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First it was a draw with Austria, now Israel... we’re just two games into the campaign and already Steve Clarke’s men have left themselves with an uphill struggle if they’re to reach Qatar 2022
THEY’RE great fun, in their own way, these spirited comebacks. Good for national morale at a time when we could all use a little boost.
But there’s no escaping the fact that a second consecutive draw — courtesy of Ryan Fraser’s second-half effort here — leaves Scotland struggling in their pursuit of a place at the 2022 World Cup Finals. Already.
Unless Steve Clarke’s men do something truly spectacular to turn Group F on its head, we’ll be one of those nations ‘boycotting’ FIFA’s flagship tournament. But for all the wrong reasons.
The Scots’ chances of achieving such a reversal in fortunes will depend, largely, on starting games with the same accomplished intent they display when falling behind.
After the high drama of Thursday’s 2-2 draw against Austria at Hampden, we probably shouldn’t have been surprised by last night’s result in Tel Aviv.
In front of 5,000 fans at the Bloomfield Stadium — all bar a handful of stray Scots demanding revenge for that penalty-shoot out loss in the Nations League play-off semi-final — Clarke’s team fought back to claim a 1-1 draw that might have been better… and could have been a whole lot worse.
A powerful long-range strike just before half-time from Dor Peretz — who only scores against Scotland — got past David Marshall despite the goalkeeper getting both hands to the ball.
But Fraser’s second goal in as many games for Scotland, a remarkable stat for a player who has yet to find the net in the Premier League for Newcastle this season, put the visitors right back in the contest early in the second half.
With both sides desperate for a win that would kick-start their qualifying campaign, there was no lack of determination in a second period full of fire and fizz. But they had to settle for a point apiece from a tightly-contested affair entirely in keeping with their previous half-dozen matches. All squeezed into the last two-and-a-half seasons.
There was, of course, plenty of pre-match comment about this pair being thrown together for the fourth time in six months. Some members of the Scotland travelling party, for instance, have now been to Israel more often than they’ve seen their own parents since the pandemic struck.
As the teams prepared to play for three potentially vital points in front of an actual live crowd, then, it was only natural to wonder how much contemptuous familiarity might affect this tie.
The home side, having just lost 2-0 at home to Denmark, were obviously going to be throwing everything at Clarke’s men from the off. And, while an early shot from Callum McGregor and a Scott McTominay header from an Andy Robertson corner showed some intent on the part of the visitors, that Scotland back three… well, you know.
Hardly rock solid in the 2-2 draw with Austria, they looked shaky and vulnerable to not much more than the odd decent ball dropped in over the shoulder. Repeatedly.
There are no circumstances in which Clarke wants to see Marshall charging out of his penalty box to play as a sweeper keeper. None at all. It just shouldn’t happen.
The play-off penalty shoot-out hero made a more textbook sort of intervention to save from Manor Solomon, found with far too much ease by Birbas Natcho inside the box, after 24 minutes.
The Scots were dropping far too deep now, with the nominal front three pitching camp well inside their own half.
What was the plan? To just launch the ball forward and hope the pace of Fraser would create counter-attack opportunities?
In fairness, just that sort of quick break produced the best Scottish combination of the first half, with John McGinn and Fraser getting together in a sweet move that put Che Adams in on goal ten minutes from half-time.
Although the Southampton striker beat Ofir Marciano to the ball, forcing it to spill free, the Hibs goalie was given the benefit of the doubt by a finicky referee — and a potential chance became a free-kick to Israel.
In all honesty, a Scotland goal would have been a travesty, judging by the balance of play.
Their chances of even reaching the sanctuary of the dressing room without conceding were gone the moment Peretz was given time and space to pick his spot from 20-plus yards.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder, whose only previous international goal had come in a 2-1 win over Scotland in October 2018, certainly hit the ball with some oomph toward’s the keeper’s top left-hand corner. But — and this is important to note — his strike did not fly in with unerring accuracy.
Marshall could, and by his own high standards probably should, have turned it away from the target.
Clarke abandoned the famous 3-4-2-1 formation at the break, the introduction of Ryan Christie for Jack Hendry — already on a booking — enabling a switch to a back four.
McGinn was now an out-andout No 10. And getting him as close as possible to the opposition goal is never a bad idea.
Scotland immediately looked a better side, carrying far more swagger and intent as they launched fresh waves of attack.
And it took just 11 minutes for the switch of shape and personnel to pay off, Fraser making the most of a pass from Adams to dummy his marker and drill a low shot through a forest of legs, beating Marciano just inside his right-hand post.
The Hibs No1 had to look sharp to prevent Scotland taking the lead twice in the following few moments, denying Adams after
he had cut in from the inside left position — and then gratefully slapping away a thunderous long-range effort from Kieran Tierney.
The closing half-hour was going to be frantic, with both sides likely to give up opportunities.
Scotland had at least as many half-chances and decent looks at goal as their hosts and with Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean thrown into the fray for Adams and McGinn, they looked fresh going forward.
But little errors of judgment, looking for accuracy instead of power and thumping it when placing it was the better choice, let Israel off the hook.
And watching Scotland defend remains an experience likely to leave the average fan suffering from nervous exhaustion.
Consider it good preparation for this summer’s Euros.
With the World Cup already looking something of a long shot, whatever thrills we enjoy from that tournament may have to sustain us for another couple of years at least.