GOAL KICKINGS
Gordon ready to battle on for Scots after conceding 7 in friendly firing squads
CRAIG GORDON admits his recent record for Scotland makes horror reading – but only because he’s had to face a barrage from the world’s best.
The Celtic keeper was handed the gloves for Sunday’s 3-1 thumping by European champions Portugal just a month after picking the ball out his net four times against Belgium.
The 35-year-old is a proud Scot and will never quibble about representing his country but there would be some understanding if he felt hard done by.
While he’s been thrown in against world class talents like red-hot Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, Old Firm rival Allan McGregor was given the nod for Nations League games against the decidedly less deadly pairing of Albania and Israel.
While Gordon conceded seven in two painful thrashings, Greegs lost two goals in the qualification clashes.
It’s a hardly a surprise there’s a five-goal swing between the pair and Gordon reckons it’s not a fair representation of his talents.
He insisted he respected boss Alex McLeish’s decision and would always turn out for his country.
But asked if he felt being thrown in against top-class opposition was harsh, Gordon said: “Yes – that hasn’t been lost on me but that’s the situation and those are the games I’ve been asked to play in.
“We lost seven goals in those matches but when you play against the best teams in the world there is every chance that will happen.
“We restricted Portugal to relatively few chances but when the chances that come their way are as good as those were then you know they’re going to take them.
“But we’ve still lost three soft goals and didn’t do a great deal to stop that happening. I was disappointed to lose three goals because I didn’t think we played too badly.
“Their second goal came from a free-kick routine we knew they’d practised. We knew exactly what we had to do to defend it, we just didn’t carry it out properly.
“I haven’t spoken to the manager. I want to play in every game but he has his job to do. He’s going to pick the team and I’ll play whenever I’m asked to and support whoever else is playing when I’m not.”
Despite a mixed start to the Nations League – a 2-0 win over Albania then 2-1 defeat in Haifa – defiant Gordon insists Scotland can still win their group and prevent the alternative route to Euro 2020 being blocked off.
McLeish’s men are likely to need at least four points from their final two fixtures away to Albania and at home to Israel next month to top League C Group 1, although even defeat to the Albanians wouldn’t kill off Scotland’s hopes completely.
And Gordon believes there were some positives the Scots could take from the pasting from Portugal.
He said: “We tried to keep the ball and we played out well from the back.
“We set the team up quite well and got the ball into the wide areas. And although we didn’t create anything until the last second, we at least put ourselves in positions where we might have done.
“It was about trying to put in a good performance and there were a few positives we could take from it.
“We were comfortable on the ball and kept possession quite well so that was pleasing.
“Yes, we can win the group. There are two games left and if we win both of them we’re through to the next stage. That’s what we have to focus on.
“We need to lick our wounds and bounce back with two victories.”
Gordon also backed Hoops mate Leigh Griffiths as the man to make the difference.
The striker controversially withdrew from the international squad for the recent round of clashes, claiming he needed to work on his fitness.
He said: “If we can get Leigh back fit for those games then he’ll definitely provide a goal threat, whether he’s playing from the start or coming off the bench because he has goals in him.”
When you play the best in the world there’s every chance that will happen CRAIG GORDON