DARREN FLETCHER insists Scotland must learn from previous failures and remain supportive of Craig Levein as international manager rather than seeking to replace him.

Since Craig Brown left the job a decade ago, no Scotland manager has lasted for two full qualifying campaigns.

Levein’s job is not in doubt in the aftermath of Scotland’s elimination from Euro 2012 this week but some supporters have been critical of him for failing to finish second behind world champions Spain, and for playing without a striker during last year’s away defeat to the Czech Republic.

Levein is under contract until the 2014 World Cup finals. The message from the manager and players yesterday amounted to a plea for consistency and stability after Tuesday night’s 3-1 defeat in Spain meant that a seventh consecutive major tournament will take place without Scotland’s participation.

Brown, Berti Vogts, Walter Smith, Alex McLeish, George Burley and Levein have all failed to reach finals since the first led the country to the 1998 World Cup in France.

Brown resigned, Vogts and Burley were sacked and Smith and McLeish left to take club jobs. What Scotland needed, said Fletcher, was a manager who would have a long spell in charge in order to create a settled environment.

“The guys are behind the manager, without a doubt,” said Fletcher, the captain. “Scotland has never really been given a chance to go forward under a manager. Everyone wants to play for him. To me, it [Levein’s future] is a no-brainer. It’s not a question. To think otherwise would be silly and definitely a backwards step.”

Stewart Regan, the Scottish Football Association chief executive, was similarly enthusiastic about Levein yesterday. “On a personal level I am hugely impressed by the work being carried out by Craig,” said Regan. “Anyone who speaks to the players in the squad will realise just how big an impact he has made on a team that, frankly, was in disarray before he took over.

“I share Craig’s disappointment at not reaching the play-offs but I defy anyone to look at the squad we have now, compare it to the early period of Craig’s tenure, and say we have not made considerable progress. It is important that he knows he has the full support of myself and everyone at the Scottish FA.”

Scotland must wait 11 months until they play another competitive game: the start of qualifying to reach the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Levein will almost certainly still be in charge for that campaign, despite persistent speculation that he would return to club management in England if an attractive offer were made.

“It is straightforward: my focus is on trying to qualify for a major tournament,” said Levein. “We’ve missed out on this one so it is now the next one [we look to]. The next one is a little bit away but for me the exciting part of it is that I look at the players we’ve got and we won’t lose anyone between now and the next campaign. Age-wise, they will all still be able to play.”

Levein added that the SFA and others had to stay “strong” when there was criticism and some pressure to make changes. Otherwise the long-term programme being implemented by the man he selected as Scotland’s first national performance director, Mark Wotte, would be jeopardised.

“I think we are better than what other people make us out to be,” he said. “It is difficult keeping it on track when results don’t go your way but at those times you need to be at your strongest.”