LEVEIN preparing for his defining moment

The supporters have answered the call – they always do when it matters – but that does not mean that all have been convinced. Over the years, there have been too many crushing disappointments for them to automatically swallow what is fed to them by a manager or players. Levein has taken to banging the drum about how much Scotland have improved, how far they’ve come, the transformation he’s seen over the past year. Others have yet to be bowled over, but they would happily jump on the bandwagon. Three points today would feel like a mighty step. Levein purrs over some of the passages of intelligent and skilful passing his teams put together and he raves about the professionalism and attitude he sees around the squad hotel and in training. A manager needs to see the right things and get the correct vibe off his men and Levein seems to be getting that in spades. The rest of us have had less to get worked up about: only a sequence of draw, win, defeat, defeat in the opening half of the Euro 2012 campaign up to last October. Since then it’s been win, win, defeat, win, defeat, win in half-a-dozen friendlies spanning the period in which Levein claims to have seen a transformation.

Yesterday he gave a startling insight into how some Scotland players behaved when he first had them together after being appointed in January last year. “In the first training sessions I had in this job there were guys kicking balls about all over the place, not listening, turning up late for meetings. You almost felt they were doing us a favour by turning up. I am not saying they had no regard for playing for Scotland. I would hesitate to say that. It is not as simple as that. It’s just little habits that people get into, it happens in all workplaces. If there is no personal pride or sense of importance in their job, people get a bit slack and lazy. I was a bit shocked by that, but what happened in the past has helped us get to where we are now.”

When he was asked if the slackers had been rehabilitated or banished, Levein said that was “irrelevant”. Anyone playing the guessing game will note that Steven Fletcher, Kris Boyd, James McFadden, Kevin Thomson and Andy Webster were among the players named in Levein’s first squad.

“Look at training now,” said Levein. “It’s professional, everyone is always ready in time, there is no messing about. When there is work, it’s work. It’s like a switch goes on. Darren Fletcher is the role model. He is our captain and even though he has not been with us the last few games, his behaviour and his values are the benchmark. He, more than any other player in the squad, understands what’s needed to play in a game of this significance.”

Levein was surprised to realise how thin Fletcher looked when he recently watched his last appearance, against the Faroes last November, on DVD. He suspects he was already going down with the virus which seriously eroded his season. “He looked weak. It’s not until you go back and have a look at it that you sort of see it. I look at him now and I see a huge difference.

“Darren’s mentality has rubbed off on other players. We’re a much better team than we were 18 months ago. They’re a down-to-earth, hard-working group of players, some of the values Scottish people have. It’s important the supporters see guys out on the pitch who roll their sleeves up and work their backsides off to do everything to win.”

It should work in Scotland’s favour that Hampden is keyed up for a massive fixture this afternoon, yet the opposition seems unremarkable. The Czechs have won one of their last seven games. They have already been beaten at home by Lithuania in this campaign. Anyone who saw the damning analysis of Tomas Rosicky on Match of the Day last weekend – the fey Czech captain sauntered around in a world of his own; perhaps someone has now told him his Arsenal team conceded eight goals at Old Trafford – might wonder whether he has the stomach for Hampden.

Scotland need big performances from Gary Caldwell, Christophe Berra and Allan McGregor. The last “must win” game was against Italy in October, 2007, when days of breathless build-up felt ridiculous when the Italians scored after two minutes. Fletcher, Charlie Adam and James Morrison need to play with energy, intelligence and precision to boss the midfield. Scotland never exactly run goals in at will and the front six are likely to spend most of the afternoon knocking on the door and being frustrated. A draw would mean the Czechs had taken four points from six against Scotland. It would suit them, and they are likely to play for that.

“They could come and think ‘well, one point’s enough’,” said Levein. “But they’ve got players in their team whose strength is going forward. It could be that Rosicky hits the ball into the top corner from 35 yards. That’s football. That is where team spirit, and the mentality and resilience come into play.

“What I don’t know is where the Czechs are both physically and mentally. I don’t know their camaraderie, if there are any splits in the camp or unrest. If there are any problems within the Czech group we have to play in a manner to exploit that. If they are on their game they have top quality players.”

There will be no repeat of Prague, when Levein played a strikerless 4-2-4-0 formation, lost 0-1 to a humdrum Czech side, and took a fearful kicking for it. He wouldn’t do the same thing now, for what it’s worth. An attacking, positive, bright Scotland? The Czechs will barely recognise them. The Scotland support wants to see something new, too: victory in a major fixture. The time has come for Levein’s Scotland to deliver on the promises.

interview Scotland’s biggest game in four years gives the manager an opportunity to make good on the promise he sees in his players, writes Michael Grant