It’s perfectly usual and indeed understandable for managers to vent their disappointment after games where decisions have conspired to make them feel such emotions are in keeping with the mood. In the case of today, any Scottish fan watching - whether at Hampden, at home or in the pub - would feel a little bit deflated at the outcome.
Such initial reaction will probably later give way to the sober reflection that the Czech Republic deserved at least a draw, but it’s also the case that the officials managed to make a mockery of events and it’s this that will likely live on in the memory. However, there’s no escaping the facts: Scotland are now outsiders to make the runners-up spot in Group I and even if victories over Lithuania and Liechtenstein now follow the only hope is that the Czechs lose to both Spain and in Lithuania: unless, of course, you think this Scotland team can win in Alicante?
With regard to today’s game, it was often exciting but rarely due to fluent passing or sustained pressure on the opposition goal. Baros twice missed excellent chances to score, either side of Kenny Miller’s opener, but for all the greater threat Allan McGregor’s first real save came with little more than ten minutes remaining. Concerns beforehand over the fitness and sharpness of certain home players often appeared to be correct, although Fletcher’s goal will help cover up for another lacklustre performance, and Steven Naismith again looked to be playing through an injury: big points for guts, commitment and all that jazz but probably not the best for the player in the medium-term.
The penalty award for the Czechs was ludicrous – a clear dive by Rezek – but so had been the decision in the first half to ignore Charlie Adam’s ill-advised challenge on Baros. That the referee, Mr. Blom from the Netherlands, compounded these errors by making another when Berra was fouled in the box is a slice of not-too-delicious irony hash brownies. It will be hard to swallow tonight for many, and no doubt we will be treated over the next few days to theories about officials having it in for us and very little about the lack of basic skills within the team. The chance to ignore our failings and concentrate on outside factors will be lapped up, but should be dismissed outright. The despair over ‘Punts to midgets’ is a persistent irritant but its constant implementation is actually to make up for the lack of fundamental skills – and this from a side selected from all available professionals. We seem shocked when opposition defenders, such as today, can not only control the ball but can actually pass accurately and seem composed; almost as if they understand that football is, indeed, about attempting to give the impression of proficiency in such matters.
Levein took some gambles today on Hutton, Fletcher and perhaps Naismith, but there would be few grumbles with the majority of the side selected. Yet it would be a brave man indeed who didn’t wonder about that centre-back partnership. And as for the manager’s insistence that Scotland played "some really good stuff" and Scott Brown “was magnificent”: well, it suggests the technical area at Hampden is too far from the pitch. Picking on Brown is all too easy, and he did improve when he chose to take part in the second half, but his first half display was all too familiar: a lack of discipline, a lack of footballing intelligence and a serious absence of any contribution other than in the negative. Fletcher also toiled for long spells and Adam’s attempts at creativity floundered. We should not forget, as effigies of the Dutch whistler are conjured up for tomorrow’s red-tops, that the performance today was not one which merited a win and was, in many ways, hugely underwhelming.
And as for the Scottish Beckenbauer....Gary Caldwell’s performance leading up to the first Czech equaliser should appear on instructional DVDs for years to come. It was the perfect example of how to leave your man, hug space and wave your arms around in dismay as your attempt to stand on the goal-line and use magic comes to nothing while the partner you declined to dance with bundles the ball into the net.
Some within the print and broadcast media would have you believe that the present national squad is one on the way up, perhaps one capable of taking us back to those international tournaments we used to enjoy and endure where, even if we habitually conspired to make the worst of our opportunities, the experience for the fans was normally first-rate. So, great fans, good players (not on the evidence), what of the manager?
There are many within the game who like Craig Levein but there is also more than a suspicion that he has been promoted beyond his means. His CV is certainly not without merit but it’s hardly a document providing a sustained and overwhelming case for his position as (some would argue) the most important man in Scottish football. Scotland have had worst candidates thrust into the job but living memory also provides the example of at least two men who, with weaker squads and lesser resources, looked more likely to take Scotland to a major championship. One would be hard-pushed to look at the evidence so far and consider he has the necessary skills for this position.
The SFA’s latest wheeze – a rambling document, often rendered unreadable by worthless jargon –is called ‘Scotland United: a 2020 vision’.
Among other things, it details the governing body’s strategic plan and provides details of the means to achieve it through the strategic pyramid. One of the ‘audacious goals’ and thus level one ambitions is for Scotland to again reach a major tournament. Lower down at level two we have ‘Scotland winning’ and ‘higher standards’ next to ‘home of great coaches’. All admirable, all explained, all worth a read but it begs the question: if Levein fails to guide Scotland to a runners-up berth at the end of this campaign should he be given the chance to fail again as we aim for the 2014 World Cup?
We may never win a senior world cup – although kudos to the homeless Scots for, in a number of ways, rather making us feel even worse than before – but if the SFA are serious about the future we cannot afford to indulge in the jobs for the boys mentality.
SFA chief Stewart Regan has been quick to call for technology to 'clarify' in the case of contentious decisions
https://twitter.com/#!/StewartRegan/status/110038108959027202
Let's hope he is as swift to take the difficult decision if our qualifying campaign fizzles out. One win from five (and that a stoppage-time winner against Liechtenstein) isn't promising.