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Gordon Strachan says Scotland improvements will take time

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Scotland

Manager Gordon Strachan admits there is no "quick fix" in getting Scotland to a level where they can compete with the likes of conquerors Serbia.

Scotland's World Cup qualification hopes ended with defeat in Novi Sad.

"It's not a quick-fix to get as strong and as technically gifted as that, that's for sure," Strachan said.

"It was heavy going and I thought technically they were a right good side and physically they were stronger than us, so that gave us a problem."

Strachan had made six changes to the starting XI that lost to Wales on Friday; with David Marshall, Steven Whittaker, Liam Bridcutt, George Boyd, Steven Naismith and Jordan Rhodes all coming in.

A pitch which had been cleared of snow just hours before kick-off proved difficult to play on but Scotland defended well in the first half to keep it goal-less at the break.

Interview - Scotland manager Gordon Strachan

However, they were eventually ground down by the Serbians in the second period, Filip Duricic scoring twice from close-range.

"We're happy with loads of things but, in international football, if it's 1-0 you've always got a chance of being in the game," Strachan told BBC Radio Scotland.

"But it seems to happen too often, one goal goes in and another quickly follows and we need to remedy that.

"If we lose a goal, we need to re-compose ourselves and say the game's not finished."

Scotland only had themselves to blame for Duricic's second, which stemmed from Alan Hutton losing out to Serbia's Nenad Tomovic in the right-back area.

And Strachan admitted errors like that needed to be addressed.

"I think there's a time, even in international football, that the players have to be told and we spoke about it in there," he said.

"But for everybody that makes a mistake, they've put a lot of good work into it and it's not a dishonest mistake, it's an honest mistake.

"Some of these players have never played international football before, some of them are playing with injuries, and some of them are not getting games for their club.

"They took responsibility on their shoulders and the longer the game went on the better it got for us."

Two players who made international debuts against Serbia were midfielders Liam Bridcutt and George Boyd, neither of whom featured even on the bench against Wales.

Strachan was very happy with their contributions, and also that of defender Grant Hanley.

"I think we can add them to the future. Considering the surface, Liam's job was harder than Grant's, because Liam's not a big fellow," said the Scotland boss.

"George Boyd showed in flashes some of the things we're expecting of him and the rest of the boys did as well as they could."

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  • Comment posted by User0747513437, at 13:46 27 Mar 2013

    Just wanted to say that the traveling fans left a really good impression on us, the hosts. The image of men in kilts clearing snow is stuff of legend but I also read about a donation to a local children's charity that was made by a fan group. Exemplary behaviour by a brave and proud nation. Hats off to you lads! Your fans have done you proud.

  • Comment posted by User0875429288, at 12:43 27 Mar 2013

    @25

    I'm not disagreeing. But why keep picking the same ones? They aren't young, they aren't improving, and in fact, they never were any good.

    We've got Leigh Griffiths with 19 goals in the SPL this season, and he's not even in the squad. Stuck in the queue behind a 33 year old who has scored 1 goal this season in Canada.

    Leigh might not be the answer, but Miller 100% definitely isn't.

  • Comment posted by Seabed, at 12:24 27 Mar 2013

    Strange that everyone seems to view Hutton, Caldwell, Adam & Miller as being well past their sell by date, everyone that is apart from those who actually pick the team. Why is Miller still involved, playing conference level 'football' in Canada, plus Hutton, absolutely useless as a defender. Very disappointed in Strachan already.

  • Comment posted by User0875429288, at 12:32 27 Mar 2013

    What did Strachan say at his job interview? "I'm going to pick the same players as the last guy"?

    Another 2 caps for Miller. A farcical defence. Everyone could see that Caldwell/Hanley didn't work on Friday. And Hutton and Whittaker are not international footballers and have been given many chances.

    If we are going to lose without putting up a fight, can we not at least pick 11 young players?

  • Comment posted by Paisley_saint_doug, at 12:07 27 Mar 2013

    Avoiding using Alan Hutton at right back would be one quick fix which would have saved us 2 goals last night. Hang on, we'd have won 1-0 then. For as long as Scotland manager continue to pick players who had 1 good season with an Old Firm team 5 years ago and have been utterly mediocre since, there will indeed be no quick fix.

  • Comment posted by topgoon, at 13:44 27 Mar 2013

    I blame the Tartan Army for clearing the pitch...

  • Comment posted by charmarr, at 07:55 28 Mar 2013

    Mark Mc Ghee was sacked after leading the mighty Bristol Rovers to the bottom of the English fourth division.
    Two weeks later he is Scotlands assistant manager.
    He must be laughing himself to sleep every night.

  • Comment posted by Paisley_saint_doug, at 12:30 27 Mar 2013

    Maybe I am being unfair on Hutton. At least in this game he had tracked back into our own half when Serbia got both their goals.

    Here's another quick fix for Strachan, that 99% of the fans or more can see, but Levein and Strachan can't... it is the end of the line at international football for Kenny Miller.

  • Comment posted by User0774098506, at 22:19 27 Mar 2013

    @161

    OF fans like to think of themselves as the saviour of Scottish Football when in reality if the EPL said tomorrow to come on down the OF would be off. The fact that every town in Scotland has about 90% of its population supporting the OF instead of local teams is the very reason that Scottish Football is dying. But these fans just can't see or don't want to see the damage they are doing.

  • Comment posted by Gary H, at 13:29 27 Mar 2013

    Kenny Miller must have a seriously sore neck and stiff jaw from all the head-shaking and smiling in disbelief he does on a daily basis at the fact he has 68 caps to his name.

  • Comment posted by User0980624812, at 20:21 27 Mar 2013

    @29 I remember Kenny Miller playing for my local team, Derby County, the season they scored 11 points in the Premiership. You are quite right, he is NOT the answer

  • Comment posted by Paisley_saint_doug, at 14:38 27 Mar 2013

    If you're young & good enough but playing at Motherwell, Hibs, Kilmarnock, St Mirren etc the SFA & SPL should be investing in you to keep you playing regularly and at a good level and we would also have a better top league if promising young players stayed playing in the likes of Aberdeen's first team instead of moving to England's Championship or League 1 after 1 good season or less in the SPL.

  • Comment posted by User0362458550, at 12:55 27 Mar 2013

    29 Noel - Could you imagine Celtic having a Scottish striker with 19 goals and him not being picked for Scotland? Why this fear about picking from other teams in the SPL?
    Strachan capped a 27-year-old Englishman who plays for one of the worst teams in the Championship ahead of any SPL player. That's absolutely shocking & grounds for instant dismissal in my opinion.

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 13:43 27 Mar 2013

    ive been saying for years that we need to copy the french. they failed to qualify for italia 90 and decided to write off a few tournaments and concentrate on getting the youngsters ready...and look what happened. start playing the likes of mackay-steven, griffiths, forrest regularly. we will take a few beatings at first, but they should improve and my generation might see us at a finals again.

  • Comment posted by User0555947769, at 12:06 27 Mar 2013

    Stop putting players like Miller, Adam, Hutton and Caldwell on the pitch would be a good start. We have some good young players coming through, get them on the park instead of the dead weight and build for the future.

  • Comment posted by User0871056487, at 20:57 27 Mar 2013

    Bring back the reserve leagues in Scotland. This U20 nonsense doesnt work.

  • Comment posted by GrGlIsEb, at 12:37 27 Mar 2013

    Quickest fix would be to stop picking players like Gary Caldwell, Alan Hutton and Charlie Adam.

  • Comment posted by Santiago, at 13:34 27 Mar 2013

    "Some of these players have never played international football before, some of them are playing with injuries, and some of them are not getting games for their club."

    "George Boyd showed in flashes some of the things we're expecting of him and the rest of the boys did as well as they could."


    Well whose to blame for that messed up situation?


    Strachan Regan Doncaster McGhee OUT

  • Comment posted by User0774098506, at 13:56 27 Mar 2013

    I can't believe some people are calling for WGS head already. We were out before he took over. 3 ridiculous errors in the last two games is the difference between being reasonably happy and being disgusted. Come on lets get behind the manager, although I do agree he did himself no favours by playing Miller.

  • Comment posted by BlueIsTheColour, at 06:54 28 Mar 2013

    I blame the English. If the battle of Culloden had gone the other way then none of this would have happened. The rumour is David Cameron picks the Scottish team and selects Kenny Miller all of the time to inflict maximum damage.

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