Pressure on Vogts rises after fiasco in Faroes

Euro 2004 qualifiers: Faroe Islands 2 Scotland 2: Scotland coach's lack of leadership exposed while Republic defence falls apart and Hartson and Davies fell Finland

As Berti Vogts strolled away from the touchline at half-time against the Faroe Islands in Toftir on Saturday afternoon, he walked past a camper van somewhat surreally parked at the edge of the pitch.

Had he borrowed the keys and driven into the distance over the boulder-strewn moonscape that surrounds an arena more Boghead of old than Theatre of Dreams, few would have questioned his judgement. Quitting while you are a distance behind is probably preferable to being sacked as an utter failure. Neither scenario can yet be ruled out.

The German had just witnessed as ineffective a 45 minutes as Scotland have ever produced, including woeful defending to allow the home side two goals inside the first 12 minutes and "striking" that did nothing to warrant the name.

Come 90 minutes, and two (partially) face-saving goals from Paul Lambert and Barry Ferguson, and Vogts still had not shaken off the ignominy of being winless as Scotland's manager in six full internationals. His charges had been dire, clueless and humiliated by a team of part-timers. No discernible direction had come from the top, with even the main half-time pep talk duties handled by captain Paul Lambert as opposed to his World Cup-winning boss.

More damning were the words of Lambert's midfield partner, the Rangers captain, Ferguson. "Time's running out," he said afterwards. "We can't keep saying give Berti time. That's six games and we've yet to win. We need to start producing the results." If his team were as capable of results as understatement, there would be no problem.

John Petersen, the schoolteacher who scored the Faroes' goals, could never have imagined he would be dishing out lessons at this level. For Scotland, the drawing board is the least of it. On this showing they have not a hope in hell (let alone Germany, Iceland or Lithuania, the other nations in Group Five of the European Championship qualifiers) of progressing to Portugal in 2004.

It was the manner of Saturday's defeat – and it was a defeat, morally if not strictly by scoreline – that was most of concern. Discount the conditions and the "pluckiness" of the opposition. They are not new. And the Faroes side were weaker, man for man, than the side who held Scotland to a 1-1 draw three years ago.

The fact that Vogts' team was also without players such as Dominic Matteo, Gary Naysmith, Don Hutchison and Neil McCann is also flimsy papering over gaping cracks. It still included a European Cup winner, multi-decorated members of the Old Firm and regulars from the English Premiership.

The specifics of Saturday are what condemn Vogts. Stephen Crainey at left-back was no match for Jakup a Borg, who contributed to both Petersen's goals as Christian Dailly and David Weir were abjectly off the pace in the centre of defence. Maurice Ross failed to cover. Paul Dickov, asked to play in an unfamiliar role on the right, lacked penetration. Ferguson scored a composed equaliser but it should not have been required.

In the first half Kevin Kyle headed wide from close up, twice. Allan Johnston hit the side-netting not the net and Dailly's hesitancy with one shot allowed a defender to clear. It went on. Even Lambert's goal was the product of a bagatelle deflection rather than artistry. Had Rab Douglas not saved Hjalgrim Elltor's late effort, a Faroes victory would have been just reward.

The buck stops with Vogts. He chooses the team and tactics and he is paid to inspire his players to make them work. He is not doing it. "I don't know why it happened," he said. "I asked the players at half-time what happened and they did not know. But I told them at the same time we still had time to win the game."

They are hardly the words of a man turning base metal to gold and yet the Scottish FA's chief executive, David Taylor, is sure Vogts is the right man to continue in the footsteps of Craig Brown, whose record increasingly smacks of sorcery the more time that passes since his departure. "Berti is here for the long term," Taylor said yesterday. That could be a painful stretch. Or just a stretch of the imagination.

Goals: 1-0 Petersen (6); 2-0 Petersen (11); 2-1 Lambert (61); 2-2 Ferguson (84).

FAROE ISLANDS (4-4-2): Knudsen (NSI); Johannesen (TB), J Hansen (B68), Thorsteinsson (NSI), J Jacobsen (HB); Elltor (B36), Benjaminsen (B68), Johnsson (B36), Borg (B36); Petersen (B36), C Jacobsen (Vejle). Substitutes: Lakjuni (KI) for Elltor, 89; Flotum (HB) for Petersen, 78; R Jacobsen (KI) for C Jacobsen, 75.

SCOTLAND (4-4-2): Douglas (Celtic); Ross (Rangers), Weir (Everton), Dailly (West Ham Utd), Crainey (Celtic); Dickov (Leicester City), Lambert (Celtic), Ferguson (Rangers), Johnston (Middlesbrough); Kyle (Sunderland), Dobie (West Bromwich Albion). Substitutes: Alexander (Preston North End) for Ross, 74; Crawford (Dunfermline Athletic) for Dickov, 46; Thompson (Dundee Utd) for Dobie, 84.

Referee: J Granat (Poland).

Bookings: Faroe Islands: Borg. Scotland: Ross, Weir.

Attendance: 4,000.

Man of the match: Petersen.