Source: FOOTYMAD
Fans Impress Levein
Hopefully the favour will be returned when we get to games that mean something Scotland manager Craig Levein was impressed by the Brazilians as they showed us how football should be played on Sunday. He was also impressed by the large contingent of Scotland supporters who turned up to see the inevitable beating by Brazil at the Emirates. He believes the fans can play a huge part in the rest of Scotland’s UEFA EURO2012 Qualification campaign. The official Scottish allocation of almost 11,500 tickets – a record away support – were somehow or other joined by thousands more to add to the colour and spectacle provided by their Brazilian counterparts. The 53,087 crowd was spilt with Scotland taking the Clock End at the Emirates and Brazil the other with a natural mingling of the fans in the middle. The 2-0 reverse did not dampen Scottish fans' enthusiasm for the football on display and the national coach admitted he was overwhelmed by spectacle inside and outside the stadium. Levein said: “It was an unbelievable sight: real heart-warming stuff. The sight of thousands of Scotland supporters lining the streets as we made our way to the stadium was great. There was great interaction between both sets of fans and with the sun shining there was a real carnival atmosphere. That was continued inside the stadium and even though the result was disappointing, the supporters stayed with us throughout. Even on our journey through London to the airport after the game, I was struck by how many people were enjoying themselves and I think that bodes well for any attempts in the future to incorporate England into the newly established Carling Nations Cup. They were a credit to their country." Levein felt that progress on the establishment of Club Scotland was helped by the productive week in La Manga. Scotland used this new understanding to play as a team despite an onslaught against the brilliant Brazilians. Levein is convinced the benefits of the week will become apparent both in the Carling Nations Cup games against Wales and Republic of Ireland in May and also in the crucial Group I double header against Czech Republic and Lithuania at Hampden Park in September. He said: “The importance of the Scotland fans cannot be overemphasised. They will have a huge part to play and at a time when I am endeavouring to create a club mentality within the squad, it is important to stress that they already have that communal understanding. Through good times and bad the supporters have been right behind the team and I genuinely believe they are investing in what we are trying to achieve with this group. There is no doubt the level of support we get gives the players a huge lift. They will be in Dublin in their thousands again for the Carling Nations Cup and I reiterate that is a competition we would like to win. Their support will also be vital for us in the double header at Hampden that will determine our fate in the qualifiers. The players have all responded positively to what we want to do and knowing they have the full backing of the fans will be to our advantage when the Czechs and Lithuania come to Hampden." Levein was pragmatic about the 2-0 defeat to Brazil. He said: "We knew they would be a tough proposition and I think all football fans would appreciate their skills. Having said that, I must compliment my players for the work ethic shown throughout the match."
