Holland 3 Scotland 0:FOR GEORGE Burley, taking Scotland to Amsterdam for a World Cup qualifier represented the biggest occasion of his managerial career. Next up is his biggest test, and there may not be an opportunity for the Scotland manager to better a Saturday night out in the Netherlands should Iceland derail his uncertain journey to South Africa on Wednesday night. There is no margin for error now.

Coffee shop optimists could not conjure hope for the most difficult test in Group Nine and it unfolded exactly as it appeared it would on paper, with a depleted Scotland exposed by a side ranked third in the world.

There was no shame for Burley’s men and no recriminations but there will be if they fail to record a second win in the group at Hampden Park this week. Scotland will again be plagued by injury and painfully short of quality in attack against Iceland. Excuses, however, will not be welcome. Burley must find a way.

“We need to beat Iceland now. We have to win,” the Scotland manager said. “We’ve got to look to win all our home games if we are going to finish second.

In many respects Burley could not lose in Amsterdam. Little was expected of Scotland and there was no argument with the containment plan he sought to execute against a vibrant Dutch team.

Now he is under pressure, and the hesitancy that allowed Joris Mathijsen to smother Kenny Miller’s one glorious chance for Scotland showed how problematic that can be when he has so few options in reserve.

“It will be a different game altogether,” said the manager, who must be tempted to start Hibernian’s Steven Fletcher against the Icelanders. “I thought we were fairly positive against Holland in going 4-3-3 and we competed well against them. “Iceland is a completely different game and we have got to press them higher up, put them under pressure. We need to win the game.”

The Scotland manager ruminated on the defensive lapses that ruined an excellent start and enabled Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie to head home exquisite crosses from the hugely influential Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben. The lesson in possession football was galling for Scotland’s seasoned internationals and it may be wise not to revisit the final hour of this match on DVD before Wednesday night.

“They weren’t cutting us open in the first-half but they stayed patient,” said Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher. “Then, when they get 1-0 up, they are happy with that. But we didn’t let our heads go down.”

Scorers: Huntelaar 30, Van Persie 45, Kuyt 78 pen.