When Scotland falter, the national sport becomes identifying scapegoats.
There isn't quite a mood of insurrection around Craig Levein and his squad, but tolerance is no longer in evidence either. The response to two draws in the opening two World Cup qualifying games at Hampden was derision, and it has left the manager as an embattled figure. Supporters reserved their discontent for Levein, and their faith in the manager is dwindling.
He is too bloody-minded to consider himself a victim, but managers often judge a siege mentality to be a worthwhile state of mind. Levein is a stern figure, although he is capable of warmth and generosity, and he is now entrenched. The defiance is instinctive and nobody should be surprised that it is reflected in the attitude of his players.
Levein has worked hard to foster a profound spirit within his squad. He has refused, for instance, to criticise any of his men in public. That kind of regard provokes a shared resilience and in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Macedonia, individuals sought to apportion blame for the exasperation of the crowd at Hampden. Several factors combined to sour the view of Levein, but there is little room for a wider perspective when a defence is being mounted.
"We said on Saturday that Serbia were a good team and maybe you guys chose to jump on a bandwagon and criticise," said Gary Caldwell to the media. "The negativity which surrounds this group – whatever agenda people may have against the manager or the players – has to change. Who's got a problem with the manager? We haven't – we support him. He works hard, he shows us videos and gives us tactics, which we work hard on and we have a game plan which we try to execute.
"The media and what they write affects public opinion. You have to take responsibility for that. I don't think his tactics are negative. We could have gone gung-ho against [Macedonia] and lost the game because they're a dangerous team. As a group, we'll all stand up and be counted. We know, at times in the last two games, the quality hasn't always been there and, as players, we'll take responsibility for that. Everyone here is honest, but we need positivity. We need everyone to get behind this team, because it's difficult to qualify."
The view from within the group is that there are still 24 points to play for. Defeatism would hardly be welcome, but there is not a great deal of solace in arguing that there are still eight games remaining. If Scotland are to recover from the points lost at Hampden, they will need to significantly improve.
Form can recover, and Levein's position is not under threat. A victory in Cardiff next month, against a Wales side that seems chaotic under Chris Coleman, would at least restore some confidence. Even a question about Levein's future brought a rebuke from Caldwell. Public support from a senior member of the squad is inevitable, but the strength of feeling tells of the unity in the dressing room. It may be a possible salvation.
"I don't even think you should be asking," Caldwell said. "If you change the manager, nothing else is going to change. We're going in the right direction, but there are too many people pulling in different ways and trying to cause disruption. We're a better team than we were two years ago, but to prove it you've got to win games. We haven't done that. We are the ones who haven't performed in the last two matches so we need to look at ourselves and try to be better. We have to stick together and stay strong as a group – we don't want to use negativity as a motivation.
"It's too easy to pick holes. It's a bad start, we wanted better and we tried for better but we didn't get it and we need to roll on. We go to Wales and I believe we can win there. We're trying our best and we just need that touch of quality which hasn't been there in the last couple of games. Why that is I don't know."
Scotland fans cannot separate Levein from the conservatism of the 4-6-0 formation he employed against the Czech Republic during the Euro 2012 qualifiers, or the stand-off with Steven Fletcher, even if the Sunderland striker has never declared a willingness to return to the national set-up. The reaction to the two drawn games mixed this lingering resentment with the realisation that dropping four points at Hampden is a grave turn of events in such a competitive group.
Levein and his players might yet turn this situation around, and a win in Cardiff would alter the mood. That turn of events would require a stark upturn in the team's efforts. "The whole country has to be positive," Caldwell said. It starts with the team.
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