SCOTLAND - THE REALITY

ONCE upon a time Scotland came unstuck against smaller nations because we underestimated them. Now we have come full circle and, under Craig Levein, do badly against them because he overestimates them.

When it comes to the glittering stars of the world game, Scottish teams have always been able to, at the very least, hold their own, and on many a memorable occasion actually put one over on them. Think England, Spain, France, and Holland, for example.

Holding their own and giving them a game of it was what this Scottish side managed, before going down to European and World champions, Spain.

The players should be given credit for the way they regrouped themselves, took responsibility for themselves, and showed us what many have always believed - they are better than Levein seems to think they are.

Therefore the managers's post match rant that he was there to correct anyone who said the effort the players put in during the pathetic 1-0 defeat by the Czech Republic was anything less than exceptional.

Such a comment was an attempt to rewrite history and claim what was written and said  of a critical nature, about  what happened in Prague, had been aimed at the players.

It was not. It had been directed at the proper target - the manager!

Levein may  also have appeared to television viewers to be not merely lacking in good grace, but actually boorish,  when he stormed out for an interview with Sky's David Tanner because he didn't like one of the perfectly polite and proper questions the highly experienced, polished and professional Tanner asked.

Do I possibly detect that the question regarding his highly questionable 4-6-0 formation in Prague has him quite so prickly because, deep down, he knows he blundered.

Just as he did in Lithuania when he overestimated a pretty mundane team, was too cautious and left with a single point when all three were there for the taking.

Here is something to ponder. The team which started in Prague contained six of the outfield players who did so well against Holland at Hampden a mere 13 months ago. They were Alan Hutton, Steven Whittaker, Stephen McManus, Davie Weir, Darren Fletcher and Stevie Naismith.

Two others, Shaun Maloney ,and more controversially, Kenny Miller, were available, but benched while the only two injured were Scott Brown and Paul Hartley. Allan McGregor instead of David Marshall in goal, strengthened the side.

As I said, it was not the players who were at fault. It was Levein. His tactics were not just wrong. They were wrong headed.

The same was the case in Kaunus where he did not trust six of the outfield players who started in that never-to-be-forgotten win over France in Paris, to beat Lithuania.

Hutton, McManus, Weir, Fletcher, Brown and Lee McCulloch were the six, while the goalscoring hero who shot down the French, James McFadden was benched.

These are players who under Alex McLeish, Walter Smith before him, and even when George Burley was in charge against Holland, showed they can be up to the task.

They showed it again against Spain. They can  be trusted to defend carefully, to  contest the midfield, even against those Spanish pass masters, and more importantly, to attack with intelligence, with pace, and when the time is right.

For me, the way those players expressed their own ability against Spain, may have had something to do with their response to what many may have seen as an insult to their ability by Levein.

He did not seem to think they were good enough, and could be trusted enough, to beat Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Games many thought the Scots should have been trying to win.

When the section was drawn nobody ever believed Scotland would beat Spain, even at Hampden, though I always harboured the thought we could give them a game of it, a run for their money, and then, who knows, maybe point.

It was in the matches away to Lithuanian and the Czech Republic, and when Liechtenstein visited Glasgow, that I expected a rich harvest of points. As it is, Levein has managed a meagre 4 points out of 12 to lie in third place. And it is his tactics - not the players - to blame.

Let's be generous and gloss over the performance against Liechtenstein as just one of those things Scotland managers down through the years have had to contend with. The Scots won.

But no similar genorisity should be allowed regarding the 5 points given away in Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Those are games which, with the right approach from Levein, the players at his disposal could have won.

That would have given Scotland 9 points out of 12 and put them at least in second position, and maybe even ahead of Spain, whose 9 points come from only 3 games.

It is, though, the second placed nations in all the groups we should be looking at . And remembering the chance which has been blown to avoid the difficulty of qualifying through a play off.

For the best runners up from the nine groups will earn an automatic place in the finals of the Euro '12 in Poland and the Ukraine. That seems to have been forgotten by many. Just as it is being ignored that one of the only two realistic chances of qualifying, has now been blown.

At the moment, Hungary, with 9 points from four outings, lead the way. Scotland could - indeed should - have been up their alongside them.

That is what should be being examined by the critics nationwide. That is what should be being put under the miscroscope. That is the area in which Levein has let the Scots down, the area in which his judgement should be scrutinised.

Anything else, by anyone - especially Levein's wee Silly Billy lackey - would be a betrayal of the nation.

Just don't hold your breath for it though.