Ray Ray’s Mind Games Work…For Scotland

By: chris | September 12th, 2007

France 0-1 Ecosse But Ecossais
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The inimitable genius that is Raymond Domenech has struck again, this time inspiring the favored team to victory once again. Except the favored team wasn’t his team. And they weren’t really the “favored” team, unless “favored” translates to “darkhorse and unlikely candidate” with “hell freezing over” somewhere in between. In a group boasting both teams from last year’s World Cup final in Berlin and another which had made it to the quarter-finals in the same tournament, Ray Ray Dum Dum had this to say:

The combination of results led the French coach to conclude that: “As the group stands right now Scotland are the best placed side to top it.”

Fast forward to today and, guess what, Scotland took 3 points in Paris on a stunner of a goal from James McFadden. Not only does it vault Scotland to the top of Group B, but it seats France in 3rd place. This after Darren Fletcher responded to Domenech’s words with his own praise:

In a group with France, Italy and Ukraine, how can anybody, even at this stage, turn around and say Scotland are the favourites? We know it’s mind games. France are by far the favourites for the group and by far the favourites for the game.

So what can we take from this boys and girls? A multitude of things:
• There is a serious lack of self-esteem and self-confidence in both the French and Scottish camps. Would somebody go get them some hugs?
• While Raymond Domenech was an idiot for what he said (Him? Never…), he was right. So maybe his phenomenal prognostication skills are something to be reckoned with. Or not.
• Don’t try to use reverse psychology on the Scots. It’s not working.
• Scotland has France’s number. Two games and two wins. Regardless of whether the ball boys are pacy or not.
• Any job security Ray Ray currently has is thanks to old boys Zizou, Thuram and Makelele coming out of retirement and putting on a show last summer in Germany; because he’s terrible. Just brutal. He has the decision making abilities of Vanessa Hudgens. He and Roberto Donadoni should fight to the death over who is the least competent international coach.
• France needs to start bagging some goals before the start to get mesmerized into thinking this is 2002 all over again and lose 1-0 to the Faroe Islands. (You heard it here first)
• This is obviously punishment for the worst stache in the history of staches.
• France is very very overrated.
• Scotland is very very underrated. (Including by this guy)

Big ups to the Scots for creating a nice clusterfuck up at the top of Group B and completely screwing up the plans of Italians and Frenchies all across the globe.