GORDON STRACHAN has taken the blame for Scotland’s woeful 2016 but insisted his team could still somehow salvage their World Cup campaign.

The national side's manager was in a conciliatory mood as he admitted results and performances had been disappointing and conceded he’d lost the confidence of many supporters.

Scotland are fifth in Group F having taken just four points from four games, with the home match against Slovenia in March a must-win. Anything else than victory may well bring an end to the Strachan era despite him agreeing to stay on after the defeat at Wembley two months ago.

Asked how he had coped with the pressure heaped on him given how badly qualification has gone so far, the sole win coming against Malta, Strachan said: “You have to deal with it. In the previous year, I did think we were so close to being a good team. I think we are playing like a team, we move like a team together and that is a disappointment because I thought we were going to go from there to taking it on to be a right good side.

“Circumstances are against you sometimes. But I can’t blame anyone else but myself. I am not indignant about anyone questioning your position as a manager. Not whatsoever. I can understand that.

“There are ways of doing it, obviously. That’s what happens in football. Antonio Conte wasn’t very good at the start of the season. Now he’s a genius. (Pep) Guardiola was a genius at the beginning of the season and now not so much so.

“What I do like about this job is that I do love the job. I love working with people, coaching the players. The group I have got is fantastic.”

When it was put to him, during an interview with Sky that, despite his positivity there is a large number of Scotland supporters who have given up on him as the man to lead the country back to a major final, Strachan said: “I can understand that. I can’t go around their houses individually and say ‘this is what I’m trying to do - and like me.' I can’t do that.

"I’ve just got to get on with my job. In saying that, the people I come in contact with are absolutely fabulous. The support I’ve had from people in the game has been good, plus I am confident in myself and the people I’m working with. We can change it around and qualify.”

For Scotland to have any chance of finishing at least second, and even that wouldn’t guarantee a play-off place, they would likely need to win five our their remaining six matches and probably have to avoid defeat against England at Hampden in June.

Strachan said: “There is not a target as such but we have to do is start winning games. That’s for sure. We have to win the next one, that’s for sure. That is our mindset now.

“I hope the break has helped us. We start again, here we go, and we need to win this first game that comes up.

“It’s been a disappointing year but we need to put that aside now and look forward to this year. Not that everything changes dramatically just because it’s a new year. You have to do something about that yourself.”