Clarke relieved he wasn’t made to pay penalty again
Scotland manager staved off memories of Luzhniki as national side shot down Israel
IF anyone in Scotland was entitled to feel apprehensive when the Euro 2020 play- off semi- final against Israel at Hampden on Thursday night went to a penalty shoot- out, it was Steve Clarke.
He had been the Chelsea assistant when the Stamford Bridge club took on their Premier League rivals Manchester United in the Champions League final in Moscow back in 2008.
That encounter was decided by spot kicks after the English giants couldn’t be separated after 120 minutes of football – and it didn’t exactly end well for the expensively- assembled London outfit.
Chelsea captain John Terry had a chance to clinch a famous victory for Avram Grant’s team, but he slipped on the sodden turf in the Luzhniki Stadium and hit the post.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side would go on to lift the European club game’s greatest prize for a third time as his crestfallen compatriot Clarke looked on in utter disbelief.
Fortunately for Clarke and for the country John McGinn, Callum McGregor, Scott McTominay, Lawrence Shankland and Kenny McLean made no mistake from 12 yards out.
“It was great to see the penalties hit the back of the net,” said Clarke yesterday as he looked back on the dramatic events of the night before.
“To be fair, football owed me one in a shootout after the last one I was involved in before Thursday night. I was at Chelsea when John Terry slipped and missed what would have been the winning penalty for us.
“So the game owed me one and it was nice to get it on Thursday. It was nice to come out on the right side of a shootout this time.
“You could see how much it meant to them when Kenny scored the final penalty to win it for us. But you should have seen them in the dressing room afterwards when we all got inside!”
The way that Clarke’s charges dealt with the pressure of the first shoot- out in Scotland’s history gives the manager hope they can deal with the demands of the final.
Overcoming Serbia, who beat Norway 2- 1 in Oslo after their semi- final had gone to extra- time, in the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade on November 12 will be a tall order.
Their opponents can field, among many others, Aleksandar Kolorov in defence, Dusan Tadic and Sergej Milinkovic- Savic in midfield and Aleksandar Mitrovic and Luka Jovic in attack. It will be a step up and then some.
However, Clarke, who was heavily criticised after unconvincing displays against Israel and the Czech Republic in the Nations League last month, can see definite signs of progress and is optimistic his side will compete.
He was heavily criticised by many – including this correspondent – for playing with a three- man rearguard and deploying midfielder Scott McTominay out of position at centre- half in those outings.
But the benefit of those matches was easy to see on Thursday evening. The defence performed well despite Scott McKenna, Liam Palmer and Kieran Tierney being ruled out the day before and Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell being thrust into the starting line- up. McTominay, too, was assured at the back.
“Everybody goes on about the two games last month,” he said. “But they were key games to build towards this month.
“The character they showed in the last 10 minutes in the Czech Republic, when they were throwing everything into the box and we were blocking everything and getting balls away, was important.
“I spoke to the players then about how that was how you build a team. That’s how you build desire to be successful as a team. It was the same again on Thursday night with a group of players who were really hungry to do well.
“The more positive results they get, and the more positive feedback they get, then the more they feel good about themselves and become a better team.”
Clarke didn’t entertain the possibility that Scotland’s chances of reaching the Euro 2020 finals next summer would come to an unfortunate end after a turbulent few days
– Stuart Armstrong tested positive for coronavirus and Ryan Christie and Tierney were forced to self- isolate – when the Israel match went to penalties.
“That didn’t cross my mind,” he said. “I knew the character that was on the pitch. I knew the lads were determined to do it. Everything that was put in front of us this week could be classed as an obstacle.
“But I said it was a big chance for people to step into the game and Stephen O’Donnell was excellent. Declan Gallagher played in the middle of a back three that people say we can’t play.
“Our three centre- backs – McTominay, Gallagher and Cooper – were all excellent. “I think you have to give a little bit of credit to the defenders for the way the game was.”
You could see how much it meant when Kenny scored
Clarke added: “We know what we’re trying to achieve, we know what we’re trying to do. We have been working with the players and it’s a system that the players were comfortable with last month, or we wouldn’t have gone with the same again.
“If the players aren’t comfortable with it then we have the personnel and knowledge to change to a back four if we want. We could do that in game. It’s all about building something that’s going to help us going forward. If you can play two systems then it’s always going to help you.”
Clarke singled out David Marshall, who he brought in from the international wilderness when he was appointed Scotland manager last year, for his contribution to the nerve- shredding triumph.
The Derby County
goalkeeper denied PSV Eindhoven striker Eran Zahavi at the first Israel pealty to give the national team a lead in the shoot- out which they managed to hold on to.
“David has been very good since I called him up,” said his manager. “He was actually one of the first phone calls I made when I got the job to try and get him back involved.
“He has established himself as the number one and he made some great saves in the games last month and then obviously saving in the penalty shootout.
“All the goalkeepers had done their homework with Stevie Woods – you maybe heard Woodsy shouting from the touchline, telling Marsh where to go, where to stand, how to do it!
“They had an idea where every penalty was going because they do their homework properly. For David to save one from possibly one of their banker takers, Zahavi, that set us up nicely to win the shootout.”