It's night like this one that'll convince you the road to Euro 2020 and all associated euphoria were a particularly vivid fever dream.
The nation dined out on that era-defining qualification for a long time - and as well we should've - but with the tournament now very much in the past we're once again staring at the grimly familiar prospect that things are not good again.
On Wednesday night, the nation had a full 90 minutes to chew over and digest that possibility, the evidence being a 2-0 defeat to Denmark in which Steve Clarke 's side never recovered from a quite disastrous start.
Daniel Wass headed the hosts in front early on and Joakim Mæhle added a second just 92 seconds later.
That was that, as far as Scotland's hopes of taking anything back home.
The manager's squad has been taken apart by injuries and Covid-19 and this result must be viewed in that context, coupled with the fact the Danes are a highly impressive outfit.
But several elements of it do nothing to ask the increasingly pertinent question of what this Scotland team is supposed to be.
As in defeats to the Czech Republic and Croatia, Scotland were defensively poor set up in a manner that just did not make sense despite the limited personnel.
Group F on the road to Qatar 2022 is still tightly packed but it'd take a brave man to bet on Scotland getting the required results on the back of this display.
It was better after the restart, yes, but not enough to make the Danes sweat over a result that was never in doubt.
Clarke, with few options at his disposal, deployed captain Andy Robertson at right wing-back having been dealt a rotten hand in the build-up.
But it was a sleepy moment on the opposite flank from Kieran Tierney that allowed Wass to dart in at the back post and head a swinging cross beyond Craig Gordon.
Scotland had been given ample warning that it was a pass the Danes were looking to play, even with the game in its infancy, but they failed to switch on and it proved costly.
Kenny McLean was back in the fold after missing the Euros and Billy Gilmour continued in midfield with Callum McGregor.
But the Danish midfield, orchestrated by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Thomas Delaney, were having the run of it.
Mikkel Daamsgard drifted inside to cause further confusion and it was his gorgeous flicked pass that sent Mæhle through to stab home a decisive second.
Things were threatening to get ugly, Hojbjerg lashing over following another slick Danish attack.
From there, thankfully, the first-half onslaught subsided somewhat but it was no less of an uncomfortable watch.
Scotland failed to fashion a single attempt on goal in the opening period and a meaningful string of passes proved equally elusive.
Che Adams led the line thanklessly but nothing was sticking with a blue shirt over the half way line.
Lyndon Dykes was introduced at the interval to try and remedy this and Scotland did improve.
Gilmour flashed a shot narrowly wide and the young midfielder came into his own as the game progressed.
His reliability in possession and game awareness for one so young is hugely promising for one so young.
But individuals are not enough and it's an effective team unit Scotland need, one that doesn't find themselves out of the game by the time they start playing.
Yes, Scotland were better after the interval, and could've pulled one back through Ryan Fraser's saved low shot, but there was also an element of Denmark managing this game to a conclusion with their collective foot off the gas.
3 talking points
That nightmare start
At difficult venues such as this one, against very good opposition such as this one, the very least you need to do is give yourself a chance.
And that generally comes with doing the basics and the uglier side of the game well in the opening stages.
The calling card of a Clarke side is being organised, hard to beat, tactically disciplined - if his Scotland can't even be that any more then what is it at all?
Even since qualifying for the Euros there's still a gnawing frustration that this Scotland side is capable of more and that's been more than one baffling team selection from the manager along the way.
The decision not to start Dykes was a mistake, in hindsight, and Scotland were better after the interval for redressing first-half imbalances.
But it was simply too little, too late.
The qualification state of play
This was always going to be the most difficult game of the group, the one from which Scotland were least expected to take anything from.
But to not even threaten to at least grab a point is all rather disheartening.
The fact Israel and Austria both picked up victories means Scotland's margin for error has closed even further - with Clarke's side two points adrift of both those sides, whom they still have to play again.
Moldova are up next and not only three points but a convincing performance are needed to lift morale again.
Are Scotland going backwards?
There will be very few, if any, rational observers expecting Clarke to turn this crop of players into a world beating side.
And most would likely be fine with a hefty dose of pragmatism, if only Scotland were good at it. There's a fine line between being pragmatic and passive, after all.
For too much of this match, Clarke's team were firmly in the latter camp. And it's becoming a theme.
It's a rather painful question to consider but have Scotland really made any strides since that historic night in Belgrade?
Worse, are we going backwards?
