Scotland the complacent

Then: 1640 A.D.
Scottish mercenaries have been a mainstay on the continent for over 100 years. By honing their skills in regular combat against the best armies in the world, the Scottish soldiery have become a feared fighting force. When the Scottish national army assembles, their neighbors to the south feel uneasy—like when you see a Pit Bull approaching without a leash.

Now: 2007 A.D.
The best Scottish footballers rarely ply their trade outside of Great Britain. Case in point, the most recent call-up for the Scotland national team:

Goalkeepers
Craig Gordon (Heart of Midlothian)
Allan McGregor (Rangers)
Iain Turner (Everton)

Defenders
Graham Alexander (Preston North End)
Russell Anderson (Aberdeen)
Gary Caldwell (Celtic)
Alan Hutton (Rangers)
Jay McEveley (Derby County)
Stephen McManus (Celtic)
Gary Naysmith (Everton)
Steven Pressley (Celtic)
David Weir (Rangers)

Midfield
Charlie Adam (Rangers)
Scott Brown (Hibernian)
Barry Ferguson (Rangers)
Darren Fletcher (Manchester United)
Paul Hartley (Celtic)
Lee McCulloch (Wigan Athletic)
Gary Teale (Derby County)

Forwards
Craig Beattie (Celtic)
Kris Boyd (Rangers)
James McFadden (Everton)
Shaun Maloney (Aston Villa)
Kenny Miller (Celtic)

Sixteen men play club football in Scotland. Of the sixteen in Scotland, twelve play for the Old Firm (Glasgow Celtic or Glasgow Rangers). That number just jumped to thirteen because Scott Brown signed a deal with Celtic.

No more Scottish mercenaries honing their skills abroad; the majority stay home and face mostly mediocre competition from week-to-week. When the national team assembles, they might strike fear into the hearts of Faroe Islanders, but Italy and France are hardly troubled.

The fault lies partly with the Old Firm, who buy up their opponents’ best players and thereby continue league dominance, and partly with the players who would rather move to Glasgow than take a shot at success in England or on the continent.

If Scottish footballers are to become renowned like their warrior ancestors, they need the courage to choose the road less traveled and take on greater challenges. Then the world may see a Scotland team that, for once, will make the titans tremble.