Football: Brown builds platform for expansion

Paris and Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto. Some alluring stops punctuate Craig Brown's schedule, though even the draw for the preliminary rounds of the World Cup in the French capital is unlikely to excite the Scotland manager's interest as much as his trip to Birmingham five days later.

There, on 17 December, Brown will learn the who, where and when of Scotland's second successive appearance in the European Championship finals. Their qualifying campaign, which started with a sublime goal in Finland and ended with a ridiculous one gifted by San Marino, was not exactly Braveheart II, but it showed that the Scots will not easily be put to the sword next summer.

While "Hard tae beat" is a far cry from the exhortations with which William Wallace inspired his Tartan Army, it fits Brown's footsoldiers well. They lost just one of the 10 Group Eight matches, to a dubious penalty in Athens that was one of only three goals conceded.

Brown, who took over near the end of a forlorn bid to reach the World Cup finals, deserves vast credit. "Had we failed in successive tournaments, it would've been pretty bad," he admitted in the aftermath of the 5-0 romp against San Marino. "There would've been a depression about the place."

Amid all the bleating and breast-beating about the collapse of Scottish clubs in Europe, Brown has displayed tactical nous and an ability to maximise relatively limited resources. "The team may not have been sparkling but it's been efficient - against strong opposition. People say our section was weak, but Russia and Greece have sides at the top of their groups in the Champions' League."

Many supporters, notably those who hanker after a "personality" figurehead, will see Brown's asssessment of their prospects as unduly downbeat rather than pragmatic. "We've got a job on our hands to get beyond the first phase," he said, aware Scotland have never achieved as much in either competition. "We must be honest about that, but we'll give it a go."

The role of rank outsiders has, however, traditionally suited the Scots psyche. If Brown can harness greater attacking threat to what is almost an embarrassment of midfield riches, while at the same time maintaining the new-found defensive solidity, their ambition need not be seen as fanciful.

Scott Booth, a scorer in each of his last four internationals at Hampden Park, is now first-choice forward. Pairing him with Eoin Jess, his Aberdeen colleague, worked well against the Sammarinese, but with the latter now playing in midfield for his club, the experience and track record of Ally McCoist or the power and unpredictability of Duncan Ferguson remain tempting options.

Unfortunately for Brown, his next opportunity to evaluate the permutations will not come until March, against opponents to be confirmed. The following month Scotland test their potential to do a Denmark against the European champions themselves, with preparations likely to be completed in late May by games in the United States and Canada.