Scottish football's Scott McTominay-led week should be feted - but it's not all rosy in Ballon d'Or garden

The abundance of good news spilleth over, literally. September 30, 1982. Mike Aitken reported from Ajax 1 Celtic 2 (aggregate score: 3-4). Ian Wood, meanwhile, was at Rangers 2 Borussia Dortmund 0 (aggregate 2-0). And Hugh Keevins was at Dynamo Tirana 0 Aberdeen 0 (aggregate 0-1) as Alex Ferguson’s side made it through the first step of their ultimately successful Cup-Winners’ Cup campaign.

Below the report of the Rangers game, readers are directed to yet more uplifting news: “Dundee United beat PSV Eindhoven 2-0 – Report page 17”.

Have we ever had it so good? Perhaps not but this week feels as if it’s been better than we have any right for it to be. On top of Rangers soundly beating Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, we’ve had Hibs winning at Partizan Belgrade of all places and Dundee United evoking their halcyon days with Zac Sapsford’s late equaliser securing a 2-2 draw in Austria against Rapid Vienna.

In addition to all this, we’re still digesting news of an unprecedented double nomination for the Ballon d’Or award, otherwise known as the best footballer in the world. Real Madrid’s Caroline Weir is one of 30 players in the running for the female award while Scott McTominay’s extraordinary year continues with a nomination in the men’s category. This is another throwback to the 1980s: it’s the first time a Scottish player has been included since Ally McCoist in 1987.

Weir’s nomination is particularly uplifting. She has battled back from a serious ACL injury to re-establish herself for the Spanish giants. McTominay, meanwhile, is going from strength having been voted Italy’s player of the year after scoring 12 goals from midfield while spearheading Napoli's successful quest for the Serie A title.

Let good times roll or circumspection?

He is the first Scot to win the Italian championship since it became known as Serie A. Whether he will be crowned the best male footballer in the world remains to be seen; the winners are announced on 22 September in Paris. But when he lines up for Scotland in crucial World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Belarus earlier that month, he will be one of the contenders. He will be forgiven some strutting as Scottish football walks a little taller in the world, despite everything.

Indeed, so what is it to be, Scottish football fans? A case of let the good times roll or ought we apply a little circumspection? It has indeed been a good week for Scottish football but it's only been a couple of weeks since there was a national debate about the shortage of Scots playing for our European representatives. In the case of United’s starting XI for their first leg tie against UNA Strassen of Luxembourg, there were none and just two for Rangers against Panathinaikos and three for Hibs versus Midtjylland.

Away from the glamour of European football, Edinburgh City have just been handed a 15-point deduction after a provisional liquidator was appointed at the club to an unpaid debt, although the League Two side are appealing the decision.

Meanwhile, the saga of Hamilton Accies is a long-running sore for Scottish football. They are currently playing at Broadwood stadium, Clyde’s old ground (who are in turn playing at Hamilton’s ground….). There was a fans’ protest outside Hamilton’s opening League One clash against Montrose last weekend that was vehemently slammed by the club’s hierarchy and left no one in any doubt of the bitter feelings involved. As one banner put it: “HAFC belong in Hamilton. 150 years of history. Shamefully betrayed by frauds.”

Elsewhere, Queen’s Park, Scotland’s oldest club, are reported to be on the brink following Lord Haughey’s decision to pull funding and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who were put in administration last season, started the season on minus five points.

So there’s light and shade. Still, it’s the weekend. Oasis are in town and it’s been a champagne supernova few days. Lyall Cameron pulled the strings for Rangers on Tuesday night and Martin Boyle (Ok, he's an Aberdonian Australian...) scored a priceless double for Hibs in Belgrade. Not so long ago, you wouldn’t have bet on the Easter Road side getting a result in Brechin.

Sapsford’s leveller for United in Austria, where they lost 2-1 en route to the European Cup semi-finals 41 years ago, has set up what promises to be a thrilling night when Rapid return to Dundee for a second leg where there is all to play for again.

All three Scottish teams are well set to progress next week and in the case of Hibs and Rangers, it will be a severe disappointment if they somehow find ways to fail. As for United, there’s still much work to do in what is effectively a one-off cup final for a place in the play-off round, but they are better placed than any of their fans could have dared hope.

All eyes will be on Tannadice next week as they attempt to progress through two rounds of European competition for the first time since their run to the Uefa Cup final in 1987.