GORDON Strachan today refused to discuss his future as Scotland manager after his side drew 2-2 with Slovenia and failed to secure a Russia 2018 play-off spot on goal difference.

The national team needed to triumph in their final Group F fixture in the Skozice Stadium here in Ljubljana to finish runners-up in their section.

A Robert Snodgrass goal with two minutes remaining levelled a match the home team, who had scored twice at set pieces in the second half, had dominated.

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But their attempts to net a late winner in four minutes of injury-time were in vain and they ended up being edged out of second place by Slovakia who beat Malta 3-0 in Trnava.

Strachan has been in charge for four and a half years now and has failed to reach both the Euro 2016 and Russia 2018 finals during that time.

Many members of the Tartan Army are now keen to see the 60-year-old, who was only contracted until the end of this World Cup campaign, stand down and a new man take charge.

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However, the former Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough manager declined to talk about his own position.

“You have to ask that question, but you know fine well that I’m going to say I’m the last person I’m thinking about now,” he said.

“Players, staff and family – I want to make sure they’re all right. The players’ families have backed them up and everything else.

“So we are looking after them at the moment. Me? It’s not a problem. I am proud, really proud, to be their manager.”

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“This is too much. We have to go away and analyse. This is too much to sit here and talk about in front of all you guys.

“I just get on the plane, have a cup of tea, get home and see how it goes after that. But I can go away knowing that group of lads and the group that has worked over the last year, I couldn’t have asked for any more.”

Strachan added: “It’s an honour to work with these guys. At this moment it’s big disappointment, but my disappointment if nothing compared to the players.

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“You saw them at the end of the game. I don’t think I’ve seen a group of players as exhausted after a match. As I said to them, they can go away and feel really proud of themselves.

“I think some of them pushed themselves to places they didn’t think they could actually go.”

Strachan, whose side had taken the lead in the first half through Leigh Griffiths, blamed “genetics” for Scotland being unable to qualify for their first major tournament finals since France ’98.

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He praised the efforts of his players, who won four and drew two of their last six qualifiers, during the unsuccessful campaign.

“We were against a physically stronger side, a side that hadn’t let a goal in here in this campaign,” he said. “But we took the lead.

“We just knew set-pieces would be a problem and they scored with two of them. But you can’t change our genetics. I can’t just pick the biggest people in Scotland.

“Technically we’re fine. But our guys have to work harder to get on the ball than bigger lads at 6ft 3in.

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“But it’s an honour to be their coach. I’ve been fortune to have been successful in my own career and get to places.

“But with all due respect to the lads I played with – some who are my mates now – this group are as good as anything I’ve worked with.

“This group do it for nothing. They do it for their country, their families and the fans. So it’s an honour to work with them and they’re hurting badly.

“When I look back I think ‘you have given it a right good shot,’ and they left nothing in the dressing room.

Read more: Spotlight turns to Gordon Strachan's future as outclassed Scotland fall short in Russia 2018 qualifying bid

“Over the last two games especially they gave it everything they had. We’ve just been beaten in the end on goal difference to Slovakia who are an excellent side.”

Asked what he had learned from the campaign, Strachan said: “What I do know is that genetically we are behind.

"In the last campaign we were the second smallest behind Spain. That means that I had to pick a team tonight to try and combat their height and strength. Even at that, we couldn’t combat their height and strength at set plays.

“Genetically, we have to work at things. It is a problem for us. We have to fight harder for every ball and jump higher because it is easier for these type of guys. Nobody can tell me their technique, apart from one player, is better than any of ours. Physically, we have a problem against the teams we have faced in the last couple of years. Physically, we have a problem.

“We seem to be able to fight it and battle it and get throw just on sheer determination and skill and work rate and that takes a lot out of you. That is what has happened tonight. These guys have put so much into this. I really do feel for them. But they can also feel really pleased with themselves?”