Scots in need of inspiration

Nico van Kerkhoven celebrates scoring for Belgium

BBC Scotland football pundit Murdo MacLeod believes that Craig Brown will leave his job by the end of the year after Scotland's exit from the World Cup.

It was a very disappointing night in Brussels as Scotland lost 2-0 to Belgium.

We are not going to qualify now for the World Cup finals next summer, so I will at least be able to spend my silver wedding anniversary on a cruise and not in Korea and Japan.

It was a group from which I thought we could qualify. But we just could not beat the Belgians and Croatians

We just could not lift our game against the Croatians on Saturday and Belgium on Wednesday.

I felt we were very solid in Belgium, but we did not create any chances in 90 minutes.

Did not have a flair player

As soon as Belgium scored, they went up a gear and we just could not match them.

It is the old story that we can't create enough chances.

The players gave their best, but the quality just was not there.

Craig Brown was left disappointed

Paul Lambert was solid in midfield, Don Hutchison had a few nice touches up front and Matt Elliott was strong at the back.

But we did not have a flair player and we missed the pace of the suspended Neil McCann.

In these two games, manager Craig Brown also changed the shape of his side so often and it is not like him. He usually keeps his shape but changes the players.

I think a lot of the press, and some fans, will now be calling for a change of manager.

Craig is now 62 and I don't think he would want another international campaign.

He already has one of the best records for a Scotland manager.

As a well-respected manager throughout Europe, someone might want him to take over a club side.

My BBC colleague, Chick Young, believes that Craig was offered the Southampton job the last time it was vacant.

Fresh chance

I think Craig will stay in charge until after the Latvia game and then be involved in appointing his successor.

Sometimes with a change of manager you do get a little big more out of players. That happens at club level as well.

There are a few players on the fringes and in the Under-21s who might be given a fresh chance.

Some big names took over the England job, such as Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan, but it did not work out.

Yet Sven Goran Eriksson has come in and done a great job and their performance in beating Germany was magnificent.

Big-name Scot

To bring someone like that in from Europe, it would have to be someone with a good pedigree and we don't pay the kind of money that these guys would be looking for.

Some might suggest younger managers like Alex McLeish, Bobby Williamson or George Burley ought to be given a chance.

But I don't think the Scottish Football Association will go down that route either.

I think all the big names will be mentioned: George Graham, Gordon Strachan, Walter Smith and Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

Bringing in a big-name Scot would give everyone a boost just at the right time.