Scotland in for long trip to San Marino: Gordon

CRAIG Gordon has warned that minnows San Marino will be smelling blood as they look to cause another upset against Scotland on Sunday.

Alex McLeish’s side suffered a major blow to their Euro 2020 hopes after losing their opening qualifier 3-0 to Kazakhstan.

Defeat to the team ranked 117th in the world sits alongside some of the most humiliating displays ever produced by a Scotland team.

And Celtic and Scotland goalkeeper Gordon says San Marino – who sit rock bottom of the global football ladder – will now believe they can repeat the act when they welcome McLeish’s shell-shocked outfit to Serravalle.

Gordon – who missed out on the clash in Nursultan after losing his place for both club and country to Scott Bain – said: “It’s tough, this is going to be one of the longest flights of their lives.

“They’ve got six hours back to reflect on a performance that was nowhere near good enough.

“A lot of fans have gone out there to watch them and they will be hurting. The players will be hurting just as much.

“I’ve been there myself in bad defeats and that dressing-room is not a nice place to be. It will be a quiet place at the moment.

“They are going to have to pick themselves up after that but San Marino might fancy their chances after watching that result.

“It’s important we go again and try to get a result. It’s not going to eradicate that one but we need to pick ourselves up.”

Gordon felt the defeat was Scotland’s worst ever.

“I can’t think of a worse one, I really can’t,” the 36-year-old said. “It’s a devastating blow so early in the campaign against a team who hadn’t won at all in their previous qualifying campaign. And to lose in the manner we have lost is a huge blow.”

Former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan feels there is a collective responsibility for the national team’s situation.

McLeish’s predecessor said: “It’s a big thing, we can’t just blame these lads who have been there tonight. We have all got to look at ourselves.

“Anyone who is involved in Scottish football, right now, from youth level all the way up, has got to say to themselves, and this might be dramatic because we

James Forrest is challenged by a Kazakh defender in Nursultan.