PLENTY OF POSITIVES TO BUILD ON

TRACES of the swagger Alex McLeish believes has been conspicuous by its absence in the national side were definitely apparent last night beyond the red socks so gallusly rolled around Oli McBurnie’s ankles.

But it’s clear it may take some time for the more sought-after attributes — the kind that will make an appreciable difference to the team in the longer-term — to come to the fore.

Come what may, this was never a night when any snap judgments would be made on the returning Scotland manager purely on the basis of the result. That was close to irrelevant.

For McLeish, this was all about performances — both individual and collective — and pocketing nuggets of knowledge and positivity as we move forward.

Truthfully, the 59-year-old’s return to the international stage was never going to linger long in the memory irrespective of how it transpired.

Yet, in the context of a largely experimental line-up and system, there was much to be taken not least the composed display of Scott McTominay, the awareness of Scott McKenna and the impressive work-rate of McBurnie. Many other more familiar faces did their prospects no harm, either.

Arguably, McLeish’s biggest opponent in the post second time around is growing public indifference towards the national team. Two decades of failure has left even the most dedicated Tartan Army foot soldier jaded. He needs no one to remind him of this fact.

And only by winning important matches, and doing so in style, will all the cobwebs be brushed away.

It was, therefore, unfortunate in a sense that his return to the dug-out came in such a low key occasion. It felt about as far removed from his last match as manager — that seismic clash with Italy over a decade ago — as you could possibly imagine.

With Hampden not even half full, it made for a rather flat homecoming. Surely Easter Road or Tynecastle would have been a better choice?

McLeish had hoped to captivate the crowd with a display straight from the old Fergie text book.

‘I don’t think it’s rocket science, when you talk about styles,’ he said this week.

‘I worked with a man for eight years and it was about being dynamic, having a high tempo, passing the ball. And I’ve tried to have that style in all of my teams.’

There was certainly a refreshing feel to his side with four men handed their debuts from the start. McKenna, of Aberdeen, was thrown in on the left side of a three-man defence a year after being unable to get off the bench at Ayr United.

McTominay was asked to screen the defence beside Fulham’s Kevin McDonald. Barnsley’s McBurnie was handed the lone striker role.

Despite the 1990 meeting in Genoa being a scar on the national psyche, there was no questioning the pedigree of the men from Central America.

There was actually much for sparse crowd to admire in McLeish’s preferred 3-4-3 set up before the visitors edged in front on 14 minutes.

Without truly threatening Keylor Navas’ goal, the mix of the new and the old played with their heads up and combined well.

Costa Rica always looked more of a team, though. Bryan Oviedo’s cut-back for Marcos Urena’s sweetly-taken opener belied an understanding bordering on the telepathic.

Throughout their side there was pace, physicality and technique that Scotland simply didn’t possess. This is where the bar is set.

Playing just ahead of Matt Ritchie and Tom Cairney, McBurnie showed neat footwork to create chances but learned quickly how much harder scoring in internationals is from the Championship.

Only Navas’ reflexes prevented Ritchie claiming a draw which would not have been undeserved after an improved second-half display.

But, despite the negative final score, it would be churlish to suggest this particular journey for McLeish started with a backwards step.