THE philosophy of consolation is a difficult one for a losing manager to appreciate.

The cliché that the solitary goal scored in a 1-9 defeat somehow offers comfort is a staple of the harassed sports writer but represents an irrelevance for the losing coach.

So what is the consolation of opening a qualifying campaign with a defeat? What encouragement can be drawn from sitting pointless in Group D with France as far away as Casanova's first kiss?

The answer can only be given by Gordon Strachan, the national coach. His thoughts, though, may be more cold, calculating than any post-match mutterings to the press.

Strachan - as a player, as a manager - is a winner. His team lost last night. There will be a tide of supportive sentiment, a clearing of the throat for a communal Scotland the Brave but the manager will know that the result was not down to luck or even fate.

Scotland failed at both ends of the park. This is harsh but it is true and Strachan will recognise it and attempt to address it. He will, perhaps, find consolation in the reality that the most testing fixture of the group has been negotiated. Points have been lost but confidence has not been buffeted, indeed may even have been raised.

Scotland could have extracted a point from the Westfalanstadion. The world champions could have been denied. The failure on both counts was down to moments that must have frustrated the manager.

The two goals conceded to Thomas Mueller were so poor they qualified for a crisis loan. The first came after Ikechi Anya allowed a cross to be played in and the central defence allowed Muller space to head home. The second came after a corner was played back into the danger area by James McArthur and Muller, again, pounced.

These incidents were surrounded by near misses by a succession of Germans and decent saves by David Marshall. Strachan's defensive plan was sensible but it faltered on the reality that Joachim Loew, the German manager, had the resources to find a way around it and his players could not quite cope against overwhelming possession and smart shifts in play.

Strachan wanted his full-backs - Alan Hutton and Steven Whittaker - to tuck in, almost playing only as wide as the penalty area. Germany immediately recognised this tactic and circumvented it. Andre Schuerrle, on the left, and Sebastian Rudy, on the right, regularly escaped the attentions of full-backs and the Scottish wide players of Anya and Barry Bannan. Mueller's headed goal after 18 minutes was his third chance from a cross.

Strachan, of course, had to set up his team in this manner because his knew his centre-backs needed insurance. Grant Hanley and Russell Martin may be the best the nation have but they both earn their living in the Sky Bet Championship.

It would have been unrealistic, even cruel to leave them unprotected against the wiles of Mueller, Schuerrle and Mario Goetze.

But the deployment immediately in front of the central defenders of two midfielders in Darren Fletcher and Charlie Mulgrew, who daftly invited a second yellow card late in the match, ensured the first priority was containment.

This meant Scotland found it difficult to move forward in the first half. Strachan, in protecting the heart of his defence, lost some impetus in offensive areas.

Cleverly and with unbounding enterprise, the Scotland manager addressed this failing and was rewarded by an equaliser through Anya. He could have had more. Naismith missed two chances, one kissing the post, and Steven Fletcher, an influential substitute, just could not manage to extract the ball from his feet when in an excellent position.

Scotland then lost two bad goals and missed chances. So where is the consolation in that? The search for positives is far from fruitless.

Scotland were on occasion exciting in attack, particularly when exploiting the pace of Anya. The defence, too, will not be stretched to such an extent by Georgia or even Poland, the sides who comprise the next two fixtures.

Scotland, too, showed a cohesion as the match progressed. The early dominance of the Germans was replaced by sudden threats from the Scots from open play. It would be wrong to suggest Germany were on the ropes but the Caledonian counter-punching did induce dizziness in the second half.

Strachan, then, can look back on a performance that holds promise even if did not garner points. There was frustration. Erik Durm could have been sent off for pulling back Naismith late in the second half when the Everton striker was clear 25 yards from goal. Mulgrew's dismissal was simply daft.

The referee - Svein Oddvar Moen of Norway - exasperated Strachan, who remained diplomatic at the end of the match but one cannot be awarded a yellow card and then shortly afterwards kick the ball away. This is not inviting a red card but sitting up and begging for one.

Mulgrew thus misses the next match against Georgia. This is the definite consequence of what happened in Dortmund last night.

Strachan must ensure that other, more edifying moments of a compelling match in the Westfalanstadion are carried into the campaign. There are signs of a Scotland of organisation, drive, pace and substance.

The manager has instilled all of this with the help of a co-operative squad. He also knows that this promise and potential needs to be franked by points. Georgia visit next month. They must be beaten.

There will be no kind words about performance if the visitors escape unscathed. Consolation can only come with the three points won.