Darren Fletcher and Allan McGregor are still ‘100 per cent’ behind Levein

Published on 17/10/2012 02:43

CAPTAIN Darren Fletcher hopes Craig Levein remains as manager despite Scotland’s 2014 World Cup hopes all but coming to an end in Brussels last night.

The result leaves the Scots bottom of Group A with just two points from four games.

Levein has won three times in 12 competitive matches but Manchester United midfielder Fletcher wants him to stay.

Asked at full-time if Levein still had a future with the team, he said “I hope so, yes. I really hope so. The players believe in him and we hope so.

“Qualifying from this group now looks very difficult but we can still progress as a team.”

Asked if Scotland should have been more offensive against Belgium, Fletcher replied: “We tried to win the game. It was always going to be difficult. If we did that [attack] we would have lost five or six, trust me.

“If we keep it nil-nil we are always in the game. The damage was done in the first games before we come out here [draws against Serbia and Macedonia].”

Goalkeeper Allan McGregor was also asked on BBC Scotland last night if Scotland had been too defensive. The former Rangers No 1, Scotland’s best player on the night, looked irked by the question and asked the reporter if he thought the team should have attacked.

McGregor then added: “I thought in the first-half we defended really well. Yes, they had a couple of chances but to go in 0-0 at half-time was all right. We had a couple of chances ourselves, the goalie had a couple of saves.”

Asked about Levein’s hopes of staying in the job, the ‘keeper continued: “You can look at records but you have to look at the opposition. We have played Spain twice and Belgium, really good teams. I can speak for all of the boys, we are all behind him 100 per cent.

“It is going to be the same players so I don’t know what is going to change and how dramatically it is going to change if someone else comes in.”

On the Group A prospects, McGregor said: “It isn’t great but until it is mathematically impossible I don’t think you can say it is over. But obviously with the start we have had it is not going to be easy.”

Belgium, in contrast, were over the moon at claiming another three points. “It’s incredible. We have that feeling we can say: ‘Whatever team, bring ’em on!”’ said captain Vincent Kompany. “We were a very dominant team. It was only a question of time before we broke through.”

Manager Marc Wilmots, whose side play Macedonia home and away in March, said: “We can be happy, but it’s the fourth match... we are not in Brazil yet. We are still in Brussels. I told everyone to stay calm. We would create chances and the goal would come... Even if it had ended 0-0 it would not have been a disaster.”