When a team goes from reaching the World Cup final to losing at Scotland, a manager will try to blame many things _ anything.

``I was disappointed with the ball boys for slowing down the game,'' France manager Raymond Domenech said after Les Bleus' 1-0 loss to the Scots on Saturday. ``I think they may have been educated in that. It's regrettable that it was here in a country known for its fair play.''

Domenech, who refused to select some players for astrological reasons, at least had Zinedine Zidane to pin the loss to Italy in World Cup final.

Having won its first two qualifying games, including a 3-1 triumph over Italy, France should have led by two goals before it conceded a 67th-minute winning strike by Scotland defender Gary Caldwell.

Instead its is now three points behind the Scots, who have started with three victories.

The French fell back into their old familiar failings. Playing picture postcard soccer with plenty of passes and crowd-pleasing stepovers and dribbles, they didn't give Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon enough to do.

Thierry Henry hit the post with a curling free kick, and although Patrick Vieira and David Trezeguet each had the ball in the Scottish net, they clearly were offside.

France simply tried to walk the ball into the net and were caught out by one of the few chances that fell Scotland's way.

France still displayed a variety of talent, including a series of more than 20 passes deep inside the Scottish half, but the ability to underline its supremacy with victories has ebbed away.

The French entered the game not having lost away from home in qualifying for either the World Cup or European Championship since September 1992, a streak of 20 matches. During that spell, they had lost only one of 40 qualifying games home and away.

Too often the French escaped with draws in games they should have lost. They have lost the knack of outplaying opponents for 90 minutes with the sort of play that won world and European titles.

Now that veteran goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has followed Zinedine Zidane into retirement, others are soon to disappear from Les Bleus' lineup. Before they go too, Domenech has to recapture that winning mentality.

``The Scots did give us a few loose balls but we were not fast enough to exploit it,'' he said. ``I know what we have to do and what we cannot do. Playing for playing is not enough. We have to play to win and have that combative attitude again.

``We wanted to carry on the euphoria (from the World Cup). But it's an extremely difficult group and Scotland will prove difficult opponents for the other teams.''

Praising Scotland's rally does not disguise his own team's failings.

Domenech looked a lonely figure as he stood by the side of the field, analyzing his players' inability to score. Occasionally, he would wave his arms in despair.

The ball boys couldn't help him with that problem.