Hounding by Holland leaves Scotland with no room for error

World Cup Euro Qual Gp 9
Holland 3

* Huntelaar 30,
* van Persie 45,
* Kuyt (pen) 77

Scotland 0

* Andy Hunter at Amsterdam ArenA

Scotland's Darren Fletcher is dejected as Holland's Dirk Kuyt (second left) celebrates his side's third goal. Photograph: Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport/PA Photos

For George Burley, taking Scotland to Amsterdam for a World Cup qualifier represented the biggest occasion of his managerial career. Next up is his biggest test, and there may not be an opportunity for the Scotland manager to better a Saturday night out in the Netherlands should Iceland derail his uncertain journey to South Africa on Wednesday night. There is no margin for error now.

Coffee shop optimists could not conjure hope for the most difficult test in Group Nine and it unfolded exactly as it appeared it would on paper, with a depleted Scotland exposed by a side ranked third in the world. There was no shame for Burley's men and no recriminations but there will be if they fail to record a second win in the group at Hampden Park this week. Scotland will again be plagued by injury and painfully short of quality in attack against Iceland. Excuses, however, will not be welcome. Burley must find a way.

"We need to beat Iceland now. We have to win," the Scotland manager said. "We've got to look to win all our home games if we are going to finish second. I think three wins and a draw would be enough for us to get into the play-offs now, with the draw being in Norway. But we've got to earn the right to do it. It is possible. We are not too deflated by what happened in Holland. Things went against us in that game but we worked our socks off and there were some encouraging things to take from that performance."

In many respects Burley could not lose in Amsterdam. Little was expected of Scotland and there was no argument with the containment plan he sought to execute against a vibrant Dutch team. Now he is under pressure to attack, and the hesitancy that allowed Joris Mathijsen to smother Kenny Miller's one glorious chance for Scotland showed how problematic that can be when he has so few options in reserve.

"It will be a different game altogether," said the manager, who must be tempted to start Hibernian's Steven Fletcher against the Icelanders. "I thought we were fairly positive against Holland in going 4-3-3 and we competed well against them. Holland are a tremendous team. Iceland is a completely different game and we have got to press them higher up, put them under pressure and win the match. We need to win the game. We are all aware of that."

The Scotland manager ruminated on the defensive lapses that ruined an excellent start and enabled Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie to head home exquisite crosses from the hugely influential Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben. Nor did he miss the opportunity to place more importance on Gary ­Caldwell's disallowed header than it merited, coming as it did with Scotland two goals down and moments from conceding a third, when Dirk Kuyt scored from the penalty spot after a trip on Huntelaar by the debutant Christophe Berra. The lesson in possession football was galling for Scotland's seasoned internationals and it may be wise not to revisit the final hour of this match on DVD before Wednesday night.

"When you come up against a top-class side like Holland you do realise just how far we have to go before we are ready to compete against the very best," said Darren Fletcher. "They have some world-class players and you just have to look at the way they keep the ball without panicking to see the way the game should be played. They weren't cutting us open in the first half but they stayed patient. It suits them to keep the ball and to try to suck you into making mistakes. It can get disheartening at times when you are just chasing after the ball and they are knocking it around for fun. But we didn't let our heads go down."

Man of the match Arjen Robben (Holland)

Taken from the Guardian/Observer