The manager rolled the dice for what was surely the final time by ringing the changes to no positive effect against England at Wembley

To those cynical towards Gordon Strachan and his position as Scotland’s manager, as plenty are, the team sheet read like a farewell letter. Strachan’s attitude is such that some would even regard the radical overhaul of a hitherto underperforming team as a deliberate expression that change is not really as good as a rest.

Both of these notions would be grossly unfair of course. Nonetheless, Strachan rolled the dice for what was surely a final time by ringing the Wembley changes. If Scott Brown’s return was widely trailed, the deployment of Leigh Griffiths – so prolific at domestic level – was as surprising as it was populist. Ikechi Anya reappeared from cold storage in the unusual international position of full-back with David Marshall, the Hull City goalkeeper, dropped in favour of Craig Gordon.

The trouble is, for Strachan the full-time picture was so painfully familiar. Malta are at least preventing the Scots from being bottom of Group F. Small mercies spring to mind.

England’s hat-trick of slick headers put feeble Scotland in their place Read more

Scotland were woefully profligate when given sight of England’s goal. In defence, the concession of cheap goals has been so regular a feature of this Scottish team it could almost be a standing joke. England, a team bundled out of the European Championships by Iceland and far from free flowing, did not have to be anywhere near their best to see off their northern neighbours with plenty to spare.

Perhaps even a rousing Scottish performance would have papered over cracks. Instead, as Strachan slumped into his seat at the juncture where Adam Lallana headed England two goals ahead, the realisation surely hit that this is the end of the road. Scotland lack the resource to compete with Europe’s elite but the managerial failing is that this has been a team in regression for some time. There is no glimmer of hope upon which to cling.

Between now and March, when Slovenia visit Hampden Park for a fixture which currently has all the appeal of Forfar Athletic versus Montrose, the Scottish FA must plot a new route forward. That should not involve Strachan, a coach who has performed the somewhat difficult task of making a bunch of mediocre players appear worse. He is worthy of no further patience. When teams repeat failings at in every element of their play, attention can only point towards the individual supposedly leading them.

Events in Belfast were pertinent as Scotland capitulated in London. Northern Ireland’s dismissal of Azerbaijan endorsed Michael O’Neill’s ability both to maximise a scant playing pool and win fixtures where favouritism has been earned. Strachan’s situation should not have been determined by the meeting with a superior team but it came to this because of earlier horror shows. Lithuania, who were trounced by Slovakia on Friday evening, deserved at least the point they claimed in Glasgow in October.

A promising Scotland start also had month-old context. In Slovakia, Strachan’s side had opened brightly before the collapse which contributed to a 3-0 reverse. There, as here, the issue was not taking advantage of opportunity before defensive failings exposed themselves once more.

Scotland may argue an element of bad luck regarding Daniel Sturridge’s opening goal. When blocking a Raheem Sterling shot, Grant Hanley had been winded and thereby rendered immobile. Christophe Berra, Hanley’s fellow centre-back, thereby found himself having to do the job of two players from a subsequent cross. Berra gambled wrongly, with Sturridge free to flick his header beyond the helpless Gordon. Earlier, Sterling had breezed past the returning Brown as if he was not there.

This element of misfortune, though, was more than offset by glaring deficiencies at the opposite end. Every replay of Hanley’s 28th minute header, with no opponent within the same postcode, made the Newcastle defender’s miscue more appalling. Later, Griffiths saw headlines and glory when shooting instead of playing in the marauding Robert Snodgrass. The Scots, it was reasonably assumed, could not pass up such opportunity.

And yet, they seemed to believe this theme could continue. James Forrest, a player highly fortunate to be in a Scotland shirt given Oliver Burke’s physicality and talent, hopelessly screwed wide of Joe Hart’s goal within three minutes of the restart. Seconds later, Snodgrass saw his shot blocked.

England once again seized on this. From a relatively simple corner kick routine, Scotland were bamboozled. With half an hour to play, it was a question of by how many goals the hosts wished to add to Gareth Southgate’s job application. The Tartan Army, a 14,000-strong group so famed for unwavering support, were resigned to silence – or the watering holes of Wembley – long before full-time.

Strachan showed no willingness to redraw his gameplan, even with nothing more to lose. The 59-year-old was urged in verse by the England support to “Cheer up”. When he does, it will be when enjoying his favourite pastime on the golf course; this ship has sailed.