Robertson in call for Scots to toughen up

ANDREW ROBERTSON insists a bruised and battered Scotland must show some backbone. The national side hit rock bottom in Russia after a second-half collapse saw the World Cup quarter-finalists condemn Steve Clarke’s side to a second successive 4-0 defeat. Absolving Clarke of the blame for four defeats in the last five Euro 2020 qualifiers, Scots captain Robertson says the former Kilmarnock boss can

only turn things around once players stop losing bad goals and start coping better with setbacks.

Exasperated by the team’s collapse after Artem Dzyuba’s opening goal in 57 minutes, the Liverpool left-back said: ‘Look at the whole squad, we all have setbacks.

‘Whether that’s in life or in football, setbacks happen to everyone. You go 1-0 down in any walk of life and you bounce back. We must do that with Scotland as well.

‘The trouble is that we don’t. We concede one goal and don’t look like getting back into the game. We need to change that and we need to change it fast, because if you’re just 1-0 down you’re still in the game.

‘At 2-0 or 3-0 in Moscow you are miles away. Especially when they grow in confidence and start keeping the ball for fun. Until then our game plan was spot on. It’s something we have to change.’

Scotland have now scored just three goals and conceded 14 in five games under Clarke, the former Kilmarnock boss admitting results have been ‘dreadful’.

Insisting the manager is powerless to stop players switching off and losing their man at corners, Robertson added: ‘It’s not the way we set up that was the issue. The goals we conceded could all have been avoided, that’s what needs to stop. We need to be so much better at set-pieces.

‘Russia don’t do anything special at set-pieces. They put the ball in, try to find the big man. That should be easy to defend. We all have men (to mark) and must keep them.

‘When you cross the white line, the manager’s work is done. Players need to take responsibility. For an hour we did that but once we had a setback we didn’t bounce back.’

Asked if Clarke is having a positive impact on the players despite results, Robertson added: ‘Yes, 100 per cent. Look, he is getting used to it.

‘It’s his first international job. He’s come from club football where he has had week-to-week to develop players. He is trying to cram everything in and so are we.

‘But, yeah, he has come in with an idea of what he wants to do and I think you saw that in the first half in Russia. He can’t control how or when we concede a goal from a corner. Or the fact we go into our shell a bit and end up three or 4-0 down.’

Criticised for failing to reproduce his Liverpool form at international level, Robertson admits he tried to adapt his natural attacking game in Russia.

‘I know it’s a different style of play and, in Russia, I didn’t go forward as much. I tried to be defensively sound and to help my centre-backs out,’ said the Scotland skipper.

‘Against Russia at home I maybe went forward too much, that doesn’t need to happen. We’re not as expansive with Scotland as Liverpool are.

‘In Moscow we were all very good defensively for nearly 60 minutes but unfortunately we suffered another heavy defeat.’

Now below Cyprus and Kazakhstan in Group I, the Scots are under pressure to restore some pride against San Marino before what will be a sparse crowd at Hampden tomorrow.

Automatic qualification gone, Clarke wants his players to overhaul San Marino, Kazakhstan and Cyprus in their final three games to finish third before the Nations League play-offs in March.

Robertson’s former Queen’s Park team-mate Lawrence Shankland is likely to start up front tomorrow after coming off the bench in Moscow.

‘I’m proud of Lawrence. He’s another one who, like me, had big setbacks,’ said Robertson.

‘He was at Queen’s Park with me. He moved to Aberdeen then Ayr United and now he’s hitting the heights at Dundee United.

‘It was hard for him when he came on. For 15 minutes he was excellent, holding the ball up, linking Ryan Fraser and John McGinn into the game.

‘I am proud of Lawrence and also delighted for him.’