Scotland get a dose of reality

So, Scotland's last qualifying match of 2006 ended in disappointment, but 9 points from 4 games is a healthy return and leaves only goal difference between them and France at the top of the table. Making it to Euro 2008 will take still take "a miracle", as the manager Walter Smith said, desperately damping down expectations, but they have put themselves in the mix.

In the end, they were undone by the guile of Andriy Shevchenko. The first of Ukraine's goals came from his clever free kick, the ball ricocheting around the box before being stabbed home by Olexander Kucher. The 2nd he claimed himself, after tumbling from the merest brush from Robbie Nielson. The referee got that one wrong, and also wrongly sent off Steven Pressley, but it was Shevchenko who did the damage.

How Scotland could do with a striker like him. Kenny Miller, with the game still at 1-0, completely missed a free header from 6 yards out. Smith had already sent on Kris Boyd to play alongside Miller, but he achieved very little. Whether he might have chosen Garry O'Connor instead of Boyd to try and force an equaliser is open to debate, but he didn't have the option. O'Connor wasn't on the bench. He wasn't even in Kiev, having failed to arrive back at the team hotel on Sunday evening before the squad flew out on Monday morning.

He hadn't bothered to phone the manager himself to explain his absence - he left that to his manager. By Monday morning, with the story dominating the morning sports reports, he had realised his mistake and issued a grovelling apology (but no explanation), but it was already too late. The squad had left without him.

O'Connor had failed to make the flight for the last away fixture against Lithuania, having complained of a stomach bug and pulled out of the squad. Walter Smith was privately furious at his behaviour and now seriously doubts his commitment, and O'Connor's international career looks over. Scotland's recent recovery has, after all, owed everything to commitment.

Later in the week O'Connor claimed it was personal problems that caused him to withdraw from the squad. He had already claimed that he was homesick, and considering a move away from Locomotiv Moscow in January. His wife has apparently failed to settle in Moscow, and spends most of her time in Scotland. He regretted pulling out of the Scotland squad, he said, but in his world "family came first".

The sadness in this is that he only moved from Hibernian to Moscow in March, in a deal worth £1.6m. He signed a 4-year contract that increased his income 10-fold. Now, he wants to come home. The boy from Port Seton seems unable to cope with the responsibilities of his wealth and career. At the time, he admitted the money was a massive factor in his decision, but also spoke a little about continuing his development in a fast developing league. Garry O'Connor is no world-beater. But still only 23, he has time, but he has potential to improve. Sadly, it seems low down his priority list.

In the past 20 years, Scottish football has become increasingly parochial. Oh, there are a lot of other nationalities in the SPL, but Scottish footballers have travelled less and less well. There are a few high-level exceptions - Gary Naysmith, David Weir and James McFadden at Everton, for example - but not many. There are more young Scottish players with potential coming through the ranks than a few years ago, but unless more of them learn the knack of adapting to the toughest leagues, Scotland won't reach their potential either.