Martin O’Neill’s message for Scotland
Despite taking four points from Ireland and splitting two matches with Poland Gordon Strachan’s side finished in fourth place in the group failing to make the play-off stage.
As Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland plan for a summer campaign in France it seems that Scotland will be replaying the group matches in search of hard luck stories centred around losing in Georgia and conceding a last minute equaliser to Poland.
The purpose of the group system is to provide each team with ten matches, home and away against each other with no disputing over the final places which saw Germany and Poland qualify automatically with Ireland preparing for a play-off next month.
“I heard Gordon saying they’re out and us and Poland haven’t beaten them,” O’Neill said. “We’ve taken four points off the world champions Germany. Scotland didn’t do that. So I think we should put it into perspective.
“I thought we had an opportunity to qualify in Warsaw. It’s gone. I’m disappointed but, regardless of who we play, we’re still here and we’re fighting for it. We’re not out of it by a long shot and I’d take any of them.”
Looking optimistically towards Sunday’s play-off draw the former Celtic manager added: “If you beat the world champions you have to feel you’ve made some progress but I wouldn’t want to get carried away with all of that. I was as disappointed as anyone we didn’t make it on Sunday night.”