Gary Caldwell: Scotland are not in disarray and Craig Levein deserves time

THE Wigan stopper is adamant the buck shouldn't stop with boss Craig Levein despite a return of just two points from four matches in qualifying.

GARY CALDWELL knows Scotland’s World Cup dreams were sunk without trace last night in Brussels.

But the international stalwart remains adamant that it’s not time to jump ship just yet – even if we’re already disappearing off the radar for another four years at least.

In fact, Caldwell would rather Craig Levein was given another shot at the helm rather than be bulleted when he reports back to base at Hampden this morning.

And the Wigan man insists the fight and spirit the Scotland players showed last night against a Belgian armada, which came at them with all guns blazing, is proof that the manager is not ready to be jettisoned just yet.

The 2-0 defeat has ended Levein’s chances of making it out of Group A. And there was something humbling and dispiriting about watching the manner of this savage beating.

But even so, Caldwell believes the manager should not be made to face the firing line now that a second successive campaign lies in tatters.

He said: “Usually, when people talk about sacking managers it’s because the team is in disarray. I know I’ve been part of teams that have been like that. But I don’t think that team tonight is one that was in disarray. We had a good structure and organisation and we stuck to that.

“Everyone gave 100 per cent to try and get a result against a very good side and we just fell short. The commitment is there for everyone towards the manager.

“It’s now about keeping that going and trying to move forward and getting the best performances in big games. That’s the challenge.

“We don’t make the decisions and neither does the manager. All we can do is give our best. Everyone did that tonight. Other people are going to make those decisions. Tonight you saw a team that is 100 per cent behind the boss.

“That to me says we are still going in the right direction, albeit we’re not any closer to qualifying. If I’m honest there are bigger problems in Scottish football. If you really want to go into it you could be here for hours talking about Scottish football.

“Right now the problems for all that shouldn’t fall at the manager’s door.”

Scotland boss Craig Levein looks on as Scotland lose in Belgium Scotland boss Craig Levein looks on as Scotland lose in Belgium

And yet Levein still stands accused of failing in his duties to turn out a winning Scotland team. Three victories is all he’s managed from two crushing campaigns – two against Liechtenstein and one at home to Lithuania.

In fact, on last night’s evidence Scotland have never been further away from the top level despite all the endless talk of progression which has come from Levein and his camp. The Belgians were miles ahead of us in every department.

And that was a bitter truth for an old warhorse like Caldwell to have to swallow. He said: “We know we’ve let ourselves down. We have to take responsibility for that over the four games so far.

“We’ve not hit the heights we feel we can since the campaign started. As players that’s our responsibility and as players we need to look at ourselves individually and as a team and admit it’s not been good enough. You can see the players are all behind the manager.”

And yet even if there is unity behind the scenes, Scotland and Levein are going nowhere. While the rest of the world’s big hitters get ready to set sail for Rio all we have to look forward to now is more years of hurt, despair and navel gazing.

Maybe in some time from now we will look back at recordings of last night’s battering and realise there is a way forward. Being more like Belgium would be a starter for 10.

A forlorn member of the Tartan Army takes in yet another soul-destroying defeat A forlorn member of the Tartan Army takes in yet another soul-destroying defeat

This team of Premiership all-stars ran all over the top of Levein’s men last night, scoring twice but threatening to do far more humiliating damage to a nation which is now lying wrecked at the bottom of Group A. Looking up at Macedonia and the likes. Being Scottish, surely cannot get much worse than this.

Caldwell admitted: “It was probably a fair reflection in the end. We set our stall out, we had a game plan and I felt it worked well in the first half although we rode our luck and made a few individual mistakes that gave them opportunities.

“In the second half they seemed to be getting a bit more anxious and weren’t creating as many chances. But it becomes very difficult when you can’t get out of your own half and can’t keep the ball for sustained periods in their half.

“It cost us because we just switched off at a set piece and got done. At that point it was very difficult to get back.

“It’s not nice being at the bottom of the group but we’ve put ourselves in this position. The players understand that. Mistakes were made in previous games that made this a must win.

“It was always going to be difficult but we believed we could do it and we had two decent free kicks in the first half.

“We got in at half-time and had something to hang on to. But all in all I don’t think we can complain too much about the result. It’s previous performances that have let us down.

“I thought we had a real teamwork ethic and that’s good to see. It’s about building on that in the coming games and not letting the group peter out. We have to go into the remaining games 100 per cent committed and try and get as many points as we can.”

Taken from the Daily Record