Scottish football teams have had another grim week in Europe.
Once again, the results raise questions about the quality of coaching at our clubs and the quality of players they’re producing and signing.
Some fans rage about our deficiencies, some point to a huge financial gap, others console themselves with the size of travelling support and how they out-sung the home fans.
Different emotions are stoked in different folk, but the reality remains the same – abject failure.
Dundee United fans felt it last season in their 7-0 humiliation at AZ Alkmaar.
It regularly looks like our teams are poorer at receiving the ball and taming it quickly enough, that we don’t pass crisply or quickly enough, and that we lack sufficient technical skills in tight spaces to hurt opponents.
We can’t just blame it on home-reared players given the numbers of foreigners at our clubs, so it’s either the quality of coaching or the quality of incoming players, or both, to blame for dismal European showings.
Hibs at least have an excuse; they were beaten 8-0 on aggregate by Aston Villa, a club with a turnover of £178 million, 15 times greater than that of the Easter Road outfit.
That huge financial disparity means Villa simply have far superior players in a league which is in a different stratosphere from our top division.
Aberdeen lost 3-1 to BK Hacken and 5-3 on aggregate, but the Swedes average crowds of around 5,000, so while they’re not outgunning Aberdeen money-wise, they are on the pitch.
Meantime, Hearts and Rangers were mauled by PAOK and PSV Eindhoven, neither of whom is in a different stratosphere financially from the Scots pair.
The Greeks who won 6-1 on aggregate have around twice the revenue of the Tynecastle club; the Dutch who beat Rangers 7-3 over two legs have slightly less turnover than Rangers’ £86 million.
Maybe our expectations are unrealistic; maybe the football world passed us by while we were still luxuriating in historic European successes.
But unless Celtic improve on our so far dire attempts in their forthcoming games, our European disappointment is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Last weekend was a good one with Dundee and United winning, and St Johnstone drawing at Parkhead.
For Dundee, Trevor Carson looks commanding in goal, Owen Beck at left-back carries threat from wide; Scott Tiffoney’s directness works markers hard, and Luke McCowan’s intelligence offers goals.
Saints boss Steven MacLean’s tough stance on underperforming players paid dividends at Celtic.
In goalkeeper, Dimitar Mitov, the Perth side have unearthed genuine quality to boost defensive confidence, while Dara Costelloe on the right looks to have the skill-set to trouble defences.
This weekend’s meeting of the pair will provide the clearest picture yet of the progress each side is making.
A good United win against Airdrie, a point behind them, would resonate loudly to those fancying United’s scalp that the Terrors mean to conduct their business with serious intent.
The Diamonds though, as Courier Sport’s Alan Temple pointed out, have a remarkable scoring record, netting in every one of their last 37 matches, so United’s defence needs to be on high alert to maintain their fine Championship start.
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