THE criticism that was aimed in his direction as performances were found wanting and defeats were suffered may have stung as he attempted to rebuild the Scotland team.

But at no stage during the turbulent and often traumatic start to his second spell as national manager did Alex McLeish ever contemplate giving up.

Not when his team slumped their heaviest home defeat in 45 years to Belgium. Not when they were booed off the park by their own supporters in Israel. Not when experienced internationalists retired or asked not to be considered for selection. Not when pundits questioned his suitability for the role. Not when players pulled out of his squad in their droves.

The build-up to the final Nations League double header against Albania and Israel was billed by many as being make-or-break for McLeish despite the fact he had only been in charge for only nine months and had overseen just two competitive games.

If his team had failed to top Group C1 there would have been a clamour for him to be replaced.

Even after a 4-0 win in Shkoder on Saturday night, rumours abounded that he would stand down after the Israel game at Hampden on Tuesday evening irrespective of the outcome. But it all simply spurred him on to prove the detractors wrong.

“Football is really fickle nowadays isn’t it?” he said yesterday in the aftermath of a thrilling 3-2 win that had ensured his side topped their section and secured a Euro 2020 play-off spot. You are judged early doors. Two or three results and it is crisis. I just needed a bit of slack.

“After the last game I didn’t feel very good for 24 hours. But as soon as I got back in the next day I was hard at it again. I want to prove everybody wrong who was doubting me. That was the key and it has always been the key. Whenever you get knocked down you have to get back up. I have done that loads of times in my career.

“I am determined. I have got a contract. I am not going to walk out after four or five games because people are shouting at me or moaning at me and there is a little bit or negativity on social media. That doesn’t make me want to quit.

“I am only just getting started. The qualification games are the ones that mattered. If it didn’t go well on Tuesday night it would obviously be a bit of a different interview today. But I would still be telling you I have only just started.”

It had been suggested, including by his former Scotland team mate Davie Provan, that McLeish was, at 59, some way past his peak as a manager. But, again, he used it as motivation.

“I feed off that,” he said. “It makes me more determined. I’m more experienced than I was when Davie thinks I had my best years. I’m still passionate. I take inspiration from the Roy Hodgsons of this world. And, as I say, I am only getting started.”

A much-needed switch from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 formation in the last two games has transformed his reign. The change has allowed him to field on-form wingers James Forrest and Ryan Fraser in their favoured positions. Both were exceptional in the wins over Albania and Israel and have years at the highest level ahead of them.

McLeish had to reassure Forrest, who became the first player to score five goals in a row for Scotland since Denis Law way back in 1963, that he was a part of his plans after he was left on the bench for both the Belgium and Albania games in September.

“James was disappointed on one of the earlier trips,” he said. “I spoke to him after he’d had his shower and said to him ‘sorry, but there’s definitely a place for you in this team’. I had been going with the 3-5-2 and that didn’t suit the wingers. We tried to do a 3-4-3 which gives wingers a better chance, but perfecting that takes a lot of time.”

McLeish added: “What do you say to James after scoring two goals at the weekend? The motivation was there. We just kept patting him on the back and telling him to go again. His finishing was brilliant. They were phenomenal finishes and the top strikers would have been proud of them.”

The fact the side that beat Albania and Israel was not his strongest – Leigh Griffiths, John McGinn, Charlie Mulgrew, Steven Naismith, John Souttar, Kieran Tierney would all have been vying for a start if fit – makes McLeish confident Scotland can improve further still going forward.

“Kieran was gutted to miss out on so was John McGinn,” he said. “They were very keen to ignore the scans and come and play for Scotland.

“They are two really good young players who have been produced in this country. Can they become Scottish greats? That’s the challenge for them.”

Another player who has a chance to attain legendary status is Andy Robertson. McLeish made the Liverpool left back Scotland captain at the beginning of this season. It is not a decision he has had cause to regret.

“Andy has been a great captain over the two games,” he said. “He’s great in the dressing room and pulls all the boys together.

“And if you don’t see the overlapping Andy on the park, that’s because he doesn’t have Virgil Van Dijk beside him and some of the others he has at Liverpool.

“We wanted him to be tighter to our centre-halves and that curtails his attacking flair, but he gets it, he knows we’re not Liverpool and he played a big tactical game.

“He’s the equal of all his team-mates. James Forrest scores a hat-trick and Andy plays for Liverpool but we try not to single out anyone. No-one is above anyone else and there’s a great spirit in the squad.”

There remain significant hurdles to be overcome in future before Scotland book a place at Euro 2020, but the outlook is suddenly a lot brighter than it was this time last week.