Strachan’s case for the defence is now clear

Scotland’s win in Croatia was a lesson to all aspiring managers.

It was a fantastic example of a coach making the most of what he has.

Gordon Strachan had to take a team at a very low ebb and without several of his stars to face the country ranked fourth-best in the world.

What he did was ignore the negatives and instead focus on building a shrewd gameplan his players could buy into. It paid off, and how.

I was critical of many of Gordon’s decisions after the defeat by Wales at Hampden in March which effectively killed off our chances of getting to Brazil.

Not this time.

He sent out his best XI in a 4-5-1 formation, and told them to do everything in their power to restrict the time and space available to Croatia’s influential playmakers.

It is a strategy which asks a huge amount of effort and energy from the team’s midfielders. For players at the end of a long, hard season and in the midst of a demoralising run of international results to produce such a high level work-rate speaks volumes for their commitment to the cause.

I said before the game the performance would be as important as the result. And even before we got the goal, I was pleased by what I was seeing.

Ironically, it was scored by Robert Snodgrass, a man I believed should have been substituted against Wales as it was obvious he was going to get himself sent off. Gordon kept faith with him in Zagreb, and it paid huge dividends.

Now many of those missing in Croatia will struggle to get their place back.

I said in the wake of the Welsh defeat that defence was a huge problem for Gordon. Maybe now it’s not. One of the great positives of the performance in Croatia was the way Russell Martin grabbed his chance in central defence. Assured and capable, he was the defensive leader we have been looking for. He talked Grant Hanley through what was a very tough test against top-quality strikers.

As a regular in the position for Norwich City, Martin will be able to look forward to similar tests week in, week out in the English Premier League in the new season. Gary Caldwell, a man with an excellent attitude, will not as Wigan have been relegated. So there are big decisions ahead for Gordon.

Just as we shouldn’t get carried away, neither should we fail to be encouraged by what was a terrific result at the end of a largely terrible season.