Even Strachan's praise of James Beattie was delivered in a back handed way. "He's not the most beautiful thing you will see on a football pitch," said Strachan. “He doesn’t move like a Thierry Henry or a Michael Owen but he scores goals and we all know that’s the most important part of your team.

“I’ve told him to look at Alan Shearer and learn that kind of job, getting the ball off midfield players and getting into the box.

"We had only three players who stuck to our game plan and that wasTelfer, Lundekvam and Oakley and it has not been a great day.

"West Brom don't often change their system but they changed it today. They pushed right up against us. But we had a plan for that but we didn't stick to it.
"That's why I got a bit animated in the second half - because If you've got a plan and the lads don't carry it out then I have every right to be annoyed."

"The chairman and the fans are probably delighted at the result but as a manager you look for more. If they had Beattie in their side, it may have been different for West Brom because it is strikers who make your team."

While it may be strikers who make the team, it would be nice to see someone other than Beattie put the ball into the net.

Strachan said: “He’s (Beattie) under this pressure to score in every game now because if he doesn’t we are struggling and, without him would be down there with West Brom. He needs support from other players chipping in with goals. They have to give him back-up.”

Strachan gave further warnings regarding a team's reliance on a single source of goals. “Twelve to 18 goals have gone missing and it is similar to Coventry when I was there and we lost Robbie Keane and Gary McAllister in the season we were relegated.”