Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor admits qualifying for the 2014 World Cup now appears to be a tall order as his side prepare to take on Belgium on Tuesday.
The Scots are still looking for their first win in Group A with Craig Levein’s side drawing their first two matches before Friday’s 2-1 defeat by a Gareth Bale-inspired Wales.
Belgium lead the group on goal difference, with Croatia also on seven points.
Scotland, who sit second-bottom of the group, now face a tough task if they are to end their long wait to qualify for their first major finals since the World Cup in France in 1998.
And while acknowledging his side’s chances had been dealt a major blow by the defeat in Cardiff, McGregor insisted his side would not give up.
“It is always important to bounce back when you don’t get a good result and it is especially so now,” McGregor said.
“Obviously qualifying has become more difficult but we can’t give up and we need to look forward to the Belgium game with belief that we can take something from them.
“It’s hard to pinpoint what is going wrong. As the manager said, there is just one ingredient away from things going well but luck is definitely not something we have had a lot of.
“The group was always going to be a difficult one and it has become even more difficult now but we have to take the positives, block out the negatives and do our best to get a result in Belgium.”
Pressure has grown on manager Levein following the loss to Wales and the beleaguered boss knows Scotland need to take maximum points against the Belgians if they are to salvage their campaign.
However, Scotland defender Christophe Berra insists the finger of blame should not be pointed at the manager.
He insists the players should shoulder the responsibility for not snuffing out the threat of a Wales side who snatched victory thanks to a late double from Tottenham Hotspur star Bale.
“It’s got nothing to do with the manager – we are the ones who go out on the pitch.
“We played well, we just maybe ran out of steam a bit. A penalty and a 25-yard strike lost us the game. At top-level football, it’s the flip of a coin sometimes. We didn’t have the luck.
“It’s a game we should have won comfortably. Our chances came and maybe we should have killed them off.”
Don Cowie has replaced fellow midfielder Scott Brown in the Scotland squad for Tuesday’s match in Brussels.
Brown came off at half-time against Wales and the Celtic captain has been struggling with a hip problem this season.
James Forrest is rated extremely doubtful with a groin injury while Andy Webster is nursing a back problem.
Steven Naismith will miss the match at the King Baudouin Stadium, with the forward completing a two-match ban.
Belgian coach Marc Wilmots, whose side won 3-0 in Serbia on Friday, will be without injured pair Marouane Fellaini and Romelu Lukaku.
The win in Belgrade was Serbia’s first competitive defeat on home soil since 2001.
Wilmots has a wealth of talent to call on including captain Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
Scots refuse to surrender World Cup dream
