Scotland have a long and proud tradition of building hope just high enough for it to hurt, so forgive the cautious optimism when saying this — that looked genuinely good. The Tartan Army watched their side thrash Bolivia in a performance that was patient, precise and at times quite clinical, and with the World Cup now just one week away, it is hard not to get a little excited.
What stood out most was the composure. Scotland did not just throw bodies forward and hope for the best, which has historically been a reasonable description of their attacking play. They moved the ball with purpose, created space intelligently and took their chances when they arrived. That is not always a given at international level, and it certainly has not always been a given for Scotland.
Bolivia, to be fair, are not exactly a side that will keep the world's top coaches awake at night. They were accommodating opposition and Scotland will face far sterner tests on the world stage. The leap from beating a side like Bolivia to competing against the tournament's heavy hitters is a significant one, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But momentum matters, confidence matters, and right now Scotland look like a team that believes in what they are doing.
Steve Clarke has quietly built something here. There is a structure to this Scotland side, a clarity about how they want to play, and the players look comfortable within that system. When a team looks comfortable a week before a World Cup, that is worth something.
The big question is whether they can carry this form into the tournament itself and handle the pressure when the stakes go up considerably. International football has a habit of exposing teams the moment the lights get brighter. Scotland fans will know all about that particular feeling.
Still, on the evidence of this performance, there is every reason to believe they can at least be competitive and perhaps even spring a surprise or two. The ingredients are there. Now they just need to cook on the big night.
Let me know your thoughts.