Paranoid Scottish football needs to sort itself out

Managers Ally McCoist and Neil Lennon both saw their side crash out of Europe to lowly opposition this week

Scottish football is slowly dying.

Yet suggest that to many fans of the game north of the border and they will immediately go on the defensive, insisting the Scottish game is not in the doldrums.

However, if influential figures and fans alike do not recognise and accept the problems, Scottish football will never wake from its slumber.

For Scotland to have no representatives left in Europe's two premier competitions by the August bank holiday is simply an embarrassment and should act as a wake-up call.

The fact Hearts and Dundee United perished is no surprise, but clubs the size of Celtic and Rangers should be competing to win the Europa League. In fact, they should both be in the Champions League.

The big problem, of course, is money.

The simple fact is that Scottish clubs cannot compete with their counterparts from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the like.

However much money they have, however, they should be beating relative minnows like FC Sion of Switzerland and NK Maribor of Slovenia.

Clubs the size of Celtic and Rangers should have had no problems beating their modest opponents

It was as recently as 2008 that Rangers reached the UEFA Cup final and 2003 that Celtic got to the final, but right now it seems both clubs are a million miles away from reaching similar heights.

To add insult to injury, even Ireland's Shamrock Rovers have outlasted them in Europe this campaign.

Celtic may survive by the skin of their teeth after they appealed to UEFA about Sion's use of ineligible players, but whether or not they win that appeal is irrelevant. There are deep-lying problems in Scottish football and they cannot be brushed under the carpet.

This is not any sort of vindictive attack on the Scottish game.

Most neutrals, whether they are from England, Scotland, anywhere, would love to see massive clubs like Rangers and Celtic taking on the might of Europe and winning.

They'd love to again watch in awe at the atmosphere generated by the superb fans of the Old Firm. Those supporters deserve more than this.

Gone are the days when they were able to watch players like Henrik Larsson, Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne.

Henrik Larsson became a Celtic legend during his time at Celtic Park

Players of that quality are no longer attracted to Scottish football and the two-horse race.

The fact only Celtic and Rangers are capable of winning the SPL is only part of the problem, but it certainly doesn't help to sell the product of Scottish football.

Broadcasters have become bored and that has therefore resulted in a loss of TV revenue, which has widened the gap between the big two and the rest at the same time as weakening those two clubs.

The collapse of Setanta certainly compounded the already existing problems and TV deals certainly need to be looked at if Scottish football is to have a revival.

It certainly doesn't help when teams play against each other four times in the league per season in front of sparsely-filled stadia, but there certainly is still hope.

Putting aside all the issues with sectarianism, the community aspect of Scottish football is still very much there, with clubs having a real identity.

There is a real passion for the game north of the border and in some cases it is just waiting to be unlocked.

It is not going to be easy to revive the Scottish game and it won't happen overnight.

Celtic and Rangers moving to another league is certainly not the answer.

Mark Wotte has been brought in as Scottish football's performance director but it will take years for the benefits to be reaped.

Former Southampton manager Wotte has a massive job on his hands

Starting the season early to help the clubs progress in Europe certainly didn't help, so other things need to be looked at.

Rangers have won just one of their last 25 games in Europe and Celtic have won only one of their last 30 away European games.

This is a problem that has been developing for some time and therefore there will be no quick answers.

Some fans will still insist the problems are minimal, as was proved earlier this year when Alan Pardew was vilified for daring to describe the Scottish game as "poor".

But he was right. Players like Kevin Kyle, who failed to make any impact in the English Premier League and also largely struggled in England's lower leagues, are key players for their SPL clubs.

Kris Boyd, the SPL's record goalscorer, couldn't make any sort of impact for Middlesbrough in the Championship. It will be interesting to see how David Goodwillie fares at Blackburn.

Boyd disappointed during his time at Middlesbrough

There are quality Scottish players out there, like Liverpool's Charlie Adam, but they are few and far between compared to the 1970s and 80s.

Things need to be done.

The number of teams in the SPL needs to be extended, so it isn't as repetitive.

All clubs should invest in youth.

The image of the game must be looked at. There mustn't be any repeat of the unsavoury incidents in last season's Old Firm games or of the sickening threats towards Neil Lennon. All efforts must be made to ensure sectarianism is kicked out.

There perhaps needs to be help for the smaller clubs from the SFA regarding finances to ensure they can compete.

Celtic and Rangers will always be massive clubs but their hands are tied at the moment by finances and the league they are in.

The fact both clubs are already out of Europe though should not be ignored.

It should act as the most abrupt of wake-up calls. Scottish football cannot slip any lower and it is time for people to do something about it.

It is all well and good saying things must improve, but it is another thing entirely for someone to take leadership and point in the right direction.

Someone must take charge. Someone must make suggestions that will ensure the likes of Sion and Maribor can be brushed aside by the Old Firm in future. Someone must save Scottish football.