We can still top the group in Albania, says Robertson
looking ahead to the November 17 game against Albania, a match that could well be definitive in terms of Scotland’s Nations League fate.
“We have to win in Albania. It’s now or never,” said the Liverpool full-back. “The two games are big and hopefully we will be spot on when we meet up.
“We are in a four-game group and we have two games left. They are must-win.We only have three points and that’s not enough. When the group came out, we’d have fancied ourselves to finish top – and we still do.
“Hopefully we go there with confidence and the country look forward to it and not be scared.
“There is no margin for error. We have to embrace the situation and look forward to the games. There is no point shying away from that.”
In that respect, Robertson believes that it will be the experienced personnel in the squad who will be needed to be coax some of the more youthful players through a game in which Scotland will have to hold their nerve as much as anything.
“We have a squad that can definitely cope with the pressure,” said
Robertson. “I’m sure the younger lads won’t have any fear. But it’s up to the experienced boys like me, [Steven Naismith] Naisy and Charlie [Mulgrew] to help the younger ones.”
Being mentally prepared for the game might be among the biggest challenges for Scotland.
McLeish’s side look stripped of confidence and belief and, although there was a more traditional system deployed last night against Portugal, the manner of the goals shipped suggests the soft centre that has been the Achilles’ heel remains a problem.
In fairness, McLeish’s side had looked more cohesive in the opening period but the sloppy goal conceded just before the break was the thread from which Scotland went on to unravel.
And captain Robertson is well aware that if there are genuine ambitions to improve and progress as a team then the cheapness of the goals has to be addressed.
“It was a sloppy goal to lose but we came back out and tried to stay confident,” he said. “But Portugal are a good team and started to take control.
“The two goals in the second half are from mistakes, which are easily avoidable. We have to look at that and we have to start cutting these mistakes out. Mistakes are costing us in too many games. It needs to stop.”
The defeat last night inevitably put further pressure on McLeish.
Since taking over from Gordon Strachan, there have been few genuine signs of improvement; McLeish has played eight games, lost six and won just two. Along the way, Scotland have lost 13 goals and scored just five.
Robertson, though, was unwilling to offer any criticism in the wake of yesterday’s defeat.
“One hundred per cent we have to step up for the manager, as he doesn’t cross the white lines,” he said.
“We let him down on Thursday. We weren’t good enough. The result was the same on Sunday but the performance was a lot better. If we can do that in the competitive games, hopefully it’s better results.
“We have had a lot of criticism since Thursday and the lads wanted to go out and do well. We were looking for a positive start and we managed to get that.
“There were some fresher legs and I felt some lads took their chance very well.”
Naismith netted a late consolation for Scotland but had Scott McKenna’s header gone it after the interval when Portugal only had one goal of a lead, Robertson believes it might well have been a different story.
“Scott had a really good chance and if that goes in, we would have gone from strength to strength,” he maintained. “But the performance was a lot better than Thursday.
“The first half was good. We showed a reaction from Thursday and we got balls in the box. We were a bit unlucky not to get on the end of one.”
In any case, for all that it has been a difficult week, Robertson hopes that the experience of the long journey home from Israel on the back of a desperately poor performance can be the catalyst for a better display in Albania.
“I hope the Israel defeat will be in our minds in Albania - but that we can use it as a positive,” he said.
“We don’t want to go through that again and I’m sure the lads won’t use it as a negative. I know what characters we have in that squad and we will use the defeat as motivation.
“Albania will be tough but we believe we can win it.”