Gordon Strachan turns attention to England clash after heavy Slovakia defeat

Scotland boss Gordon Strachan will go to Wembley next month with hope despite the 3-0 defeat by Slovakia in Trnava on Tuesday night.

The loss of three points meant the Scots dropped to fourth place in their 2018 World Cup qualifying Group F with four points, three behind leaders England.

A Robert Mak double and an Adam Nemec header left the visitors well beaten but Strachan insists his side can still finish in the play-off spot as he turned his attention to London and matchday four.

The former Celtic boss said: "It is another opportunity to get three points.

"We would like to be better off, we are one point off a play-off place, something like that.

"Your form can change.

"It is amazing how form can change in two weeks.

"It is an amazing how you can go from not doing so well at things you are talking about (scoring and defending) to doing very well a couple of weeks later.

"Form can change, players can come through, things can happen for you, there is no doubt about that."

Strachan's future, however, will now be up for debate but when asked if he could still take the team forward, he replied: "At this moment in time the people who I feel sorry for are the players, they put so much work into it the last couple of games with little reward.

"They are the ones I am feeling sorry for, thinking, 'How do we protect them and send them back to their clubs feeling good about themselves?'.

"They can't go back to their clubs thinking they could have tried any more.

"They could have passed the ball better on certain occasions, made a couple of decisions but as a group I am really proud of them.

"The second group you feel sorry for are the supporters that travelled.

"You do feel for them, that is what we are thinking about just now, I am not thinking about myself."