IT is surely now a case of when, not if and the only uncertainty is who will make the decision. That should have been the easy bit, though.

The eleven players that stride out the Hampden tunnel when Scotland face Slovenia in March will, in all likelihood, be the same band that have once again fallen short and failed. But the man in the technical area will be different, or at least he should be.

Defeat to England on Friday night ended another dream for Scotland and it now seems certain that it will signal the end of the road for Gordon Strachan as well.

Read more: So how do we fix Scotland? Our team of top writers have their say on the decline of a football nation

The 59-year-old refused to discuss his future at Wembley but he will be contemplating whether his time is up. If he is honest, there is only one answer.

But Strachan is not the only one who should be doing some soul searching right now. It is not Strachan who should have the final say on whether he stays or whether he goes.

It shouldn’t be up to him to decide if he fancies trying to achieve mission impossible in Group F or wants to welcome England next summer for a shot at revenge.

Read more: So how do we fix Scotland? Our team of top writers have their say on the decline of a football nation

The Scottish FA have backed their man, but now they have to sack him. It may be harsh, but that is reality of the game and the stark situation that Strachan finds himself in.

Whether he should have been given the opportunity to get this far is another question. On balance, it was probably right, and only just, that he got another crack at it after the failure to reach the European Championships this summer.

But his position should have come under greater scrutiny, and there should certainly have been no 2020 vision from President Alan McRae as he enthused about the prospect of Strachan leading us into the next Euros.

Nobody can doubt Strachan’s passion for his country but a commitment to the cause doesn’t earn you points and take you to a major finals. It is certainly not about luck, either.

He is working with a squad that is limited in terms of quality and viable alternatives but Strachan is no longer getting the best out of what is available to him.

The positivity that was earned in his opening matches in charge has long since evaporated and progress has stalled. Scotland are now going backwards and change is the only option.

After seeing the Auld Enemy deliver another blow to our national pride, the SFA board – McRae, Stewart Regan, Rod Petrie, Ralph Topping, Mike Mulraney, Tom Johnston, Barrie Jackson and Gary Hughes – must now take control of the situation.

All eight men must have their own views on whether Strachan is the right man for the job so they should be bold enough to make a big decision. The manager shouldn’t have to make the first phone call here.

Strachan should be thanked for his efforts and wished well for the future. He has done his best, but it has not been good enough.

Read more: So how do we fix Scotland? Our team of top writers have their say on the decline of a football nation

Yes, the players at his disposal could, and should, be better but that will require a long-term vision to be presented at Hampden. In that regard, the search for the next Performance Director is just as crucial as the naming of Strachan’s successor.

It is a time for a vision, a coherent plan, for radical thinking. The status quo cannot go on if Scotland’s exile from major tournaments is to go too far into a third decade.

The players on the park have tried and failed but the men in suits cannot afford to get their next two appointment wrong and Regan and Co. must now lead the way to transform the fortunes of our national game.

Many will have no faith that they are the right men for the job, though. If Scotland fail again, it will not be the manager’s head that is being called for.