THE legacy of Argentina, it seems, will never cease to haunt the people who follow football in this country.

On the international scene we can be sure that every time there is a glimpse of silver lining, the terror of failure makes sure the view is blanked out immediately.

It happened this weekend when reports on Scotland's 2-2 draw with Colombia insisted that the team had done well, should have won, and could go forward with genuine confidence.

Admittedly, headlines like ''Bring On Brazil'' send shivers down the spine.

To deny that Scotland put up a very encouraging performance, because of some psychological hang-up from 1978, is simply irrational.

Many of us around at the time find it hard to believe that the disappointment which followed Ally MacLeod's flamboyant leadership has had such a devastating effect on the nation's psyche.

Since the weekend, the pre-dominant noise among football's chattering classes is of balloons deliberately being burst. It is foolish, they say, to get excited about one draw against a team who are themselves limbering up for the real thing; wait till Brazil get a hold of us; if we score a goal in any of the three games it will be a bonus.

Are we really stuck in this self- deprecating slough for all time, simply because one man had the audacity to lift the country on to a plane of excitement and anti-cipation that was not realised?

Ally behaved the same way when he was manager of Ayr United, never mind Scotland. It was his nature to be outrageously confident. At Somerset Park he believed his team could beat anybody, including the Old Firm. His declarations tasted like some delicious but fluffy souffle, enjoyable but not expected to have a lasting effect.

MacLeod, incidentally, proved himself a fine manager with Ayr and then again with Aberdeen. He was not hoisted into the national manager's role because he talked a lot.

Of course, it all went wrong in Argentina when the team played as if they merely had to turn up to fulfil Ally's predictions.

There were other factors but in the main their complacency was a core reason for their failure in the opening two games.

Once they appreciated winning was down to hard graft, they gave Holland the fright of their lives.

MacLeod made mistakes, par- ticularly in the selection process. There were also barrack-room lawyers and some minds preoccupied with money matters. The Willie Johnston drug episode didn't make life any easier.

All that combined to destroy what is often forgotten, that the Scots went abroad with what was almost unanimously regarded as a very decent squad.

They confirmed it in their last game but it was washed away in tears of frustration and a crescendo of condemnation of MacLeod.

It all went well beyond reason and ended up in the witch hunt of a manager who alone, in the last 40 years, including leaders from all walks of life, has been able to instill a universal pride and belief in this country.

MacLeod's charismatic leadership put a smile on the nation's visage.

It was wiped off rather brutally and we haven't seen it since.

MacLeod was dismissed, then succeeded by the best manager ever to work in this country, Jock Stein.

With Argentina in mind, Jock was never going to be caught over- stating his side's case.

The consequence is that everybody, from management down to the team bus driver, has been terrified of suggesting the international side might win.

In the last few weeks, Craig Brown has been brave enough to utter words of confidence, even to the point of saying the team might break all previous records and get through to the second round.

In World Cup finals, it is an immense task for a country our size to make progress, but we will never make it without positive thinking.

The contrast with our neighbours in the south is staggering. England go to the finals - when they qualify - with their pundits and fans blithely discussing winning the tournament.

They have done this every time under a variety of managers, yet, with all their superiority in numbers and depth of quality, they have been able to fulfil their prophecy only once - and that was on their own pitch.

Despite that, the English psyche remains intact. They think they will win this year. They probably won't, but it is ironic that they, of all people, have taken to heart the plea of our own national bard:

''Lord, send us a gude conceit o' oursel'.''