How to Fix Scottish Football

Once again, Scotland's attempts to qualify for a major tournament have come to a predictably miserable end. Since 1997, the bravehearts from the North have never looked like featuring in a World Cup or European Championship finals and this latest effort to qualify for the World Cup was probably the most feeble in their proud history.

Scotland's rapid demise since the glory days of the 1980s is all clear to see. This current side is not fit for any international side, and certainly, one that bears no comparison to the great Scottish sides featuring Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Alan Brazil and current coach, Gordon Strachan.

Back when Scottish football was a force to be reckoned with

It is a fair reflection of the decline of Scottish football in general with the standard of the Scottish top flight nowhere near where it was, now well behind the likes of the Russian, Romanian and Ukrainian leagues.

So is there any hope for Scotland to return to the glory days of the Tartan brigade? Here are two ways to fix Scottish football.

La Masia - the secret behind Spain's recent domination of world football

1.Establishment of a La Masia style academy
This academy which mimics the one successfully employed by Barcelona could be a joint venture between the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Premier League clubs who would find a pool of players with talent who would be nurtured on the heated, covered pitches of this academy so that they can develop all year. Young players close to league debuts are then sent to league clubs in or near their hometown to get experience.

This will be slightly different to the convention of British and European football but it is clear that the Scottish football nursery has failed and it is time for a radical approach to revive the football fortunes of this once proud nation.

The Old Firm derby

2.Celtic and Rangers to play in the Premier League
I have said this many a  time but the time has come for Celtic and Rangers to play their league football in England - or at least a European super league. They are clearly big fish in a small pond and this is stifling their competitiveness in world football. The success of Swansea and Cardiff playing their league football in England has been good for Welsh football and sadly the time has come for Scottish football to bury its hatchet and look towards the future.