ROCK BOTTOM
Levein is heading for exit
ELEVEN years ago, Craig Brown brought Scotland to the imposing King Boudewijn Stadium, lost 2- 0 and promptly resigned.
Craig Levein shows little sign of being similarly inclined.
But, after this talented Belgian side tore the Scots to ribbons, his three-year reign as national manager will surely now draw to a close.
Scotland were outplayed here and Macedonia’s victory over Serbia left Levein’s side rock bottom of Group A.
Levein has won just three times in 12 competitive matches, but captain Darren Fletcher still wants him to stay.
Asked if Levein still had a future with the team, the Manchester United midfielder said: ‘I hope so, yes. I really hope so. The players believe in him and we hope so.
‘Qualifying from this group now looks very difficult but we can still progress as a team. We tried to win the game. It was always going to be difficult. If we did that (attack) we would have lost five or six, trust me.
‘If we keep it nil-nil we are always in the game.
‘The damage was done in the first games before we came out here ( draws against Serbia and Macedonia).’
There was no shame in losing by two goals here. Outclassed throughout, Scotland were lucky to get nil.
They chased shadows for well over an hour and held firm for 69 minutes thanks to some stunning goalkeeping from Allan McGregor. Belgium coach Marc Wilmots repeatedly slapped the Brussels skyline in frustration as his team missed chance after chance.
Could Scotland hang on? Within two second-half minutes, all such notions were brutally dismissed. A team so gifted they could afford to bench Chelsea’s Eden Hazard until half-time, the Belgians deserved their breakthrough. It came from the gigantic Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke with a towering header, and within two minutes it was 2- 0, Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany striking a quite unstoppable effort past McGregor from 18 yards.
The possession figures showed absolute domination by Belgium. When Scotland did get the ball they were prone to give it away.
Incursions up the field were rare. Yet the Scots somehow contrived to manage two excellent efforts on goal — both from free kicks from around 25 yards.
Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele was the offender both times. He fouled Celtic’s Kris Commons first on 23 minutes, and Shaun Maloney’s swirling free kick threatened to sneak in at the top corner until Thibault Courtois saved acrobatically.
Four minutes before half-time the Scots almost scored again from a similar range. Dembele, in truth, should have been booked for a cynical challenge on Maloney. This time, however, Commons took it left footed and curled it round the wall. As with the earlier effort, however, Atletico Madrid keeper Courtois pushed the ball past his right-hand post.
These were sporadic efforts and the goals from Benteke and Kompany ended the resistance.
Levein was crestfallen, but the players continue to back him.
McGregor said: ‘I can speak for all of the boys. We are all behind him 100 per cent.
‘It is going to be the same players so I don’t know what is going to change and how dramatically it is going to change if someone else comes in.’