SOUL SEARCH STARTS NOW

SCOTLAND INQUEST

CURRENTLY fighting allegations of sexual assault, Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from the Portugal team which plays Scotland will do nothing to alter a basic truth.

Under growing pressure after Thursday’s second-half collapse in Israel, Alex McLeish needs a game against the current European champions like he needs another left-back.

A 2-1 UEFA Nations League defeat in Haifa means the Scotland manager has now lost five of his seven games since returning to lead the national team earlier this year.

For supporters, the prospect of a Sunday night trip to Hampden is so unappealing it’s only a matter of time until Hearts release a statement.

There was always resistance to the SFA turning back the clock with their choice of a replacement for Gordon Strachan.

Amidst calls for progress and modern thinking, the appointment of McLeish was met with indifference and, in some quarters, hostility.

The second-half performance against Israel, a team ranked 94th in the world after one victory in two years, did nothing to win hearts and minds.

‘I support the fans,’ said McLeish yesterday. ‘I know what it’s like, I’ve played with Scotland before.

‘When we don’t win, the fans don’t like it.

‘I’ve been in the crowd as a kid growing up and seen some great games.

‘I’ve also seen some games where we lost and I know the reactions when Scotland don’t win

‘They love their country, the punters, and we need them.’

It doesn’t help that Scotland were not just beaten in Haifa. But for goalkeeper Allan McGregor, they faced the danger of embarrassment.

Israel entered the Sammy Ofer Stadium to a backdrop of hostility and indifference from their own supporters. By the final whistle, the only audible boos came from 1,500 Scots banked in the far corner of the arena.

McLeish, as he has to, wants the Tartan Army to stick with it. Yet the prospect of a Belgium-style hounding from an extravagantly talented Portugal team is hardly a recipe for a late ticket surge.

‘I don’t know what the reason for it (the booing) was... if it was just the defeat,’ he said.

‘But I thought it was a brave performance in the second half, players trying to get forward and get in the box to get that equalising goal.’

Managers are obliged to find a gem in the soot. Yet ‘brave’ is not an adjective many would attach to Scotland’s display.

A high-tempo, vibrant win over Albania last month generated hope and positivity. It didn’t last long.

The reasons McLeish perseveres with a 3-5-2 formation should be clear to all by now. It’s a way to get both Andrew Robertson and Kieran Tierney into the same team.

Yet fielding the Celtic player as a left-sided central defender and Robertson as a left wing-back dilutes the effectiveness of both players as talented, natural left-backs.

Time and again the Scots were cut open by a modest Israeli team. Whatever the motivation for persevering with Robertson and Tierney in unnatural positions, there’s no evidence right now that it works.

Neither does the pairing of John McGinn and Fulham’s Kevin McDonald offer the same protection to the defence as the likes of Scott Brown, Darren Fletcher or James McArthur.

‘I have persevered with it so far,’ said McLeish of his favoured formation. ‘We’ve had a few hard fixtures in terms of the teams in South America.

‘Taking on Belgium, you lose those games and people think: “That’s not working.”

‘Belgium was a tough one. But in the Albania game we found a good dynamic.

‘We were at Hampden, the other team didn’t travel so well — though people accuse us of that now — and we just have to try to find the habit of winning games when we travel.’

James Forrest scored four goals in Celtic’s 6-0 win at St Johnstone last Sunday. Leaving the winger out of the starting line-up in Haifa again raised eyebrows.

Speaking after the 2-0 win over Albania, McLeish expressed reservations over playing Forrest in a right wing-back role. If 3-5-2 now means watering down the talents of Robertson and Tierney while leaving out one of the paciest players in the squad, it’s hard to make a strong case for its retention.

‘Forrest could have played,’ said McLeish. ‘I just spoke to James and felt Johnny Russell deserved to go again.

‘It was a tough decision. It’s not going to be like that every time.

‘James came on and was lively, but Johnny Russell was lively as well. It’s hard to separate them.

‘I am not here to criticise any of the players.

‘I will look at the Israel game again and I will assess it.

‘We went with the same team again that did so well against Albania.

‘I know that, in terms of the selection, people will think we should have done something different, I get that.

‘But it didn’t work on the night and now we have to regroup.’

Losing in Haifa resurrected old feelings for McLeish. Emotions he hadn’t felt as a Scotland manager since the last competitive away game of his first spell in charge; the damaging defeat to Georgia, which wrecked the national team’s chances of reaching the Euro 2008 finals.

‘I don’t feel too good,’ he admitted. ‘I will hopefully wake up in the morning with a new perspective.

‘It’s not the end of the world. But it might feel like that now.

‘I do like some of the things we are doing.

‘With some of the other things, we lose the sucker goals and I don’t like that.

‘We are trying to get rid of that over a period of time and trying to get those gilt-edged shut-outs without parking the bus in every single game.’

Against Portugal, a Park’s of Hamilton coach on the 18-yard line still might not be enough.

Difficult friendlies such as Belgium and the Euro 2016 champions are a contractual obligation to keep UEFA’s partner broadcasters happy during international weeks. Nevertheless, they do McLeish few favours.

Victory over a Portugal side rocked by the Ronaldo allegations is less important than signs of a pulse. In Israel, Scotland were lifeless, shapeless and, in the second half, shambolic. A repeat tomorrow would be as hard to watch as an Alan McRae Scottish Cup draw.

‘It’s different faces,’ said McLeish of the prospect.

‘I think you have got to go and say: “You’re in our territory”.

‘Let’s make sure we can put on a performance level where we can go and beat Portugal. That’s got to be the ambition.’

I don’t feel too good but I’ll hopefully wake up in the morning with a new perspective. It’s not the end of the world... but it might feel like it