It’s SEVEN and HELL for Scots
Faltering no-show won’t have Group A opponents quaking in their boots
THIS wasn’t exactly the morale-boosting walk in the park that Scotland had in mind. Loud boos at the final whistle told no lies.
After six games without a win, Northern Ireland at Hampden was supposed to herald a change of fortunes. A chance to rattle in a few goals and raise flagging spirits en route to Germany.
This time last year, Steve Clarke’s team put three goals past Cyprus and two past former world champions Spain. The verve, energy and belief of last March has now been replaced by an alarming lack of goals, creativity and defensive resistance.
Scott McTominay believes this Scotland side have what it takes to go to the Euro finals and be the most successful in the national team’s history. Now on the longest winless streak since season 1997-98, defeat to a young, organised, and tactically disciplined Northern Ireland team is unlikely to have Germany, Hungary or Switzerland quaking in their boots.
Kudos to Michael O’Neill and his team of players drawn from the English Championship and League One. This was supposed to be an opportunity for a home collective brimming with EPL quality to stop the rot. In reality, Lewis Ferguson’s netboundheader in the 90th minute was the only save of note in a game where Bailey Peacock-Farrell could have perched a TV in his goalmouth and watched England take on Belgium. The straws clutched at after last Friday’s 4-0 defeat in the Netherlands were absent here.
Winless against Spain, France, England, Georgia, Norway, the Dutch and Northern Ireland, the Scots now have two games left against Gibraltar and Finland.
A dismal performance and result against the nation ranked 74th by FIFA did nothing to raise the levels of optimism.
The visitors had 11 men behind the ball, catching the Scots quickly on the break. Germany, Hungary and Switzerland won’t employ the tactics utilised here. Far from being a useful warm-up, then, this was a fruitless and frustrating affair.
Starting out with three central defenders seemed a waste of an extra body in midfield. The shape changed to four at the back when Andy Robertson limped from the fray after a heavy challenge from Trai Hume after 33 minutes.
The Liverpool left-back departed the pitch moments after his young Anfield colleague Conor Bradley had established a smash-andgrab lead with Northern Ireland’s first attempt on goal. For Scotland, Nathan Patterson’s lack of games at Everton is becoming a problem now.
The right-back had a night to forget after a nightmare for the goal. Twice surrendering possession in bad areas, the first was a heavy touch which allowed former Motherwell left-back Brodie Spencer to gather.
Patterson did the hard part when he foraged to get the ball back. An attempted nutmeg on Bradley in his own area was a risky piece of decision-making, though. One of the breakout stars of the English season, the youngster’s shot spun up off the boot of Jack Hendry to loop over a helpless Angus Gunn into the top corner of the net.
With their first attack on goal, Northern Ireland had scored and
Scotland’s tale of defensive woe stretched to 19 goals lost in seven games.
Their tails up, a young Northern Ireland side should have doubled their lead before the interval.
Catching the Scots on the hop, Southampton midfielder Shea Charles curled his final effort wide when he should have planted it in the bottom corner.
In contrast, visiting keeper Peacock-Farrell had been given almost nothing to do. The only time the Tartan Army had raised their voices had been for the tedious and embarrassing pre-match booing of the National Anthem.
Against the low block, space was at a premium. The opening half-hour felt like Celtic or Rangers playing at home against Livingston or St Johnstone. While Scotland’s possession stats exceeded 80 per cent at times, they did precious little with it. They had zero shots on target in the opening 45 minutes.
Against that backdrop, Clarke’s decision to start Lyndon Dykes ahead of Lawrence Shankland raised eyebrows. While the Hearts captain missed a big chance against the Netherlands, Dykes has mustered five goals all season for Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship.
In a quest to stem the flood of lost goals, Leeds United’s Liam Cooper replaced Ryan Porteous in a three-man central defence which felt excessive when Northern Ireland sat deeper than the Clyde Tunnel.
Perceptions did change when Robertson left the fray after being clattered by Hume. By then, the Scots were a goal down and in trouble. Things didn’t improve much after the break. Employing a high defensive line, O’Neill squeezed the midfield and capitalised on Scotland’s lack of a player to get in behind. John McGinn’s shot on target after 49 minutes became the exception rather than the rule. An increasingly frustrated Scots side came as close as they’d managed when Cooper rose to meet a freekick in a crowded area, the ball coming off the defender’s back before floating harmlessly wide. When McGinn took two hands to the back from Spencer, his claims for a penalty proved fruitless. For the first time in the game, the Scots got in behind when Lewis Ferguson, Robertson’s first-half replacement, sprung the offside trap to gather a ball over the top. The Bologna midfielder’s first touch was poor. Dragged wide, he failed to give PeacockFarrell a problem.
Changes were unavoidable. Come the big kick-off against Germany on June 14, an unappealing prospect on current form, Che Adams will surely be the first-choice striker. He was brought on for Dykes, while Kenny McLean was the other replacement for Billy Gilmour.
Stuart Armstrong and Shankland were given the final 12 minutes to try to force something from the game. It made no difference.
When Peacock-Farrell tipped Ferguson’s looping header over, the Hampden stands began to empty and, with it, the tank of optimism fuelling Scotland’s national team over the last 12 months. At the worst possible time, this is a team devoid of ideas and momentum.
Clarke (left) must now hope that Callum McGregor, Aaron Hickey and Grant Hanley return to fitness. After seven games without a win, Scotland’s manager needs something from somewhere.