Zenga praises Marshall but keeper says Scots ‘must raise their game’
DAVID MARSHALL, the Scotland goalkeeper, last night admitted the national team will have to raise their performance level significantly to avoid a demoralising defeat against France in their next game.
Gordon Strachan’s side lost 1-0 to Euro 2016 finalists Italy in a friendly international at the Ta’ Qali Stadium in Malta last night after conceding a second-half goal to Graziano Pelle.
However, the Scots didn’t manage a single shot on target against Antonio Conte’s team and were fortunate not to be overcome by a far heavier scoreline.
The Cardiff City man knows there can be no repeat of the lacklustre performance when they take on France in Metz this Saturday in their final warm-up match before their Russia 2018 qualifying campaign.
“It was a long night and there’s no doubt we’ll need to raise it significantly for the France game,” said Marshall.
“This is their last warm-up, it’s in front of their own fans and they’ll be looking to enter the Euros on a real high.
“We obviously can’t afford to sit off them and we’ll need to raise it for sure. France won’t sit back and they’ll be more attacking than Italy.”
He added: “It was a tough old night and it felt like a long one, especially in the first half when, if we’re totally honest, we couldn’t really get near them. We couldn’t get a hold of the ball therefore we couldn’t put any pressure on them.
“From that point of view it was disappointing because we feel we’re better than that. I suppose just to keep it to 1-0 in the end was a positive when you look at the balance of play.
“They are a quality side with some exceptional players – they’re at the Euros for a reason. We were under a lot of pressure in that first half and it was a case of digging in at times.
“That we showed that kind of resolve was pleasing. We did get on the ball a bit more after the break but 1-0 was pleasing in the end. That said, you never like to lose any game.”
Marshall produced a fantastic double save from Antonio Candreva and Emanuele Giaccherini early in the first half – blocks which were described as “world-class” by Walter Zenga on Italian television.
“It’s nice to hear from someone like him,” Marshall said. “It was just instincts to be honest. The six yard box was absolutely packed and I couldn’t really see a path to the ball.
“Listen, goalkeepers love to make saves, especially early on so in that regard it was disappointing to lose one in the second half.”
Meanwhile, Callum Paterson, the Hearts right back who made his Scotland debut, has insisted that Strachan’s players will learn from the experience of playing a leading football nation.
“They are World Cup winners, they’ve won leagues with their clubs, it was just great to get on the pitch and play with such experienced players. We handled ourselves well, especially in the first half. It was just good to get the opportunity,” he said.