Scotland's young guns can't feel sorry for themselves - but grim reality of pecking order has been emphasised

With anticipation building that the young Scots could end a 28-year exile from the European Championships - a win over the Belgians would have secured at least a play-off spot - those hopes are now dangling by a thread following the Red Devils’ 2-0 win in Gorgie.

With one round of fixtures remaining on Tuesday, Scotland must hope that Belgium lose at home to already eliminated Hungary and that they become the first team from these shores to win in Kazakhstan, 4656 miles away in Almaty.

It is a long way to go for probable disappointment. Scotland did defeat the Kazakhs 4-1 in Paisley but they are a different proposition in what is essentially Asia. The under-21s drew 2-2 against them in their last sojourn east. The travel and time difference must be factored in. So, too, must events closer to home in Heverlee. Belgium defeated the Hungarians away from home 1-0 last year when the group was completely live. Now the Magyars only have pride to play for.

Manager Scot Gemmill is trying to remain optimistic. “We have to go and win,” Gemmill said. “I’m sure I’m right, no team has won there. It's a nine-hour flight, five-hour time difference and they will make it difficult. We want to be the first Scottish team to win there.”

Can Hungary do him and his players a favour? “Yeah, they’re a good team,” reasoned Gemmill. “They’ll be well-organised and anything can happen. We have to believe that but we have to take care of our own performance and get our win then we’ll look elsewhere.”

While Scotland have been admirably competitive with their commitment and organisation in Group B, anyone who has watched the recent home defeats by Spain (2-1) and Belgium (2-0) will have noted the gulf in quality. The Spanish have been excellent in the qualifying campaign, while Belgium have recovered well since losing to Scotland last year in Roselaire.

The technical ability of the Belgians was the most glaring difference between the two teams. The way their midfielders took care of the ball and shuttled it from side to side, looking patiently for openings, was admirable. Connor Barron and Lennon Miller are regarded as Scotland’s brightest prospects, but they were made to look decidedly average in the midfield. That’s not to say they are not decent players - far from it - but as a unit, Scotland could not hold on to possession for any tangible period of time.

There can be little doubt Scotland missed injured striker Kieron Bowie, who would surely have offered a greater threat than Josh Mulligan, a midfielder asked to play up front. There was little ball retention in the final third. While the back five can be praised for shape and discipline, there is only so long that a team can hold out when ceding 70 per cent of the ball.

At a time when the main national team is struggling for wins, there has to be concern within Scottish football about the under-21s’ mediocrity at this level. Are the current crop ready to make the step up? In what will be their final campaigns at this level, captain Josh Doig and Barron have already tasted the senior set-up, while Miller - just 18, remember - will command interest from clubs abroad in January. But while a stand-out for Motherwell this season, the teenager paled in comparison to Belgium’s Arthur Vermeeren, a 19-year-old who is on the books of Atletico Madrid and was bought for a fee in excess of £20 million.

The sentiment of a missed opportunity comes from the fact that a draw would have left matters in Scotland’s hands, while a win would have secured at worst a play-off spot. “I didn’t sense nerves,” Gemmill said of the occasion. “All week the prep was good. I speak to the players about it being an opportunity and it’s best v best. It’s what they need for their development. No matter their stage with their clubs, they’re all on different pathways, these are the games people zoom in and gauge their potential. You could see in the preparation there was an edge, as there has to be at this level.”

Barring an unlikely turn of events, Scotland will not be in Slovakia for Euro 2025. You have to go back to 1996 for the last Scotland team to grace those championships. Of the squad that made it, eight went on to win senior caps: Jackie McNamara, Steven Pressley, Christian Dailly, Stephen Crawford, Charlie Miller, Simon Donnelly, Allan Johnston and Stephen Glass. Tommy Craig’s young guns finished fourth in an abridged event, defeating Hungary over two legs before losing 2-1 to Spain in Barcelona in the semis and 1-0 to France in the third-place play-off.

How many of the current group will go on to land full honours? On current evidence, not many are ready to make the leap. The once-in-a-generation talent in 18-year-old Ben Doak is already absorbed into Steve Clarke’s set-up. He would be the only player capable of holding a candle to Belgium’s technical ability.

Gemmill’s job now is to make sure Scotland at least take care of their side of the bargain on Tuesday in Almaty, and then hope Belgium slip up. “It’s good to see young players playing with commitment and concentration and we need to go to Kazakhstan and win,” he added. “There’s no point feeling sorry for ourselves, we need to keep going and win there. They’re all playing at a good level. We have a big squad, we have 25 players, so we’ll be good to go again.”