We can't help but wonder what conversations have taken place in the team meetings and in the players' bedrooms in the past week. MacLeod paired the players off for the twin rooms. Intriguingly, Bruce Rioch is sharing with the player he deposed as captain, Archie Gemmill.

Elsewhere, the rooms have been allocated on club lines: Manchester United's Gordon McQueen and Joe Jordan are together as are Manchester City's Willie Donachie and Asa Hartford. Aberdeen's Bobby Clark and Stuart Kennedy are teamed up, so too are Tom Forsyth and Sandy Jardine. Anyone else thinking of Eric and Ernie routines?

Image source, SNS

Asa Hartford, the 27-year-old Manchester City midfielder, has a talent to drift past players and distribute the ball quickly. With luck, he'll be more effective today than in the match, pictured, against Iran.

Jamie: "First goal today will be the 1,000th World Cup goal ever. Here's hoping its a Scotland one....... #78argentina"

Liam Campbell: "This is a genius idea. Think we all know what goal we're waiting to see!"

Lance Cunningham: "Can't believe John Robertson is on the bench. He'll win a European Cup one day, I'm telling you."

SCOTLAND: Rough, Donachie, Buchan, Kennedy, Forsyth, Rioch, Hartford, Gemmill, Souness, Dalglish, Jordan. Subs: Blyth, Burns, Johnstone, Macari, Robertson.

NETHERLANDS: Jongbloed, Poortvliet, Krol, Rijsbergen, Suurbier, Jansen, R van de Kerkhof, W van de Kerkhof, Neeskens, Rensenbrink, Rep.

Manager Ally MacLeod shot to managerial fame with his heroics at Ayr United and Aberdeen, where he led the Dons to the League Cup. His Scotland career began brightly, especially with that win over England at Wembley last year. But the television pictures from the game against Peru made it clear the agony the 47-year-old is enduring as Scotland manager. He has promised the country that the team can return from Argentina with a medal. The next 90 minutes will determine if he can inspire his players to greatness.

Greig Whitton: "I might have a fiver on 3-2 Scotland."

That's a fair sum in 1978, Greig...

Scotland have moved their base to Mendoza for the build-up to this game. At first they were staying in the Sierras Hotel at Alta Gracia but, given the furore over West Brom winger Willie Johnston's failure of a drugs test and the poor results, the Scottish Football Association has moved the squad to the San Francisco Hotel in Mendoza.

It sounds like a wise move because the training ground in Alta Gracia was in a terrible state. The Argentine hosts had re-seeded the pitch before the Scots' arrival but it was so rutted that both Joe Jordan and Derek Johnstone injured their ankles and were fitness doubts even before the 3-1 defeat by Peru last Saturday...

Arie Haan is left out of the Dutch squad, Barcelona midfielder Johan Neeskens has passed a late fitness test on a rib injury and is ready to face the Scots...

Andrew Priestley: "Archie Gemmill has offered very little in his last few appearances for Scotland. I would have dropped him, poor decision Ally. #78Argentina"

Andy: "Let's face the hard facts here fellow Scots, this is a Dutch side that play 'Total Football' and reached the World Cup Final four years ago. We've got no chance today, if we somehow manage to win I'll do a lap of Hampden Park in the buff!"

But Andy, this is a Dutch side shorn of the formidable talents of a certain Mr Cruyff. Could his absence prove crucial?

We're still whistling Boney M's recent number one Rivers of Babylon, which was eclipsed by John Travolta & Olivia Newton John's You're The One That I Want. That film Grease again: our chills are multiplying....

Image source, SNS

Graeme Souness will play for Scotland for the first time at this World Cup. The Liverpool central midfielder picked up a winner's medal in the European Cup final last month with that marvellous 1-0 win over Bruges. Let's see what he can do against the Dutch.

Has anyone been dragged along to the cinema to see Grease yet? Some would prefer to hang on for The Return of the Pink Panther, Animal House or The Deer Hunter. Can you leave popcorn in the fridge?

So, can this Scotland team restore some pride to a nation? An amazing crowd of 30,000 fans gathered at Hampden to send them on their way to Prestwick Airport and off to Argentina.

Ally MacLeod has been recalling the pipe bands and the majorettes who performed at Hampden and the closeness that was exhibited between team and fans that day.

And then there was the comedian Andy Cameron standing in the centre circle, calling out the name of each player to run into the centre circle to take the acclaim of the fans.

The Scotland manager has been telling reporters about the fan who ran naked from his shower to his window to wave to the team bus as it weaved its way to the A77 and the airport. Were you there at Hampden a few weeks ago? What are your feelings now after the disappointment of those two games?

JFT96: "Come on Scotland - they're a good side but I think we could nick it , I'm going 3-2 !!!"

Andrew: "We're on the march with Ally's Army". Look out world, Scotland are going to win the World Cup."

You'll be able to watch the World Cup clash from Cardoba 'live' via our website and follow the live text commentary.

This Scotland side is bursting with talent but is it too late for Ally MacLeod to perfect that winning formula?

William Powell: "Can't wait for this to start: it will be a classic."

Ally MacLeod has made four changes to the team after Wednesday's draw with Iran in Cordoba. Aberdeen's Stuart Kennedy in at right-back for Rangers defender Sandy Jardine whose Ibrox team-mate Tom Forsyth comes in to replace Kenny Burns.

Bruce Rioch will captain the Scots as he comes in for Lou Macari of Manchester United. Perhaps most interesting of all is the first appearance at this World Cup of Graeme Souness instead of the winger John Robertson.

Forsyth and Man United's Martin Buchan will play in central defence. MacLeod has gone for a cautious 4-4-2 formation, with Souness bolstering the midfield at the expense of Notts Forest's Robertson on the wing.

He's hoping the four in midfield - Rioch, Souness, Archie Gemmill and Asa Hartford - can break up the flow of Netherlands's attacks.

Get in touch via text to 80295 and tweet @bbcthomasmcg using #78Argentina