4-6-f*****g-0
4-6-0 wasn't some clever system with interchanging attackers running havoc in place of an orthodox centre-forward. It was just putting eleven men behind the ball in Prague against a Czech side that were years past their best and grossly overestimated by the manager. Ten thousand Scots travelled to that match; they and many thousands more never forgave Craig Levein for the humiliation. Unless his more recent 'achievements' at Hearts hold sufficient sway in people's memories, his epitaph will surely read "Here Lies Craig Levein. He Played 4-6-0 in Prague".
That was the third game of the campaign. A 0-0 in Vilnius was an okay start, but Scotland trailed Liechtenstein at one point at Hampden and avoided embarrassment only when Stephen McManus crashed home a 97th minute winner. As to where that much injury time came from, your guess is as good as mine. Had that much finished a draw Levein might have been out on his arse there and then instead of struggling on for another couple of years. Or maybe not, given he was just a year into a five and a half year contract.
The best performance of the campaign was at home to Spain but even then the comeback from two down was only because the Spanish went to sleep. It could have been five or six by that point and as soon as they woke up again they scored with ease.
Ultimately it came down to the return game with the Czechs. A win would have put us in the driving seat for second place and a playoff but yet again Levein was extraordinarily cautious - even more so after a goalkeeping blunder gifted Scotland a half-time lead. The Czechs dominated the second half and drew level only for Darren Fletcher, who somehow managed to play despite being weakened by his ongoing ulcerative colitis, to burst a lung to get on the end of a counterattack and score what appeared to be the winner. That was right up until the Czechs got a dodgy injury time penalty and a draw.
A few days after, we were at least treated to an outstanding performance by a skilful young schemer in a home win over the Lithuanians. That Barry Bannan is going to be a star, we said...
As for Levein, he had done nothing to justify keeping him in the post but the SFA kept him on for the World Cup qualifiers. That went well.
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