgeoning Marco Tardelli holding in midfield, the Italians could boast one of the strongest teams in Argentina.

Both teams had progressed through the initial group stage to reach the second one: the Italians had a perfect record, winning all three of their games, including a 1-0 win over eventual champions Argentina, and the Germans squeezed through ahead of third place Tunisia. Their meeting, however, proved to be more like their 1962 match than their ‘Game of the Century’ classic. A scoreless draw had little impact on the finish of the group. The Netherlands trashed Austria 5-1 and defeated the Azzurri 2-1 to reach the final.

 

1982 World Cup – Final – Italy 2-0 West Germany

It hadn’t been plain sailing for the Azzurri since the planting the seeds in ’78. The team finished fourth in the European Championships in ’80 and did it without their star striker. The Totonero scandal ended up with Paolo Rossi being banned from the game for three years, although later reduced to two. And what a difference a year makes.

The Germans, on the other hand, had lifted their second European Championship in the Stadio Olimpico. This generation was based around a midfield including Bernd Schuster and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and built upon a defensive foundation consisting of Uli Stielike and Karlheinz Forster. Schuster didn’t make it to the ’82 World Cup, though, after suffering a bad injury to his right knee. His absence meant the return of Paul Breitner, who’d retired from international duty years before.

Both Italy and West Germany were fortunate to squeeze through their respective groups. The Germans suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Algeria in their opening game, one of the biggest shock results of the time, and came close to crashing out of the group stages. Coming into their final game against Austria, with Algeria having beaten Chile the day before and thus on four points, the Germans knew that a win would be enough for them to scrape through on goal difference. The match between them and Austria has come to be known as the Schande von Gijon or the Disgrace of Gijon. Horst Hrubesch scored inside ten minutes…and the game ended. Not literally, of course. But both teams stopped attacking; passing the ball around their defences and making no effort to score. One German commentator refused to comment once he realised what was happening. The Algerians lodged an official complaint but neither team had done anything wrong. Austria and West Germany progressed, and a furious Algeria headed home. Italy, on the other hand, were lacklustre. Three tired and pedestrian performances secured them three draws, enough for them to progress ahead of Cameroon thanks to their superior number of goals scored.

Something clicked in the next round, though. The Italians came to life. Goals from Tardelli and Cabrini were enough to beat Argentina and a superb Rossi hat-trick defeated a classic Brazil team – one that featured Falcao, Socrates, Zico and Luizinho. The Germans held England to a goalless draw in their second group and then defeated Spain. In the semi-finals Rossi again struck gold. The clinical striker grabbed a brace against Poland and secured a place in the final. The Germans had a tougher route. Their 3-3 clash with France is regarded as one of the greatest World Cup games. Michel Platini even called his ‘most beautiful game’. Harold Schumacher saved Maxime Bossis’s spot-kick; the frustrated Hrubesch scored his; and West Germany progressed to another World Cup final.

The Italians never looked like losing inside the Santiago Bernabeu. Rummenigge had yet to recover from a knock he’d sustained earlier in the tournament and Hansi Muller was relegated to a place on the bench. The Germans were more content with stopping the Italians from playing; and thus the first-half had little to it. Cabrini missed the chance to put the Italians in the lead after 24 minutes, after Hans-Peter Briegel lunged in on Bruno Conti and conceded a penalty. Enzo Bearzot refused to let his team’s heads drop. In the second half the Azzurri came alive and demolished the turgid Germans. In the 57th minute Tardelli took a quick free-kick that caught out the unorganised German defence. Claudio Gentile put the ball in the box, where it evaded a host of blue and white shirts before the perfectly-timed foot of Paolo Rossi poked it past a stunned Schumacher. The Italians didn’t settle for one, though, and ripped the ill-disciplined Germans apart. A second came soon after. Some precise and slick passing sliced open the opposition defence and led to Tardelli rifling a second in. He sight of his manic and ecstatic frame charging from the scene of his goal, his arms pumping and his mouth agape, towards a huddle of blue shirts is one of the classic World Cup memories. A third rounded off a spectacular second-half performance. Conti spearheaded a sudden counter-attack and ran half the length of the pitch to the edge of the German box. The befuddled defence swarmed to him and thus opened up a huge gap in the centre. Conti’s simple pass found Alessandro Altobelli, who took one touch to take it around an onrushing Schumacher and then fired the ball into the unprotected net. A late Breitner strike squeezes past a 40-year-old Dino Zoff for a consolation goal but game is all but done – Breitner can’t even bring himself to celebrate.

The Italians matched Brazil’s record of three World Cup victories and had done so at the expense of the West Germans.

 

1988 European Championship – Group Stage – Italy 1-1 West Germany

Both the West Germans and the Italians had declining fortunes after the World Cup final. The Azzurri failed to reach the 1984 European Championship and a 2-0 defeat to France eliminated them from the World Cup in the round of 16. Following a first-round elimination from the ’84 Euros, West Germany turned to former captain Franz Beckenbauer. The Germans rebounded under the leadership of Der Kaiser and reached the final of the ’86 World Cup, losing to Argentina 3-2. The old rivals met once again at the 1988 European Championships in the group stage and the first match of the tournament.

The match highlighted another generation of young stars for both teams. The Germans boasted Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Klinsmann and Rudi Voller; the Italians Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini, Gianluca Vialli, and the defensive duo of Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. Mancini made his mark first: the Sampdoria striker pounced on a defensive error and hit the ball first-time past the fingertips of Eike Immel. But Italy’s lead didn’t last. An indirect free-kick bounced off Andreas Brehme and beat Walter Zenga. Beckenbauer and Azeglio Vicini had to settle for a share of the spoils that afternoon.

Both the Azzurri and Die Mannschaft won against Spain and Demark and thus secured progression to the semi-finals. There, however, the Germans lost to that Marco van Basten strike and the Italians succumbed to the Soviet Union in a 2-0 loss.  

 

1996 European Championship – Group Stage – Italy 0-0 Germany

Beckenbauer’s West Germany went from strength-to-strength after the disappointment of losing to the Netherlands in ’88. They reached their third consecutive World Cup final in ’90 and defeated Argentina to get revenge for their defeat in ’90, before Berti Vogts replaced the outgoing Beckenbauer. Euro ’92 welcomed the unified Germany, who reached another final but lost out to Denmark. A shock defeat to Bulgaria in the quarter-finals eliminated them from the ’94 World Cup.

The Italians had had mixed success at the same time. The Azzurri missed out on lifting the World Cup in Rome after losing 4-3 on penalties to Argentina in Naples in 1990 and then missed out on Euro 1992 altogether. Roberto di Baggio’s high spot-kick cost them the World Cup final in ’94. Their fortunes did not improve in 1996.

The Italians and Germans again found themselves meeting in the group stages. Another goalless draw followed. Germany had already progressed anyway, but the result meant Arrigo Sacchi’s side missed out on the knockout rounds of the tournament. The Germans would go on to lift the cup, defeating Croatia, England and the Czech Republic on route.

 

2006 World Cup – Semi Finals – Italy 2-0 Germany (AET)

The Azzurri flourished after Euro ’96, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup in ’98 and the final of Euro 2000. On both occasions, however, the Italians came out second best to France’s ‘golden generation’. Another dip followed, though. Controversial officiating cost them in their last 16 tie against South Korea in 2002, and they then failed to escape their group at Euro 2004.

The Germans had also been in decline after lifting the European Championship in Wembley. Croatia thrashed them 3-0 in the quarter-finals of France ’98 and a 3-0 drubbing by Portugal left them bottom of their group at Euro 2000. These performances led to the change in system that has brought about this current generation of stars. The Germans had low expectations heading into World Cup 2002. Die Mannschaft had missed out on automatic qualification and had looked disjointed through the campaign. However, at the tournament itself, a relatively simple route led them to the final – Paraguay, the US, and South Korea stood in their way. A Ronaldo double ended any hopes they had of lifting another World Cup for the time being. A first-round exit at Euro 2004 continued their previously terrible form at major tournaments. Many expected that to continue in 2006.

The teams met in a pre-tournament friendly before the World Cup and the Italians crushed the Germans 4-1. Jurgen Klinsmann’s stock had reached ground level. But, like in 2002, the Germans again came together at just the right time. Ecuador, Poland and Costa Rica were all put to the sword in the group stage. Lukas Podolski grabbed a brace to eliminate Sweden in the round of 16 before penalties put them through to the semi-finals at the expense of the tipped Argentina. The Azzurri had also been convincing throughout. The Italians strolled through their group and then dispatched Australia and Ukraine in the knockout rounds. The 3-0 thrashing of the latter secured them their semi-final against the hosts in Dortmund. They’d also conceded just one goal – an own-goal – in the entire tournament.

On paper, the Italians held the advantage. This was not a classic Germany side. Michael Ballack captained a team including Tim Borowski, Sebastian Kehl, Christoph Metzelder and Arne Friedrich – all good, but not great, players. Italy, on the other hand, had a centre-back pairing of Marco Materazzi and Fabio Cannavaro, who collected the Ballon d’Or in 2006, Pirlo and Gattuso in centre-midfield, and Francesco Totti and Luca Toni up front – one of the strongest spines you could ask for.

Like in 1982, the organised Germans looked to stifle the attacking flair of the Italians. Ballack and co had a smattering of half-chances but Gigi Buffon was more than capable of handling their desperate attempts. Italy couldn’t find the breakthrough: Alberto Gilardino danced through the German defence but his tight-angled shot struck the post and Gianluca Zambrotta’s blasted shot cannoned off the crossbar. The Germans had held the Italians off for 119 minutes when their hope of taking the game to the coin-flip that is penalties came crashing down. A failed clearance from a corner landed at the feet of Pirlo. The maestro attracted the attention of four white shirts, leaving Fabio Grosso in acres of space in behind. Pirlo slipped the ball through to the left-back, who hit a first-time shot straight into the bottom left corner. The Germans looked stunned. A couple of minutes later the blue shirts broke on the counter-attack. Gilardino held up the ball as the small legs of Alessandro Del Piero caught up. The Juventus legend angled his run and flicked the ball around the rooted Jens Lehmann.

The Italians had reignited a feud that had died down since 1982. Not that the Azzurri cared. It was they, in Berlin, who lifted the World Cup, as Germany had done so in Rome 16 years before.

 

2012 European Championship – Semi-Final – Italy 2-1 Germany

The Germans’ failures at the turn of the century had led them to restructure their system. In the years that followed that disappointment in Dortmund, they began to see those plans come to fruition. Joachim Low replaced Klinsmann and led them to a runners-up finish at the 2008 Euros and a semi-final spot in South Africa – both times the Spanish ruined their tournaments. The Italians had been less successful since their World Cup triumph. Roberto Donadoni took the reins from the departing Marcello Lippi and took them to Euro 2008. The Italians squeezed through their group after losing 3-0 to the Netherlands and being held to a 1-1 draw against Romania. Donadoni’s spell came to a premature end after his side exited at the quarter-final stage losing on penalties to eventual champions Spain. Lippi returned but he couldn’t recapture former glories. The blues lost to Slovakia and were held by Paraguay and New Zealand, and thus left South Africa at the group stage. There wasn’t expected to be a huge improvement heading into Euro 2012.

However, Cesare Prandelli’s team far exceeded expectations, holding Spain and Croatia and besting the Republic of Ireland. A tight victory over England on penalties sent them to the semi-finals, where they met a familiar foe. The Germans had smashed their group, defeating the Netherlands, Denmark and Portugal without leaving first gear. A 4-2 win over Greece put them up against their rivals in blue.

The Germans had been firm favourites coming into the game, but Mario Balotelli provided a rare glimpse of the talent that lay beyond his flashy exterior that day – one that highlighted why clubs like Liverpool and the Milan sides are desperate for him to succeed. On the 20th minute, Antonio Cassano held up the ball, spun around to dodge the desperate challenges of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels and flicked a cross into the six-yard-box. The dome of Balotelli rose high as Holger Badstuber raced back into position. The striker powered the ball past a helpless Manuel Neuer. Cesare Prandelli’s side celebrated a second 16 minutes later. Riccardo Montolivo, trapped deep in his half, picked out a lonesome Balotelli with a stunning long-range pass that eliminated almost the entire German team. Balo let the ball drop and then raced into open space. Philip Lahm was fast catching but Balotelli kept cool and rifled the ball into the top right corner. He ripped off his shirt and posed like statue – but not even the emotionless expression he spread across his face could mask the true jubilation he felt inside. He hugged and smiled the second he ended his façade. The score remained the same until the final minute. Like in 1982, the Germans reduced the deficit but couldn’t change the result. The ball struck the chest/arm area of Federico Balzaretti and French referee Stephane Lannoy deemed it enough to warrant pointing to the spot. Mesut Ozil dispatched his penalty and ran back to the centre-circle. But it was too late, Italy had completed their 8th win over their German rivals in major competitions.

Croatia and World Cup ’98

The retreating Spanish defence found Ivan Perisic bearing down on them. Nikola Kalinic spearheaded the counter-attack and, glancing over his shoulder as he raced up through the centre, noticed the speeding Inter Milan winger bursting past his left side. With Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique the obstacles in their path, Kalinic waited until the Real Madrid centre-back pulled back, before slipping a through ball ahead of Perisic, who kept running at full pace and released his shot as Pique went in for a sliding tackle. Perisic, though, had struck. He watched on as the ball crept under the right hand of David de Gea and nestled in the back of the net. Croatia had completed a memorable win.

The three points meant Croatia topped their group and secured a place in the easier half of the knockout bracket – no Germans, or French, or Italians, or Spanish, or English for them. Portugal are to be their opponents in the last 16. This evening, Croatian fans, once again, find themselves filing into the Stade Bollaert Delelis in Lens. It was there that they kicked-off their greatest ever tournament.

That team, 18 years before, had almost not reached the ’98 World Cup in France. A 4-1 besting of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening qualification game was followed with three successive draws, leaving them on six points at the half-way mark. Greece had beaten Slovenia 2-0 and Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0, before a 1-1 draw against the Croats left them on seven points. With one game to go, the Greeks had a one point advantage. However, while Croatia would be paying a visit to the group whipping boys, Slovenia, who had collected just one point, Greece would be hosting Denmark, who, with the Laudrup brothers in top form, had dominated the group. Croatia struck early, Davor Suker scoring in eleven minutes. Zvonimir Soldo and Alen Boksic then secured the three points, as the Croats claimed an important 3-1 win. Meanwhile, in Athens, Greece were desperately pushing for a goal. Peter Schmeichel, though, was in imperious form. The Greeks couldn’t beat the Danish ‘keeper and thus fell short. Croatia, not Greece, would be going to France. There they’d meet Argentina, Japan and Jamaica.

Thousands of Croats descended upon Lens for their first ever World Cup match, where they’d be facing another competition debutant: Jamaica. 27 minutes in and Croatia celebrated their first World Cup goal. A ferocious shot cannoned off the crossbar and landed at the feet of Mario Stanic. The Parma midfielder pounced on the chance and poked the ball over the line. Jamaica responded just before half-time, Robbie Earle’s header beating Drazen Ladic. The Croats had had three shots bounce off the woodwork, as they pressed for a second. The slick passing and movement of Suker, Boban and Jarni ripped through the Jamaican defence. And it was another member of that famous 1987 FIFA Youth World Cup winning Yugoslavian side who put Croatia back ahead. Robert Prosinecki, then back at Dinamo Zagreb, who’d he left in the summer of ’87 to sign for the dominant Red Star Belgrade, put in a cross, which, refusing to drift back inside, caught the Jamaican goalkeeper off his line and nested in the bottom corner of the net. In the 69th minute Suker secured all three points. The Real Madrid striker was at the height of his powers, having just celebrated winning the Champions League, a trophy Los Blancos had waited 32 years for. Boban put a delicious through ball ahead of Stanic, who then whipped a cross over to the far side of the box. Suker trapped the ball, settled, and then rifled a left-footed effort which took a deflection off Ricardo Gardner and caught a committed Warren Barrett out. It was a comfortable performance from the Croats. Boban excelled in his preferred attacking midfield role, picking out pass after pass. Next up for Croatia was Japan.

Japan had proved to be a tight and organised outfit against Argentina; a single Gabriel Batistuta strike separated the sides. Croatia had chances but proved wasteful. But Japan were far from just a defensive side. Hidetoshi Nakata’s excellent cross put Masashi Nakayama through one-on-one with Ladic. The Dinamo Zagreb veteran – he spent 14 years in the Croatian capital – held firm, though, and blocked the Japanese striker’s shot. Suker often looked isolated in the first half. But that never stopped him. He had one moment of genius that didn’t quite come off; with one touch he lifted the ball over a Japanese defender, and then charged at the box, before lifting a delightful chip over Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, the ball just bouncing off the crossbar and out. His patience paid off in the 77th minute. Aljosa Asanovic clipped a cross into the box, and, just like his strike against Jamaica, Suker took one touch before lashing the ball with his devastating left-foot. The ball crept under Kawaguchi, guaranteeing a place in the next round for the debutants.

Thus, the final match of the group was nothing but a matter of pride. Argentina, one of the tournament favourites, had dispatched both Jamaica and Japan as well, sending them through to the last 16, where they’d meet England in that infamous tie. And it would be the Argentinians who progressed with all nine points. The dark blue shirts of Argentina opened up the cracks in the Croatian defence, and Batistuta’s chipped pass put Mauricio Pineda in acres of space. The defender chested the ball and then fired it to the left of the onrushing Ladic.

Three rounds separated Croatia from Saint Denis and the World Cup final. In the Last 16 they’d meet a Romanian side who’d topped their group, beating Colombia, Tunisia and England on route to collecting all nine points, featuring an ageing, but still effective, Gheorghe Hagi, and Dan Petrescu. It proved to be a tight affair. The over-achieving Romanians, who’d all dyed their hair blond, gave as good as they got. It took another moment of Suker genius to split the sides. As the slick Croatians passed their way towards the Romanian box, Suker feigned, letting the ball run through to Aljosa Asanovic, who turned but was dragged down by Gabriel Popescu. On the edge of half-time, Suker fired a tame strike into the bottom right corner. However, as he started to run off celebrating, Argentinian referee Javier Castrilli called for it to be retaken, as some of the Croats had encroached. Suker stepped up, again, and put the ball in the bottom right corner, again – his 33rd goal in 40 appearances for his national team. It was enough to book them a quarter final tie with Germany in the next round.

In truth, they were meeting a strong German team, but one in decline. It included veterans like Jurgen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthaus, who reached 2000 minutes at World Cup finals during the clash; legends reaching the end of their international careers. The Germans were arguably the better side until the 40th minute: Ladic had to produce an excellent reactionary stop a powerful header, and found himself tested by the long-range efforts of Thomas Hassler. But as half-time approached, Suker led a counter-attack. The Croat striker cut inside and pushed the ball past Christian Worms, who kicked out too late. The German defender raised his hands in protestation, before putting them on his head in shock as he watched the referee pull out a red card. It was a professional foul, a definite booking. Not a red. Suddenly, it was all Croatia. The Vatreni (the Blazers) then nicked a goal in the third minute of time added on. Mario Stanic, the right wing-back, ran up the flank and cut inside, before putting a sideways pass out to Robert Jarni. The left wing-back, another veteran of that 1987 FIFA Youth World Cup winning side, fired a first-time thunderous shot though the crowded box, past the fingertips of Andreas Kopke, and into the bottom corner.

The Germans had been down twice already in the tournament and had come back to win both of those games. It wasn’t to be a third. Oliver Bierhoff should’ve equalised. The soon-to-be Milan striker rifled a volley from inside the six-yard box, but Ladic, somehow, managed to push the ball down and then scramble it away. It was Germany’s best chance of getting back into the game, a chance Bierhoff needed to capitalise on. With just ten minutes remaining, and the jubilant Croatian fans relishing the prospect of facing France in the semi-finals, red flares lighting them up in the Stade de Gerland, Goran Vlaovic secured their progression. He took advantage of the man advantage, finding himself in space and unchallenged, firing a driven right-footed shot around the twisted legs of Jurgen Kohler and past Kopke. Then, in the 85th minute, Suker completed a famous victory. A quick cross threatened to run out for a goal-kick, but Suker took one touch to send it past one defender, pulled it back from the line with a second, cut inside to move past another white shirt, and then smashed the ball underneath the German goalkeeper. An amazing goal; Croatia’s third; his fourth. Croatia would be meeting France.

The hosts had squeezed past Italy in the last round, defeating them on penalties after a goalless draw in Saint Denis, where they’d meet Croatia in the semi-final. 76,000 watched on as Zinedine Zidane, Emmanuel Petit, Didier Deschamps, and that brilliant backline of Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly and Bixente Lizarazu came up against this Croatian side. At half-time, it had been a game of half-chances; neither could create a decent opportunity. All of that changed in the final 45 minutes.

Just a couple of minutes after the restart, Suker struck again. The brilliant Asanovic nipped past a couple of blue shirts before slipping an excellent dipping cross up the pitch to the unmarked Madrid striker. Suker found himself bearing down on Fabian Barthez one-on-one. He let the ball bounce once and then slipped it through the legs of the onrushing French goalkeeper. One corner of the stadium cheered and bounced; most of it fell silent. The replays had barely finished before France struck back. A rampaging Thuram forced Croatia to concede possession on the edge of their box, the ball rolling to Youri Djorkaeff, who took one touch the take the ball to his left, and then used the outside of his right foot to pass it around a committed Igor Stimac. Thuram ran around the back of Stimac and awkwardly passed it past Ladic. France started to bombard the Croatia box in the desperate hunt for a winner. And eventually it came. Thuram came bursting down the right flank and again nicked the ball off a Croat defender. This time, though, he shot first-time. With the instinct of a world-class striker, he lashed the ball into the bottom right corner, not even taking the time to glance up at the Croatian goal. Croatia pressed for an equaliser. Suker played like a man possessed, dancing around challenges, the ball stuck to his foot like a magnet. Laurent Blanc was sent off with ten minutes to go, however, unlike against the Germans, the Croats couldn’t break down the resilient French.

Croatia had exceeded everyone’s expectations, proving themselves to be a force in world football. The likes of Suker, Boban, Prosinecki, Jarni, and Bilic came out of that tournament with their heads held high. It had been a brilliant showing for a nation of under five million people. Croatia didn’t end the tournament on that low, besting a classic Netherlands side 2-1 in the third-place match. That moment proved to be the high-watermark of the Croatia national team.

That was the ‘golden generation’ – a true one, not like England’s so-called – at its best. It was also on the cusp of a steep decline. The players who defined that generation – Boban, Suker, Jarni – were all around the same age, having come through that Yugoslavian youth setup, and all were around 30 at the tournament. Boban retired from the game in 2002, struggling to get match time on loan at Celta Vigo; and Suker and Jarni both left Madrid for Arsenal and Las Palmas respectively.

Croatia haven’t escaped the group stage of a World Cup since. They’ve fared little better at European Champions. The Croats missed out on 2000, were eliminated at the first round of knockouts at 2004 and 2008, and failed to escape their group in 2012. The generation of Suker and Boban feels like a long time ago. Could that change at Euro 2016?

Celtic: a season review

What are the ambitions of Celtic Football Club? One could argue that the club has had an identity crisis in recent seasons, missing out on the Champions League, unable to test themselves against the European giants, and struggling to find competition in Scotland. It’s left them drifting in limbo. It could be said that the return of Rangers fixes this on the domestic front. But is that the limit of Celtic’s ambition? No, and nor should it.

Much has changed since Celtic reached the UEFA Cup final in 2003. European competition is dominated by a few mega-clubs, and the financial success of the English Premier League means that from next season all 20 clubs will feature in the 30 richest in the world. These points in particular effect Celtic. Big clubs from smaller nations, such as Ajax, Benfica, and Celtic, can’t challenge in Europe as once was the case. Teams like Barcelona have a stranglehold on such honours. At the same time, the cash swirling around the Premier League behemoth means smaller English sides like Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion can afford bigger wages than Ajax and co. It’s the reason Southampton, although often not involved in European competition, attract Virgil van Dijk and Fraser Forster. As depressing as it is, clubs like Celtic are stepping stones. Although this is a sad fact, it can work for the Hoops. It did so under Neil Lennon.

During Lennon’s tenure, Celtic had great success in the Champions League, reaching the last 16 on one occasion and scalping Barcelona. The system worked. Thanks to this, Celtic could attract young prospects, like van Dijk, develop them, get the best out of them for a brief time, have success on domestic and European fronts, and then sell them for profit to English sides. It worked for the club, the fans, and the board. And is where we begin our review of Celtic’s 2015/16 season.

 

A FIGHT ON FOUR FRONTS

Under Ronny Deila Celtic regressed. It’s not debatable. As I explained above, reaching the Champions League was the most important part of the Celtic system. During a spell without Rangers pushing them for domestic honours, this was going to be the standard Deila had to meet; and he failed to do so. He’s disrupted the mechanics of the club.

The Hoops thumped Stjarnan and then beat Qarabag in a tight tie. The one hurdle blocking Deila from the Champions League was Malmo FF, and Jo Inge Berget. The midfielder had been a bit of a flop at Parkhead, and so it came as a shock when he put in a brilliant performance against his former club and scored twice, including a 90th minute effort which cut Celtic’s lead to one going into the second-leg. Still, Celtic held all the cards. 23 minutes into the second-leg and Malmo snatched a lead on the night and levelled the aggregate score. Markus Rosenberg got in front of van Dijk from a corner and headed the ball past a flapping Craig Gordon. 30 minutes later, Malmo celebrated again. From another corner – defending set-pieces has been a recurring problem in Europe – Dedryck Boyata came rushing back, for reasons known to him, and knocked Felipe Carvalho’s flicked header into the net. Malmo celebrated a second straight Champions League qualification; a dejected Celtic questioned a second straight failure to reach the group stages. Deila’s position was being scrutinised, and the season had barely begun.

For the most part, Celtic had better luck in domestic football. The Hoops lost four times all season: twice at Pittodrie, at home against Motherwell thanks to a Louis Moult double, and at McDiarmid Park in the penultimate match of their campaign. Not a bad record. The club finished on 86 points, six fewer than Deila’s first season in charge, the lowest since Lennon’s second full season at Parkhead – 79 points and seven defeats that season. That’s one advantage Lennon had. During his tenure, after Rangers’ liquidation, Celtic had no challenge. Even when they finished on 79 points, second-place Motherwell finished 16 behind. To put this into perspective, Aberdeen finished on 75 points for 2014/15 and 71 for this season. It highlights that Celtic managers aren’t judged on the league. It’s an absolute minimum. Without Rangers, there’s no reason for the Hoops to come second.

Although Celtic had not been given the chance to fight it out against Europe’s biggest hitters, Deila could have won back some goodwill in the Europa League. Instead, it seemed to make his situation even worse. It began promisingly, as Celtic picked up a 2-2 draw against Ajax, another former European giant struggling to match their former successes. The Hoops then dropped a two goal lead, letting Fenerbahce snatch a point at Parkhead. After that came three defeats. Molde claimed back-to-back victories over the Scottish champions, before Ajax finished off Celtic’s chances of picking up a win at Parkhead. Another draw against Fenerbahce meant the esteemed club exited the Europa League winless. It was getting a tad depressing.

After the exits from Europe, Deila was handed one final task: a domestic treble. Perhaps that could save his job. It was not to be. An energized Celtic emerged for the League Cup semi-final against Ross County. The Highland side were blitzed in the opening minutes. Leigh Griffiths, in particular, terrorised a fumbling Staggies defence. 26 seconds in the clinical striker turned creator, going one-on-one with Scott Fox before cutting the ball back to Gary Mackay-Steven, who redirected the ball into the net. Celtic were coasting on route to another League Cup final. Then Efe Ambrose, as Efe Ambrose does, handed the Highland side a lifeline. The centre-back clipped Alex Schalk as he penetrated the Celtic box, something he didn’t need to do – Gordon was reaching the ball before the Dutch striker. Celtic were reduced to ten men and Martin Woods equalised from the spot. Paul Quinn put the Staggies into the lead in the second-half, and then Alex Schalk went on an excellent run before slotting home to send County to the final. Dreams of a treble were in tatters. Well…let’s call it a double then.

After scalping East Kilbride and Greenock Morton, it was going to be an Old Firm clash for Celtic in their Scottish Cup semi-final. Deila needed a win. Mark Warburton had revitalised an ailing Rangers squad and achieved promotion from the Championship; his season wouldn’t be judged on this match. Deila, on the other hand, had little to hang his hat on. Yes, he’d claimed a second-straight league title, but he needed something else; he needed the Scottish Cup. And he could not lose to Rangers.

Rangers looked more assured the start, handling the pressure of the occasion and controlling possession. 16 minutes in and Rangers struck. Andy Halliday’s free-kick rebounded off Scott Brown and into the path of Kenny Miller; the poacher couldn’t miss. Celtic forged a couple of chances, Patrick Roberts missing one an open goal at one stage – a moment that seemed to sum up Deila’s tenure. The Hoops improved as the match progressed and looked all the more dangerous after the break. The green half of Hampden erupted in the 50th minute, as Erik Sviatchenko rose high and headed the ball past Wes Foderingham. The arch-rivals needed extra-time. Rangers struck first, Barry McKay firing an absolute thunder-bastard into the top corner; Celtic struck back, Tom Rogic drilling a shot in after Kieran Tierney’s cut back. Deila’s Celtic career hung in the balance. Penalties would decide; a Scottish Cup final or a P45? It was to be the latter. Rogic fired into the Hampden crowd. The blue-half shook, the green-half emptied. Deila cut a forlorn figure on the touchline, the horror etched in his face, the slow realisation of what had just happened.

Sure enough, days later it was announced that Deila would be leaving Parkhead at the end of the season.

 

COLE, BOYATA AND CIFTCI: DEILA’S SIGNINGS

The main issue facing Deila at the beginning of the season was a need to bring in two centre-backs and forge a partnership. Van Dijk, who departed for Southampton, and Jason Denayer, who returned to Manchester City after his loan spell expired, both left the club in quick succession, leaving Deila in a tough position. His first port of call was the Etihad. There he signed Dedryck Boyata. The Belgian centre-back was a different prospect than Denayer; the latter was a teenager in need of experience, the former, however, was already in his mid-twenties, but had made just 32 first-team appearances. It showed. Boyata has the relaxed attitude of van Dijk, but without the skill, concentration or defensive capabilities. And he still needed a partner. As amazing as the idea of a centre-back partnership of Boyata and Efe Ambrose sounds, it came as little surprise that Deila felt the need to again dip into the transfer market. Jozo Simunovic, brought from Dinamo Zagreb for £4 million, looked to be a good acquisition. One problem: he’s been injured…a lot. Deila again needed to plug the gap. He loaned in Tyler Blackett from Manchester United, but the less said about him the better. The same goes for Saidy Janko, the right-back who could neither attack nor defend. During the winter transfer window, Deila finally managed to find a competent centre-back in Erik Sviatchenko. The 24-year-old arrived for £1.5 million and has all the qualities that could earn him a move down south in the future. He’s comfortable on the ball, dominates in the air, and reads the game. If Deila’s successor can manage to keep Simunovic and Sviatchenko fit and able, there might be a good centre-back partnership there.

The second major issue Deila faced during his second season at Parkhead was the need for a second-choice striker, someone who could lift the burden off Leigh Griffiths. In the summer he signed Nadir Ciftci, completing his dismantling of Dundee United’s squad. The Turk, an erratic, skilled, quick-footed striker, had been productive at Tannadice, but there were questions about his temperament and attitude. Deila couldn’t use him for six games, after Ciftci decided to snack on Paul McGowan during the Dundee derby. When he did eventually debut, he proved his doubters right. His looked out of place – six months later he left Parkhead on loan. Six months had passed and Deila still needed to ease the reliance on Griffiths. What about an England international? Perhaps someone with Champions League experience? Of course, I’m speaking about Carlton Cole. The robust striker made his full-debut against Stranraer in the League Cup, a headed goal opening his account for Celtic. He couldn’t be stopped. Months before, when coming off the bench, he’d used his considerable strength and determination to force Danny Devine into scoring an own-goal. Unfortunately, he’s been used sparingly since his appearance at Stair Park. Perhaps Deila’s successor might give him more time? The final attempt at helping Griffiths came in the form of Colin Kazim-Richards. It was at this point Celtic supporters started questioning their transfer dealings. Kazim-Richards had left the Netherlands after being banned for two weeks for threatening a journalist – just the sort of hard-working, right-minded attacker Celtic needed. He marked his debut against Aberdeen by stamping on Aberdeen’s Ash Taylor, the biggest impression he’s left on the Scottish game during his time here. Kazim-Richards hasn’t been as bad as Cole – he’s strong, can be a nuisance in the air, knocks the ball down, and gets the odd goal – but there’s not enough there to warrant him be kept on. Apart from the two-and-a-half-year deal Celtic signed him to. Good job.

 

TIERNEY, GRIFFITHS AND ROGIC: IT’S NOT ALL BAD

It would be unfair to insinuate that all the players under Deila either regressed or underperformed. You just have to watch their 7-0 demolition of Motherwell to see that’s not the case. Although the game had an end-of-season atmosphere, the Glasgow sun even making a rare appearance, and ‘Well started Marvin Johnson at left-back, some of Celtic’s prospects had stand out games.

Part of Deila’s legacy at Celtic will be Kieran Tierney, and his progression in such a short time. The left-back made his league debut just over a year ago, made sporadic appearances in place of Emilio Izaguirre during the first-half of the campaign, and usurped the Honduran’s position in the second-half. His performances warranted a Scotland call-up and links to Arsenal. He even made it into Marca’s 11 most promising youngsters in Europe. He might be 18-year-old, but he’s as reliable as a seasoned pro. He can often be seen shouting at more experienced team-mates, organising and chastising. These aren’t characteristics usually associated with someone so young; it should be the other way round. Tierney also had an excellent game against Rangers – part of a limited bunch – quietening James Tavernier, who’s terrorised most left-backs he’s come up against. Although he has a size disadvantage, he’s 5ft 10 and slender, something Simon Church and Adam Rooney took advantage of when Aberdeen beat Celtic 2-1 at Pittodrie in February, he’s comfortable on the ball, strong in the challenge, and dangerous pushing up. He grabbed the opener against Motherwell, cutting inside before slotting in from the edge of the box. He’s one for the future, if Celtic can keep hold of him.

There are others as well. Ryan Christie, although often limited to the bench under Deila, looked threatening against ‘Well and should be getting a chance ahead of the inconsistent and unproductive pair of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong. Patrick Roberts, in on loan from Manchester City until next summer, has proved why he cost the Blues £12 million in the last month. He crucified Graeme Shinnie a couple of weeks ago, grabbing a brace with two excellent long-range efforts. Tom Rogic, if he remains at Parkhead, is another who’s stood out under Deila. The Aussie centre-midfielder has proven himself to be the best in his position in Scotland, looking inventive on the ball, and scoring some cracking, and important, goals. His thunder-bastard against Kilmarnock all but ended Aberdeen’s title challenge. As I mentioned earlier, Sviatchenko looks a solid purchase and a back-four of Lustig, Simunovic, Sviatchenko and Tierney looks decent on paper.

But the most improved player under Deila has to be Leigh Griffiths. The Celtic striker is undoubtedly the best player in Scotland and arguably the most important to his team. During Deila’s tenure, he’s progressed from a talented, one-dimensional and inconsistent striker, who was just as famous for his off-field antics as his goals, into an all-round attacker, who looks bound to score each time he touches the ball. He scored seven in 13 appearances in 13/14, 14 in 24 in 14/15, and 31 in 34 this season. He used to be the sort to hang on the shoulder of the last defender, make those quick runs, and he’d often be caught offside; now he’s threatening on the ball, running into space, running at defenders, in the air. At his best he can’t be stopped. He’s achieving Henrik Larsson figures. Celtic just need him to replicate that form in Europe, against more skilled defences.

 

FAREWELL, RONNY

It’s been a dismal season for Celtic. Deila achieved the bare minimum in defending the league title, but that’s not enough. He again failed to take the team to the Champions League, crashed out of the Europa League group stage without a single win, was knocked out of both the cups in the semi-finals, suffered defeat to Rangers, and has a questionable transfer record. He came with a roar, left with a whimper.

Three reasons Aberdeen missed out on the title

The chances of Aberdeen recapturing the successes of the Alex Ferguson era at Pittodrie are slimming as time passes. Last season the club missed out on the Premiership title by 17 points, a figure that perhaps gives a distorted impression; Celtic scalped the Dons in their four meetings, meaning the eventual champions claimed just five points more than Aberdeen in other games. Aberdeen improved in that regard this time around. The first-and-second place teams shared six points apiece, each winning both games at their home grounds, meaning performances against the other ten clubs were difference. And that’s where Aberdeen slipped up.

Derek McInnes’ team had a storming start, winning their first eight games of the campaign, capped with a comeback against Celtic, scraping a 2-1 win, and a comfortable 3-1 besting of Hearts. Then the wheels came off the hype train. The Dons collected just one point from their next five games as Celtic overtook them in the title race. The spell included a 5-1 drubbing from St Johnstone at Pittodrie and defeats to Inverness and Ross County – all games they were more than capable of winning.

After a dreadful October, the Dons went on an excellent streak, interrupted by one loss to Inverness. That defeat at the Caledonian Stadium marked the one setback in a 17-match run during which the club picked up 40 points, again closing the gap on Celtic. At that point that Hoops had three more points than the Dons and one game-in-hand; a decent lead, but with one game between the teams still to come and Celtic in erratic form nothing that couldn’t be overcome. Unfortunately for Dons supporters, that moment marked the beginning of the end of their title push. Aberdeen have won just two of their last six games, leaving Celtic to ease to a fifth-straight title.

But where did it go wrong? Why couldn’t this Aberdeen team best a disjointed Celtic side whose manager is leaving in the summer?

 

Lack of depth

This is the ultimate problem; one that Derek McInnes will have a hard time fixing. Quite simply, Aberdeen don’t have the budget Celtic do. The Dons can’t attract Manchester City to send their £12 million winger on loan to Pittodrie, and, as Sunday’s meeting highlighted, that can make all the difference. And it’s not just that Celtic can afford to have more players on their books, including all the central midfielders in Scotland – let’s not forget that Ryan Christie can’t even get a chance off the bench at Parkhead – it’s also that their development team is producing a better quality of player, as Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor prove.

This problem has been exemplified in one area in particular: up front. Adam Rooney has been a huge absence, given his effectiveness and contribution to Aberdeen’s title push. The Dons are reliant on him to score. For Celtic that’s not quite the case. Although Leigh Griffiths has bailed the Hoops out more times than one can count, Celtic have had options, whether that be Colin Kazim-Richards or Carlton Cole. Yes, these are terrible options, but options nonetheless. Aberdeen don’t even have the luxury of being able to bring dross like that to Pittodrie. Simon Church, although he lacks the same predatory instinct as Rooney, has made a small contribution, but he’s the one option McInnes has. His replacement, when injured against Celtic, was Mark Reynolds. This sums up the problem.

McInnes has been vocal since the game, calling on the Aberdeen board to back him financially. With Rangers returning after the summer, and Mark Warburton a shrewd operator in the transfer market himself, McInnes needs this if the Dons are to chase Celtic, or at least to hold off the threat of the Gers.

 

Not enough contribution from midfield

There have been a lot of improved performances from Aberdeen’s midfielders this season. Niall McGinn, at least at the beginning of the season, looked back to his best, putting in some excellent crosses and cutting inside to trouble defences; Kenny McLean, after disappointing in the second-half of last campaign, not quite matching the contribution he made at St Mirren, has been a consistent threat bursting through the middle; and Jonny Hayes, as ever, can be impossible to defend against at his best. But, as creative as these three have been, they’ve not contributed enough goals.

The Dons have scored 62 goals in 26 games, 23 fewer than Celtic and just six more than Hearts – and eight more than St Johnstone. This came back to bite them when Adam Rooney suffered his first major injury for the past couple of seasons. There’s no doubt that Aberdeen have been over-reliant on his goals, and, although Simon Church has chipped in in his absence, McLean and Hayes have not. Rooney’s 20 goals make up around 32% of the Dons’ overall league goals – Leigh Griffith’s 30 goals make a similar number for Celtic. The problem is that Celtic, when Griffiths hasn’t scored, others have made an impact. For example, Patrick Roberts has scored as many goals (5) in seven starts as Hayes has done in 33. McLean and Hayes have reached just 11 goals combined – not enough for two of the three sitting behind the lone striker. Even McGinn, although he’s scored ten, could’ve done better. His goals have often come in streaks, and he’s had gone through huge barren spells, including one lasting two months between early February and April.

 

Need for a better goalkeeper

Jurgen Klopp has rotated his squad often enough at Liverpool. He’s given opportunities to younger players, often on the fringes during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, and to those regarded as back-up options, giving them the platform to demonstrate their potential. While some of those given the chance have stepped up, others haven’t. Chief among them is Adam Bogdan. His performances were so bad, so erratic, that the imposing German brought a premature end to Danny Ward’s loan spell at Aberdeen.

Ward had been a success – although there wasn’t a high watermark in the first place. The loanee goalkeeper looked confident, had decent reactions, made some impressive saves, handled crosses without flapping, and, apart from the odd blunder against long-range efforts, gave the impression that the Dons had a decent stopper on their hands. Such was the excitement among the Aberdeen supporters that he even earned a chant. You can imagine their disappointment upon hearing the news that he would be returning to Anfield earlier than expected.

McInnes had no option but to give the maligned Scott Brown another chance. The second-choice ‘keeper is the definition of average; he makes some decent saves, struggles from crosses into the box, and pops up with the occasional blunder here-and-there. But he’s no title-winner, and not in the same class as Ward.

Brown’s time as first-choice came to an end after his dire performance against St Johnstone, as the Dons’ crumbled to a 3-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park. He gave David Wotherspoon acres of space to place his free-kick for the opener, standing far too far to one side; should have conceded a second after missing a punch and tripping over an Aberdeen defender, the referee instead giving him a free-kick after St Johnstone had converted; and then recorded the slowest of reaction times as Steven MacLean got the tiniest of touches to knock the ball his static self.

This issue needs to be rectified before next season; it’s been one that’s troubled McInnes since his arrival. The hope among Aberdeen supporters will be that Danny Rogers, who’s impressed on loan at Falkirk, earning mentions in Championship Team of the Season lists, could make the step up. If the Dons are to challenge for the title, he’ll need to do just that.

 

Can East Fife win the League Two title?

The race for the League Two title – and automatic promotion – is coming to a conclusion. It could be a photo-finish. As the remaining games are whittled down, one team-after-another is eliminated from the race. Stirling Albion pulled up after three defeats on the bounce. Annan Athletic might have left it too late for a surge. With six hurdles remaining, four teams are still in the race: Queen’s Park, Elgin City, Clyde, and East Fife. And it’s the Methil club who are on the brink of a return to League One.

It’s not been smooth sailing for Gary Naysmith. The East Fife manager – and left-back – has suffered his fair share of disappointments during his tenure; experiences which should stand him in good stead when he’s offered a chance at a bigger club – something most supporters expect to happen soon.

When he arrived at the club in late October 2013, he was initially signed up as player-assistant manager to Willie Aitchison. He lasted less than a month in that role. Aitchison resigned as the Fifers floundered at the bottom of League One, and Naysmith was given temporary charge. Less than a month later he was offered the job. Despite his best efforts the club were relegated from League One after losing out to Stirling Albion in the play-offs, with two late goals giving the Binos a 3-2 aggregate win. He had to oversee a complete overhaul of the squad. One year later he was doing the same thing again. Defeat to Stenhousemuir in the play-offs meant East Fife would be spending a second season in League Two, and he again had to replace most of his first-team. During this short-spell he’d overseen one relegation, two play-offs disappointments, and two team overhauls. He hadn’t been the luckiest manager.

But that luck might be changing – although it didn’t for the first-half of the campaign. The problem with a complete squad overhaul is that it takes time for the team to gel. It’s something that hindered East Fife’s progress for the first-half of the season. The Fifers had a decent start in both the league and the cups. Falkirk needed two 90th minute goals to beat East Fife in Challenge Cup; Dumbarton lost out on penalties in the first round of the League Cup; and tiredness cost them in the second round as Motherwell came from a goal behind to eliminate them in extra-time. But after a positive start their form started to dip. Between the beginning of October and Christmas East Fife won one of eleven games, including a 1-0 defeat at Stirling Albion that sent them crashing out of the Scottish Cup. After 17 league games East Fife sat 6th in the table, nine points off league leaders Annan Athletic. Just like 12 months before, Naysmith was coming under a little bit of pressure. He needed results.

For some teams there’s a change in formation or ideology, or a new player or manager coming in, that coincides with a sudden upturn in form. That wasn’t the case at East Fife. There was no defining moment. Something just clicked. Since Christmas the Fifers have won ten of their 13 league matches, and, thanks to the inconsistent form of the sides around them, have gone top. And it feels like they keep improving. Since stumbling and losing 3-0 at Queen’s Park the Methil side recorded a 3-1 win at Borough Briggs – the first team to beat Elgin at their ground this season – a 4-2 thrashing of Annan Athletic, and a 6-0 humping of Stirling Albion last Saturday. These last two results were achieved without Nathan Austin starting, who’s probably first choice for League Two Player of the Season.

There are parallels between Austin and Naysmith. Austin didn’t convince at first. He signed from Leven United in 2013 and made his debut in a substitute appearance against Forfar Athletic. There was untapped potential but he needed time to develop. He had pace but looked clumsy and could drift out of games. His finishing instincts also didn’t come until much later. It took him till his 17th league appearance to open his account for the 2014-15 season before racking up ten in his remaining 18 games. Four of those came in a breakthrough match at Borough Briggs. Austin pounced on a rebounded save to break the deadlock; two minutes later he tapped in from close-range; and soon after that his headed effort left Ross Laidlaw glued to his line – he’d completed the perfect hat-trick in 35 minutes. He then added a fourth in the second-half. That was a glimpse of what was to come the following season.

He highlighted that talent against Motherwell in the League Cup second round. Austin ran Louis Laing ragged that evening, tormenting the ‘Well centre-back. Then in the 60th minute he gave East Fife a deserved lead. Kyle Wilkie snatched the ball off Laing and passed to Austin, who curled it into the bottom corner. When the striker was taken-off the travelling Motherwell support gave him a standing ovation and shouted ‘sign him up’ at Ian Baraclough. Austin had earned the attention of the bigger clubs.

In January it was announced Austin would be joining Falkirk. The news came as no surprise to East Fife fans – it had been a matter of when he’d be leaving, not if, for some time. For some players that might be the beginning of a downward turn. Although he’d be loaned to East Fife for the remainder of the season he could have easily been distracted by his impending move. But he’s remained focused and improved. His goal-tally continues to rise. And he’s not just one who scores in gluts. He’s scored in half of his 28 appearances, and 21 in total. Some of those have been crucial – 16 points can be attributed to his goals. His contribution to East Fife’s promotion ambitions is immeasurable. Had he not been loaned back to Bayview, the Fifers wouldn’t be in prime position to secure automatic promotion. But by no means is he the only one making a contribution.

If not for Austin’s blistering form, Kyle Wilkie would be regarded as the stand-out player for East Fife this season. The attacking midfielder has been important in the striker’s goal-scoring form. He’s one of the most technically skilled players in the division; his first-touch, movement and vision make him a constant frustration for defences. He can dance past a defender, slip a through ball into space, or just hold possession in the final third, but most importantly, he’s consistent. There’s rarely a game he’s not making an impact on. He’s scored nine goals and assisted many more.

Another reason that East Fife aren’t struggling for goals is the fact that they have options up-front in Kevin Smith and Jamie Insall. The latter, on loan from Hibs, is incredibly hard-working and a tireless runner, attributes that don’t go unappreciated at this level. He’s also lethal when he’s on-form and confident. He stepped up against Annan when Austin missed the game due to injury, scoring a double, including a thunderous half-volley. Smith is a different type of striker. The East Fife captain is more of a centre-forward, working around Austin and Insall, creating chances. While Austin is more effective against higher-lines, sitting on the shoulder and looking for a through ball to run on to, Smith is more dangerous on the counter. Numerous times I’ve seen him kick-start a counter-attack from an opposition corner, receiving the ball from a defender, turning, and running up to the byline. His movements on the ball often leave defenders for dead.

It’s therefore unfortunate that Naysmith might have to replace a majority of this attack in the summer. Austin is headed to Falkirk; Insall will return to Easter Road after his loan ends; and Wilkie has is yet to sign a contract extension. One positive for Naysmith is that most of his first-time have signed contract extensions. Although he faces the difficult task of replacing Austin, at least he won’t have to rebuild his squad from scratch for a third year running.

But for now all of East Fife’s attention is on the league. Today Queen’s Park visit Bayview, in what is likely to be one of the toughest remaining fixtures for Naysmith’s side. After that, the one game that stands out is a visit to Broadwood to face Clyde. The Bully Wee are one point behind the league leaders heading into this weekend’s run of fixtures, and Barry Ferguson’s side are also in-form. It’s a match that could decide the league.

Can Dick Campbell fix Arbroath?

Dick Campbell has a task on his hands. He cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as Blair Henderson pounced on a blocked effort to rifle Berwick Rangers into the lead. Campbell’s first game in charge of Arbroath had started four minutes before. In the second half Henderson rounded a committed Allan Fleming to add a second, before Darren Lavery’s header bounced off the post and across the line to give the hosts a comfortable 3-0 lead. Less than 24 hours after his appointment and Arbroath had dropped a place. The Lichties slumped to 9th, just five points ahead of East Stirlingshire. Make no mistake, Arbroath are fighting for League Two survival.

But it’s impossible to blame Campbell; he’d had no time to make an impact. The problems that Arbroath face have been building for some time.

When Todd Lumsden took over from Allan Moore in April 2015 the Lichties were in shocking form. Arbroath had dominated the opening half of the season. A stunning 5-1 defeat of East Fife in the final game of 2014 sent them six points clear of Albion Rovers, and no one looked like catching the league leaders. Arbroath were destined for an immediate return to League One. But then came the slump of all slumps – just two victories from the remaining 18 matches – and Arbroath, after sacking Moore and promoting his assistant, Lumsden, had to settle for the play-offs. Queen’s Park quashed their hopes of promotion in the semi-finals. Lumsden had to reshape his battered and bruised squad into a side capable of promotion.

Lumsden’s main focus had to be on replacing his outgoing strikers. Simon Murray had notched 20 goals and menaced defences over the course of the season. Such devastating form had earned the ginger-haired striker a move to Dundee United. Paul McManus, who had contributed 11 goals, suffered an injury, and so the club decided not to keep him on. Arbroath brought in seven strikers during his time in charge: Greg Rutherford holds up the ball but lacks the finishing touch; the Dundee loanee Josh Skelly is raw, and for all his effort he’s not been productive enough; Kane Hester arrived from Arbroath Vics and has shown glimpses of talent coming off the bench; Joao Vitoria has disappeared; Andy Ryan had a successful short-loan spell but returned to Hamilton before leaving to join Forfar Athletic; and neither Martin Grehan nor Lewis Coult made an impact before departing.

This is the first issue Campbell has to address. There are not enough goals in this team. The Lichties have scored a pitiful 33 goals in 28 games – the fewest in the league. Even East Stirlingshire have celebrated more goals than that. Rutherford is in desperate need of a strike partner that can finish the chances he creates, and preferably one with an abundance of pace.

Another problem is the lack of invention coming through the centre. Arbroath are too reliant on the talents of Bobby Linn and Jordan Lowdon to create opportunities. Linn’s effortlessness on the ball and his determination and drive continue to trouble defences at this level, while Lowdon has stepped up his game this season. The left-winger, although often used at left-back, was judged to have been one of Moore’s poor signings, and some supporters even criticised the decision to retain his services last summer. But his blistering pace and, like Linn, drive put opposing full-backs under a lot of strain. When the pair missed out on a recent visit to Methil – poor them – Arbroath lacked creation in the final third. There are midfielders capable of keeping possession, and others who can pass, but without the duo two there’s little for the strikers to get on the end of. More needs to be asked of Darren Ramsay, who’s disappointed on loan from Rangers on the left-flank, and the likes of Sergio Alvarez.

One bonus for Campbell, although it might not be so obvious after Tuesday’s result, is that Arbroath have a pretty solid defence. The Lichties have conceded 37 goals, the fifth best record in the league and the second strongest outside the top four. Fleming, ignoring his occasional flap, has been a decent pair of hands since his arrival from East Fife. Craig Wilson has also been reliable at right-back – although he can struggle against quicker opponents. One huge blow is the injury that Hamilton Academical loanee Craig Watson suffered. The centre-back looks to be out for, according to the Accies’ site, over a year. He’d been an assured operator alongside the more experienced Ricky Little at in the heart of defence.

Campbell won’t be judged on the remainder of this season. His main ambitions will be to retain Arbroath’s League Two status and assess the squad at his disposal. Lumsden built half a team, one that could defend but not score, and one that lacks invention. There’s no doubt that Campbell needs to recruit another striker, one who can partner Greg Rutherford. It could also be argued that Arbroath require a left-winger – Ramsay has been really poor – or a left-back, with Lowdon pushing up into his natural position. And with Watson’s injury, Campbell now needs a centre-back. Perhaps Campbell can succeed where Lumsden failed.

Could An SPFL Network Fix Scottish Football’s Image Problem?

£5 billion pounds – that’s the ludicrous sum TV companies are forking out for the rights to cover the English Premier League. It’s the self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’ and, while that statement can be argued – the lack of English sides in the Champions League quarter-finals queries that statement – there’s no doubt that it has the largest global audience. 95,000 turned out for Liverpool’s pre-season visit to Melbourne in 2013, highlighting the fact that the Premier League’s reach stretches around the world – Scotland included.

One of the first things I noticed upon moving across the border in 2006 was the surprising number of Manchester United supporters on the west coast. Often they had no emotional tie to the club, but had grown up watching Alex Ferguson’s side cruise from one success to the next; among the swathes of Celtic, Rangers, United, Liverpool and Arsenal fans that were at the school, just one supported the nearest local side, Greenock Morton. But what’s so attractive about the English Premier League that young Scots would forget their local teams altogether?

Think of the Premier League brand: an unmatched entertainment value, the most talented players in the world, unpredictable results and amazing score-lines. Is this all true? No, not even close. But the Premier League comes across as confident in itself, which is the opposite of Scottish football. Just think of the Scottish football image: torn-up, muddy pitches, surrounded by dilapidated stands, which host two fans and a dog; a poor quality of football, with heavy tackles, long balls and predictable results; and a dull 90 minutes that is better not experienced. Is this true? No, not even close. But Scottish football – those in charge and those in the media – do nothing to challenge these false preconceptions and, when it comes to the press, they do more to damage the identity of the SPFL than anyone else.

It might surprise some people to read this, but there are more than just two teams in Scotland. Although the Scottish media seem to portray the leagues as the Old Firm’s playground, there are 40 other teams who make up the four leagues, and each deserves at least a little attention. Rather than writing about Hearts’ turn-around in fortunes and their almost-guaranteed return to the Premiership, or the exciting six-team battle going on for the League One promotion spots, the press would rather focus on chanting and the current goings-on at Ibrox. It’s a huge problem because, as attendances across the board continue to decline, no attention is being paid to the other 40 teams, and this leaves many Scottish football fans in the dark. It’s bad enough that the only Scottish games on TV seem to include either one of the Old Firm clubs, and one has to watch BBC ALBA to see the other clubs. It’s why I was so excited to read about the SPFL Network proposition being put forward.

The SPFL Network is an idea based on the WWE Network, which offers wrestling on a 24/7 basis, and an on-demand service that includes old and recent PPVs and original content. The proposal suggests that the online service could feature at least four games-per-weekend from all four leagues, and, given that Rangers and Celtic are the reasons that Sky and BT still keep an interest in Scottish football, it should focus on the remaining 40 clubs. At the very reasonable rate of around £10 per-month one could watch the League Two play-off final, which could see the promotion of a Highland or Lowland League side for the first time, the on-going battle for the League One automatic promotion place, or just a regular game between Dumbarton and Queen of the South. It’s offering the chance to promote the Scottish game, to dispel those old clichés about football north of the border, and to bring some positivity back to the SPFL. And it might lure some people back to Scottish football.

I remember speaking to an Arsenal supporter in Edinburgh who had become disillusioned with the English Premier League and its money-orientated nature. He had never once thought of going to see Hearts or Hibs as an alternative, and had closed his mind to the idea of Scottish football because of its reputation – not just in England, but in Scotland. If he caught a Hearts match on TV, and enjoyed what he watched, perhaps he might think about shelling out to visit the Jambos. He might not, but at least, by being on TV, Hearts would be promoted to those who had paid out for the Network. There’s also the point that the Network might be picked up by pubs, meaning people just dropping in for a quiet pint might have their eye caught by a game and discover an interest in the Scottish game. Of course, this is all speculation, but at least it’s something.

For too long, the SPFL and the media have watched as attendances have dwindled, and neither has done anything to reinvigorate interest in the four leagues. The SPFL Network might be a complete failure, but it’s thinking outside the box, and it’s the best chance Scottish football has at dismissing the preconceptions and bringing interest back to the game.