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Your support makes all the difference.Maybe it was all a cunning plan, as Baldrick would tell Blackadder, to fool the Germans. Watched by representatives of Rudi Völler, who brings Germany to Glasgow for a vital Euro 2004 qualifier on 7 June, Scotland surrendered to Austria last night in one of their worst displays of Berti Vogts' reign as manager. There have been plenty to pick from.
Goals in the space of six first-half minutes by Roland Kirchler and Mario Haas, the second following a horrendous goalkeeping error by Paul Gallacher, were scant reward for Austria's initial superiority in this friendly.
Scotland improved after the break, yet seldom looked at ease with the system or the roles which Vogts had allocated to certain players. Many, including the right-footed Christian Dailly captaining the team as a left-sided wing-back, were used in positions they never play at club level.
Only 12,189 spectators sat through the shambles, the stadium's fifth lowest for a Scotland match. Germany's visit will bear no resemblance in that respect, and Vogts hopes to have Paul Lambert, Rab Douglas and perhaps Barry Ferguson available. In the meantime, he has much work to do, not least on a defence repeatedly exposed by Austria's ability to switch play from one side of the pitch to the other.
Vogts, having seen the Scots beaten for the ninth time in his 13 matches, was asked whether he feared the sack if results did not improve. "No. I have a job to do and I must give all my experience to the players and to Scottish football."
The German added: "I'm very disappointed, with the result and with our first-half performance. There was no fight, no speed and we were over-run. We didn't get close enough to the Austrians until after half-time.
"In the second half we did more in the tackle and made three or four chances. We also saw positive things from Andrew Webster on his debut and James McFadden on his first start. Don Hutchison did well, too, for an hour. But the whole team looked tired after a long, hard season. I can understand why people booed us off."
Austria settled faster, counter-attacking with pace and confidence. A sweeping move involving Haas and Michael Wagner ended with Markus Schopp volleying hurriedly at Gallacher. The coach, Hans Krankl, threw up his arms and buried his head in his hands in the manner now favoured by Trevor Brooking, but he need not have worried.
The first goal, on 28 minutes, was well worked but poorly defended by Scotland. Paul Scharner had time to deliver a crossfield pass to the unmarked Wagner, whose cross was met by the outstretched boot of the unchallenged Kirchler.
The second, in the 33rd minute, will assuredly feature in the "what-happened-next" part of Question of Sport. Gallacher, attempting to switch Lee Wilkie's back-pass on to his stronger foot, failed to notice Haas racing in. The Austrian dispossessed him before stroking the ball into an unguarded net.
Vogts was clearly angered by Scotland's feebleness and he frequently waved his players forward. Hutchison's physical presence, which Vogts believes will trouble his compatriots, finally created an opening on the hour. His lay-off was followed by a Gary Naysmith shot, the ball veering narrowly off target.
Ten minutes later, a through-ball by one substitute, Kenny Miller, was miscontrolled by another, Stevie Crawford, with only Mandl to beat. Miller soon fed Crawford once more, but his shot cannoned off Mandl, hit Crawford and flew over. It was that kind of night – again – for Scotland.
SCOTLAND (3-4-1-2): Gallacher (Dundee Utd); Wilkie (Dundee), Pressley, Webster (both Hearts); Devlin (Birmingham City), Burley (Derby County), Naysmith (Everton), Dailly (West Ham Utd); Hutchison (West Ham Utd); McFadden (Motherwell), Thompson (Rangers). Substitutes: Gemmill (Everton) for Dailly, h-t; Crawford (Dunfermline) for Thompson, h-t; Miller (Wolves) for Hutchison, 62; Cameron (Wolves) for Burley, 64; Devlin (Birmingham City) for Smith, 85; Smith (Celtic) for Devlin, 85.
AUSTRIA (4-4-1-1): Mandl (Austria Vienna); Scharner (Austria Vienna), Stranzl (TSV 1860 Munich), Ehmann (GAK Graz), Dospel (Austria Vienna); Schopp (Brescia), Aufhauser (GAK Graz), Flögel, Wagner (both Austria Vienna); Kirchler (Salzburg); Haas (Sturm Graz). Substitutes: Brunmayr (GAK Graz) for Haas, 64; Hieblinger (Kärnten) for Flögel, 90.
Referee: N Vollquartz (Denmark).
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