In an exclusive interview with BoyleSports, football pundit Ally McCoist has shared his bold predictions and insights for Scotland's Euro 2024 campaign.
The Scots bounced back from a disappointing opening game loss to Germany to earn a draw against Switzerland which keeps their group qualification hopes alive.
He also weighs in on contentious issues like the management of Cristiano Ronaldo, potential surprises in England's squad dynamics plus a behind-the-scenes view of what it’s like being part of the ITV studio covering this tournament.
Scotland’s Performance Against Switzerland Has Restored Pride
I was delighted by Scotland’s draw against Switzerland. I just felt that the performance got a bit of pride back after the major disappointment against Germany.
Against Germany we were poor from start to finish so it was an opportunity to make amends, we weren’t brilliant against Switzerland but I just thought her attitude was incomparable to Friday night. That was all the Scotland fans wanted.
The most important thing is that it keeps it alive for Sunday. I think if we win the game on Sunday now, you've got a great chance of qualification.
So if you'd ask the Scots fans and myself included, you know, if we get into the last game, if we won it, we would qualify before the tournament. I think we'd all have taken that.
I wouldn't say everything's gone according to plan, but in terms of the bigger outlook and the grand scheme of things, if you've got an opportunity to make it four points in the final game. I would have taken it, I really would have.
Scotland v Hungary Prediction
I fancy it, I genuinely do. When we get nearer to the game a little bit of realism will kick in. But I actually do think we can win the game. I genuinely do.
I know they've got some good players, Dominik Szoboszlai, Barnabas Varga and players like that, and they're a good side.
We saw it in patches against the Swiss, they were very good and even against the Germans, they were a little bit unlucky not to score and create the opportunities.
But I just think if we go out with the same attitude, it's their last throw of the dice. It’s a slim chance of qualifying with three points but they have to go for it and come at us with everything, all guns blazing.
So we should not be surprised at that. We should expect that and we have to meet it head on. And I think if we meet it head on, with the same kind of mental approach to the game as we had last night with obviously a little bit of caution as well. I genuinely believe we can win it and I think we could nick it 2 -1, I do.
*Scotland are 6/4 to qualify from Group A per the latest football odds at BoyleSports.
The Craic Is Brilliant At ITV
The boys are magic. The only regret is that I don't see enough of them because they're up in Berlin, sipping their cafe lattes and all that stuff. I'm at the coalface,
I'm travelling from Stuttgart up to Cologne, up to Gelsenkirchen on trains. They're sitting up there having their cocktails after the show and all that stuff and I'm at the coalface and on the trains.
But the craic is brilliant. I've got to say I think we've got a good squad. I love Graham Souness and Roy Keane having a wee go at each other and Ian Wright and Gary Neville and the boys.
Obviously, you know what I think of Mark Pougatch and indeed Laura Woods. I love Woodsy. So I must admit we've got a great wee family team. We're always in touch. We've got a couple of WhatsApp groups passing on all the information and just having a couple of stories and things like that. So we're pretty tight, as you can imagine.
Roy Keane Not The Most Active On The WhatsApp Group Chats
Funnily enough, I haven't had much correspondence with Roy Keane in this particular WhatsApp group, but you know something, I'm not overly surprised at that to be quite frank with you.
He's doing all that he's doing. You know Roy, he's monitoring everything. I don't get too many blue ticks from Roy!
What The Pundits Are Like Off Camera
The pundits are all brilliant off-screen, just the same. I think that's the beauty of it. It's the exact same on screen as it is off it. There's no airs of grace, there's no put-on shows.
What you see is what you get and I think the punters watching can accept that and realise that. They think, I bet they're at it the same way off camera as they are on camera and that's the gospel truth, that's exactly the way it is.
Laura Woods is the Best In The Business
Laura Woods is the best in the business, she’s different class, she’s gone big time and to be fair to her she's not forgot her old pals.
She's heading into a different stratosphere for the rest of us. But the one thing about her, she's grounded, she's no forgot her old dad. She keeps in touch with me, I'm her pal.
As I say, we're in regular contact and we see each other regularly. She's the best in the business and I love everything that's happening to her. I just wish her all the best.
She's clearly at the top and she's taking us to a different stratosphere. She's really popular, she's well-liked, she's good at her job, she's intelligent, she knows her football, knows her sport.
She's just a great girl. I guarantee if I don't get the blue ticks off her, that's it, it's all over!
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