You don’t have to wait until this tortuous waiting game is at an end to draw some conclusions about why it’s just not happened for Scotland.While Steve Clarke’s side must sit around and hope that an unlikely sequence of results prolongs their stay at the World Cup, the group stage is over.And even if they benefit from the shortcomings of others to scrape through to the knock-out round by the skin of their teeth, it would be preposterous to rewrite history on that basis.In the aftermath of the morale-sapping loss to Brazil, no one was of a mind to cross their fingers and toes.It probably said much that Clarke, Andy Robertson and John McGinn all seemed resigned to their fate when they carried out their post-match media duties.While it’s possible that there could be a strange turn of events to bring the last 32 into sight, it’s clear that no one concerned feels that it would be merited. They’ve got that part right. Scott McTominay gets no change out of Gabriel Magalhaes and endured a grim World CupScotland were just about good enough to get the better of Haiti, although it was one almighty struggle.Had those three points been augmented by a draw or a win against Morocco or Brazil, joy would have been unconfined. But, having literally failed to fire a shot against the North Africans, the bare minimum was they had to give the South Americans a game.Had a battling, dignified defeat seen them march on to Mexico City or back to Boston at the start of next week, qualification would have held some merit.Not now. Not after being brushed aside by a Brazil side who barely broke sweat and who looked capable of going up a gear or two if required.Scotland deserve to be going home. Frankly, on the evidence of what we witnessed in Miami, it will be a blessed relief if it’s confirmed. What good would come from being picked apart again?Any sober assessment of the squad would conclude that it’s strong in certain areas but deficient in others.The midfield has strength and depth. Clarke omitted Lennon Miller and had to do without the injured Billy Gilmour. Yet, on paper, at least, it still looked impressive. Aside from that overhead kick against Denmark, McTominay has been average for ScotlandConcerns lay in the goalkeeping department where the manager had to select three men who’ve hardly played this season. There was no stick-on partnership in central defence. And no striker who you could hang your hat on.But the prevailing view was that Clarke had enough elite players to lift the team and to paper over those cracks. For it to have been different this time around, these players turning up was the one non-negotiable.Scott McTominay, Robertson and McGinn — men whose images have been captured in murals — had the wherewithal to lift those around them and to inspire the team to go where none in dark blue had gone before. So much for the theory.Napoli midfielder McTominay’s display against Brazil underscored that statistics in football must be taken with a pinch of salt. By the end of the night, they showed that the 29-year-old had managed four shots with three on target and a passing accuracy of 90 per cent.That sounds like a decent night’s work. The trouble was that McTominay’s shift started when it was much too late.His performance when the contest was theoretically alive was lamentable. His first touch was heavy. He was everywhere the ball had just been. He offered no threat whatsoever. John McGinn failed to ignite after his deflected goal against Haiti and was outclassed in MiamiClarke had defended him a few days previously, but when the manager spoke in general terms about the need for the side to be more assertive in the final game, McTominay was the first name which sprung to mind.Notwithstanding a shot against Haiti which struck the post, his displays in the first two games were unremarkable. The theme continued against Brazil until it was much too late. He didn’t create a single chance in the match and made one foul. That’s not a badge of honour.It’s both concerning and curious that McTominay’s shows across the three matches were really no departure from what he’s produced for his country for some time.That astonishing overhead kick against Denmark at Hampden, now depicted on the end of a tenement, came at the end of a qualifying campaign which had passed him by.He is a title winner in Italy, the man voted Serie A’s most valuable player a year ago. Yet he’s now living off his past reputation in a Scotland shirt.McTominay will return home in due course with the consolation of knowing that he might get the chance to play again on this stage. But Robertson will be 36 in 2030 and McGinn will be close to it. That’s why they had to leave to all out there this summer. Too many Scotland players failed to live up to their reputations or match their club formIf Wednesday is to be the captain’s last appearance on this stage then it’s not one he’ll reflect on with much fondness.With the side a goal down, he made an interception then inexplicably gave the ball away again. In the blink of an eye Vinicius Junior had claimed his second of the night and we were all starting to think about the long trek home.Having been given the runaround by Rayan, Robertson was replaced by Kieran Tierney at half-time and the side were the better for it.Robertson’s been an outstanding servant for his country, now just five caps shy of equalling Kenny Dalglish’s record, but this was a tournament where he toiled.McGinn, too, will spend the next few weeks reflecting on why he failed to atone for a poor show at Euro 2024.He was weary going into that competition, with the sheer volume of games he’d played across 10 months evidently catching up with him.He’d no such excuse out here. The benefit of the knee injury he picked up at Aston Villa at the start of the year was that he finished the season like a train, lifting the Europa League and helping Unai Emery’s side finish fourth.When he became the first Scotland player since Craig Burley in 1998 to score a World Cup goal against Haiti, you hoped for lift-off. It just didn’t happen. The sole Scot to earn pass marks in the tournament was Bologna midfielder Lewis FergusonMcGinn had moments across the three matches, but just not enough of them. And he’ll be the first man to admit that.As Clarke watches on from the training camp in Charlotte and waits for the other sections to conclude, crumbs of comfort will feel scarce.The displays of Lewis Ferguson across the three matches should be one significant consolation. The Bologna man played every minute out here and deservedly so. He was simply superb.So, Clarke does have a player who’s able to seamlessly take his form with a major club onto the biggest international stage and deliver. What a pity that Ferguson has been the exception rather than the rule.