NEW SFA chief executive Gordon Smith believes Alex McLeish's national team are still up against it in their efforts to qualify for Euro 2008.

Last night's 2-0 victory over the Faroe Islands kept Scotland in contention for a place in next summer's finals, but France, Italy and Ukraine are with them in a four-way fight for the top two places in Group B.

Smith is not the first to suggest Scotland should focus on improving the country's status by targeting third place, thereby giving them a greater chance of a higher seeding for future qualifying tournaments.

Scotland's low ranking meant they were grouped with both World Cup finalists for this campaign, plus quarter-finalists Ukraine.

Smith, who officially takes up his role as David Taylor's successor on July 1, said: "Although we might miss out this time because it's going to be unbelievably tough, I think, with the games we've got left, the main thing is to just put together results.

"Walter Smith started it and Alex McLeish is hopefully carrying it on now and that's the main factor."

The new SFA chief would nevertheless welcome qualification for Euro 2008 and its financial benefits as he sets about the task of running Scottish football from Hampden.

Smith, 52, has warned he expects compliance from everyone in the game as he attempts to implement change and ensure democracy holds sway - and admits he could quit the £150,000-a-year role if he finds clubs are stuck in their old ways.

"Football is a democracy to a degree," he said. "I'm going to try my best to see what's best for the game and get beyond the degree of self-interest so people can actually look at things happening in the same and maybe say: OK, let's give that a go because it might be good'.

"If that doesn't happen, if I find there's a great deal of frustration all the way through and I'm not getting anywhere with the job, I'm not going to stay in the job just for the sake of it.

"I can do other things. I've got other business interests and I'll come out of it."