Scotland 1 - 0 Czech Republic: Levein rises to challenge

Published on Thursday 4 March 2010 09:05

SCOTLAND, Hampden and friendlies or, to use the modern day euphemism "international challenge matches", have long been uncomfortable bedfellows.

You have to go back to 1996, just a few months before that summer's European Championship to find a Scotland victory at the national stadium in such an encounter, Ally McCoist's goal on the occasion of his 50th cap providing the narrowest of wins over Australia.

Among his team-mates 14 years ago this month were the likes of Jim Leighton, John Collins, Gary McAllister, Tom Boyd, Colin Hendry, Billy McKinlay and John Spencer. Yes, it was that long ago.

Since then France, Australia, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, Austria, Romania, Hungary, the United States, Switzerland, Croatia, Northern Ireland and Argentina, 12 nations in all, have visited Glasgow for a bit of friendly activity and departed undefeated and in the main victorious.

Venues as diverse as Miami, Washington, Busan and Yokohama have hosted Scotland outwith competitive action and the outcome has invariably been one of disappointment while staging such fixtures around this country, at Rugby Park, Ibrox and Tynecastle as Hampden was refurbished also brought little comfort for the Tartan Army.

True there were moments of joy, wins over Canada and Trinidad and Tobago at Easter Road, against South Africa at Pittodrie and, further afield, in Malta, Germany, Dublin, Estonia, Japan and Austria to recall and savour in the intervening years.

Too few moments, however, for many to be looking forward to Craig Levein's first match as Scotland manager and anticipating victory over the Czech Republic, particularly given our two previous competitive matches against this nation (not to be confused with Czechoslovakia, Joe Jordan and all that), the Euro 2000 qualifiers, both ended in defeat.

Today, however, former Hearts boss Craig Levein can look back with satisfaction on a night which not only smashed that long-term hoodoo but immediately bracketed him along with the legendary Jock Stein and, more recently, Alex McLeish as one of only three Scotland managers in the last 32 years to have won their first international match.

Last night's win will, of course, count for little when these two countries clash again in Prague in October when a place in the 2012 European Championship finals is at stake as both Levein and Czech coach Michal Bilek conceded, the visiting manager neatly describing events as "not really for real".

In the wider context Bilek probably had a point but for Levein Scott Brown's 61st-minute goal, the Celtic midfielder slotting home a left-footed shot after Barry Robson had nodded Lee Wallace's deep cross into the danger area, provides him with the foundations upon which to begin forging his own dynasty.

He said: "We are trying to build some sort of momentum before the qualifying games begin. I believe we have a good group of players who have not had recent experience of leaving here (Hampden] with a smile on their faces. Now they will go back to their clubs feeling good about themselves and for me that is important as next time the squad gathers the players will have a recent pleasant experience, they'll want to come back and will be looking to come back."

It was a point well made by Levein given Scotland's three previous matches under George Burley, against Wales, Japan and Holland had all ended in defeat without a goal scored, those results contributing to an overall record which saw the former Tynecastle manager win just three out of 13 matches in charge of the national team so paving the way for one of his predecessors in Gorgie to succeed him.

Pleasing as the final outcome might have been, Levein acknowledged his side had been a distinct second best for much of the first half, struggling to cope with the rapier-like attacks of the Czechs prompted by the skills of Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and complemented by the pace and close control of his team-mates.

Typically forthright, though, Levein was quick to take responsibility for Scotland's slow start as he highlighted the short time at his disposal to prepare his team with the likes of Brown, Kevin Thomson and Kenny Miller having been involved in Sunday's Old Firm match while skipper Darren Fletcher only teamed up with the squad late that night having helped Manchester United lift the Carling Cup at Wembley.

He said: "We didn't have a lot of time to work on things and we were stressing before the game more defensive duties, not leaving big spaces between midfield and defence for example for them to play in. Sometimes when you do that players feel they do not have a licence to get forward."

As a consequence full-backs Alan Hutton and Wallace were rarely seen over the halfway line, Scotland having Craig Gordon to thank for standing tall to prevent Vaclav Sverkos capitalising after Rosicky had picked off a poor pass from Fletcher.

Levein said: "The Czechs caused us a lot of problems, they are a good side with very good players. We had to rely on some last-gasp defending and our goalkeeper but when you play a good team you have to expect to defend and your goalkeeper to make good saves."

However, both Hutton and Wallace began powering down the flanks, the Hearts youngster, sporting a bandage covering the six stitches inserted above his left eye at Pittodrie at the weekend, playing his part in the only goal of the match.

Levein said: "It changed the game for me, but we worked extremely hard which was the most important thing. We had to show the supporters we were all fighting for the cause. Once we got in front I could see the players trying things, perhaps over-elaborating but enough for me to say this was a good experience, something we need to replicate or even better next time we get together."

It could have got even better on the night for Levein, Czech goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny thrusting out his left boot to divert substitute Steven Whittaker's shot over the bar in the dying seconds but the Scotland boss, whose own international playing career was limited to just 16 caps through injury, was just happy to begin what he hopes will be a lengthy spell in charge of the national side with a win, revealing the inner turmoil he'd been through as he explained an apparent lack of emotion at seeing Brown score.

"I'd been very nervous over the last couple of days, perhaps because of not being involved on the touchline for the past three months. I have great pride in the fact I am Scotland manager, it means a lot to me. I felt more nervous than I normally do. When we scored it was more relief than anything else while still trying to concentrate on the game, to get through to the end and get the victory," Levein said.

Like Bilek, however, Levein insisted he wouldn't be reading too much into one result. He said: "We are not kidding ourselves on, it was a friendly match. The most important thing is when the qualifying games come round – if we need a goal to qualify you might see a different face."