Alan Brazil: Scotland must go with the kids to improve

IT’S time for someone to bite the bullet where the Scotland team is concerned.

Let’s hope Gordon Strachan’s men beat Slovenia tonight to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive.

We all know it’s a must-win match. A draw simply isn’t good enough.

I know there are a lot of angry supporters out there, I’ve had them calling in to my radio show.

They will want Gordon’s head if he doesn’t deliver three points at Hampden.

For me, the current malaise isn’t really about the manager.

There are very limited resources when it comes to quality and class players.

If Gordon walks or is pushed, I can’t think of anyone ready and available to step into the job – certainly nobody who’s going to suddenly transform our fortunes.

What we have to do is start playing Under-21s and even younger in the full team.

Perhaps we should just forget about the next 18 months to two years, accept a few hidings, and hope we can grow a team from within.

Giving the kids a chance seems to me to be the only way forward.

We can tell them not to worry too much about results, and make sure they know they won’t be in and out of squads.

I know that’s not a policy that will be popular with supporters who have already gone nearly 20 years without seeing Scotland qualify for a major championship.

I understand that. I’m a massive Scotland fan and I’m as frustrated as anyone by our lack of success.

But turning to youth is a method that worked for Germany when they failed badly at the World Cup finals in 1998.

Their quarter-final exit led to the creation of a network of youth development centres.

Scotland have to go down this route because there’s nothing to create any excitement where the team is concerned.

The Tartan Army have always turned out in huge numbers. But there is increasing evidence to suggest that even hard-core fans are losing their enthusiasm.

If Scotland can get a result tonight, then we face the prospect of playing England at Hampden in June.

That will be a tough game. But it’s one that always rallies the nation.

Scotland’s best chance of a victory against Slovenia is, rather ironically, being contributed to by a Northern Irishman.

Brendan Rodgers has done tremendous work at Celtic in reviving the careers of Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong.

I would play all six Celtic players in the Scotland squad, including Leigh Griffiths.

They’re playing for a team that is unbeaten domestically and their confidence must be at an all-time high.

Let’s hope another man can help inspire a wider improvement in the game.

The SFA appointed Malky Mackay as performance director and his job is absolutely vital for the future of football north of the border.

I really hope he gets the time to sprinkle a bit of magic dust over the young players who want to be tomorrow’s stars.

Putting our faith in youth might mean more suffering in the short-term. But I’m prepared to take that chance because at the moment we’re going nowhere.