Monday 25 March 2019 11:09, UK
Alex McLeish deserves time to turn fans' apathy towards the Scotland team around having already secured a Euro 2020 qualifying play-off place, says former player Billy Dodds.
Scotland were booed off after what McLeish described as a "nervous" performance in Sunday's 2-0 win over San Marino, the world's lowest-ranked side.
It followed a 3-0 defeat in their opening European Qualifier away at Kazakhstan, which Dodds described as "the worst performance and the worst result I've seen by a country mile".
Scotland are guaranteed at least a play-off match to reach Euro 2020 after McLeish guided them to a strong Nations League finish last year, though, which is enough to earn a stay of execution - according to Dodds.
"My mentality is let him get his full squad back, give him Cyprus [June 8] and Belgium [June 11] and if he does well in those games we move forward," he told Sky Sports News.
"If he doesn't even Alex will know it's time to be removed, whether he goes or the SFA get rid of him.
"I think he deserves that. He's earned the right. But if it doesn't go well against Cyprus and we get a tanking against Belgium he won't get that chance."
The cost of sacking McLeish may be too high for the Scottish FA anyway, says Doods.
"The board are in a place where they've not got much finance about them, so I think they'll be hoping he can turn it around," he added.
