The end of this campaign should be the time for asking some big questions. Another failure means Scotland’s absence from major tournaments will extend to 20 years and counting. That simply isn’t good enough.
The manager’s position is a difficult one. Gordon Strachan is good, but something needs to change when the team doesn’t succeed. And, let’s be honest, Scotland have not failed against the absolute elite of Europe.
Points have been dropped against teams we were expected to beat — or at least match up to better. So you ask why. Has the manager picked the wrong team at times? Is it a motivational thing?
Gordon Strachan had to console his players who paid the price for a sluggish performance
Scotland have not played at a major tournament since 1998 and the wait continues
It’s not like Scotland don’t have good players. I believe we do. We have weaknesses in some areas but we also have real talents — Kieran Tierney, Andy Robertson, Stuart Armstrong and Leigh Griffiths, to name a few — who are in the prime of their careers.
There will almost certainly be change within the squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Scott Brown might decide he cannot go on for another campaign. One or two others might feel the same.
It could be a bit of a transitional time and I just wonder if it might be better to change managers? That question should be asked by those at the SFA who hold the power. Gordon’s contract is up, so he will obviously have his own thoughts, as well.
There have been good things at times in this campaign. There is no disputing that. But the upshot is that Scotland still haven’t qualified for anything since the 1998 World Cup, so it has to be looked at carefully and properly.
Roman Bezjak scored twice before Scotland brought the game back to 2-2 in Ljubljana
A Scotland supporter covers his face after another qualifying campaign ended in failure
Can we go and get someone in there who can do what Brendan Rodgers did at Celtic or Michael O’Neill at Northern Ireland? I appreciate the circumstances are different but you can see how certain managers in certain jobs can turn things around. And do it pretty quickly.
I know the players will have fingers pointed at them for various things over the course of the ten games in Group F. But everyone in the football business knows that it is the manager who is really at the sharp end.
Gordon seemed to dilly-dally about his future before, so he may well have major doubts about his doing it for another campaign. He might feel he has done all he can.
If they decided to change, the question would then be about who the SFA could get to come into the role?
That might give people the fear. And, listen, there may not actually be anyone better equipped than Gordon if he wanted to stay on. But it should be a time for seriously considering all the options and asking the right questions. You can’t simply go on doing the same things every time.
I had issues with the team selection and substitutions in Slovenia on Sunday night. I was surprised to see Gordon try something different by going with two strikers up front from the start. Why, for such a massive game, do you do that when Griffiths and Chris Martin have played together so little? It was a strange one.
Gordon Strachan consoles Griffiths at the full-time whistle with Scotland eliminated
Scotland manager Strachan has refused to talk about his future so soon after the draw
Scotland will need to pick themselves up and go again after being denied second place
We had always started with one up before. And Griffiths has been exceptional in that role. We scored six and conceded none in the previous three qualifiers by playing pretty much the same way, albeit with a few substitutions and tinkering with the tactics later in the game.
Another thing that surprised me was neither Callum McGregor nor James Forrest getting on the pitch. They have pace, intelligence and creativity — and can be a threat when you need goals.
The Celtic players are also all on the same wavelength. I just thought not using them was an opportunity wasted. I know Brown and Armstrong were missing, which was a massive loss, but you could still have had five Celtic players out there for a must-win game.
What stands out for me is that there were players selected who are used to losing at club level and having their backs against the wall. Yet there are people left on the bench who play for a club unbeaten domestically for more than a year and who are more than capable of going into the Champions League. McGregor couldn’t even get in the squad before.
These guys are used to keeping the ball and creating goals from tight situations. Mentally, I just think the Celtic players would have brought the perfect approach to Sunday night’s game.
It wasn’t Brazil away. It was Slovenia. They are a decent team but, no disrespect to them, they had very little to play for. Scotland did. And came up short again. We should be asking why.
Scotland played the price for not showing courage to go on and seal the three points