THE EUROS VERDICT
BATTLING WEMBLEY STALEMATE BREATHES LIFE INTO SCOTLAND’S AMBITIONS OF MAKING IT TO KNOCKOUT STAGE
AFTER a performance of courage, organisation and guile, Scotland are still in the fight. A Wembley display as brave and gungho as Steve Clarke’s team selection preserved hopes of progression to the last 16 of the Euro 2020 finals.
Make no mistake. An old timer closing his eyes at Wembley last night would have felt as if he was back in the 1970s. Players in dark blue going toe-to-toe with more fancied opponents. A lubricated Tartan Army in full voice and scenes of raucous Caledonian joy at time up. This time the goalposts lived to fight another day.
So do Scotland after a scoreless draw which tees up a do-or-die Group D clash with Croatia at Hampden on Tuesday. After two games Clarke’s side have yet to score a goal. Yet the nonchalant excellence of Billy Gilmour, the 20-year-old Chelsea midfielder making his first start in a dark blue shirt, felt like a shot in the arm for a team beaten 2-0 by the Czech Republic on Monday.
The real winners last night were the Channel 5 programme schedulers. A decision to show Braveheart at 10pm paid off — and then some — after Gareth Southgate’s star-studded England spent 90 minutes failing to break both a football team and a nation’s pride.
As well as Gilmour, Clarke brought in Che Adams, Callum McGregor and the fit-again Kieran Tierney. The Arsenal defender was immense. From a Scottish perspective they all were.
History was firmly against the visitors. The 115th fixture between the two old rivals was also the 33rd meeting at Wembley. Only four times in the modern era — 1967, 1977, 1981 and 1999 — had Scotland actually won. But for a superb Jordan Pickford save and a goalline clearance from Reece James, they might have taken all three points. They rode their luck at times for sure — most notably when John Stones smashed an early header against the post.
Yet from the moment Scots striker Lyndon Dykes wiped out Luke Shaw after seven seconds it was clear the visitors had pitched up in London to compete. While England have one foot in the knockout stages after four points from two games the Scots still have work to do yet. If nothing else they’re in with a chance.
Almost as eye-raising as Clarke’s decision to field Gilmour was his determination to stick by right wing-back Stephen O’Donnell. More than once in the opening first half the defender came close to delivering a gigantic two finger salute to his many critics.
The first was after four minutes when he crafted a shooting chance for Adams. A first time effort was blocked by the knee of John Stones, but looked like another signal of aggressive intent.
Scotland’s main channel of attack was always expected to come on the left where the fitness of Tierney allowed the Arsenal man to dovetail once more with Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson.
The way these two work together you wonder why anyone ever argued it had to be one or the other.
After half an hour they carved out Scotland’s best chance, Tierney cutting inside Reece
James to float a cross on to the right foot of O’Donnell. Had his controlled volley crept in at the far post the right-back could have retired there and then. To Scotland’s anguish Pickford threw himself brilliantly to the right to produce a terrific stop.
England’s best spell of the half could have blown their opponents away. After 12 minutes their first corner should have finished up in the net when Stones lost his disorientated marker Dykes to bullet a Mason Mount corner off the upright. It’s still shaking now.
After surviving one huge scare Scotland failed to learn their lessons. Scott McTominay was slotted into a back three to take advantage of his passing ability. Yet his comfort on the ball was tested when he surrendered possession to Raheem Sterling in his own half. It’s hard to think of a worse man to lose the ball to, the Man City winger’s low ball picking out Mount at the near post. A terrific chance, he slotted it wide.
England were always likely to dominate possession and make the chances. The offside flag was a welcome relief to Scotland fans more than once when Phil Foden and Harry Kane found chinks of light. Yet the first half ended with the Tartan Army in full, buoyant voice. Things were going better than expected.
England had the bit between their teeth after the restart. They had to find a way to rise above the passion and the emotion and the organisation of their opponents and think their way through.
Mount’s thumping right-foot shot from 20 yards gave David Marshall his first real save. That England took that long to test him was remarkable in itself. His positioning criticised for Czech striker Patrik Schick’s wonder goal, Scotland’s keeper judged this one fine.
You wondered after that if Scotland had run their race. If England would move through the gears and pull away. Not a bit of it.
After an hour this was the old game the way it used to be. Embroiled in a catchweight contest Scotland were defending with guile, focus and concentration, hitting England on the counter with purpose. But for a terrific bit of goalline defending after 62 minutes Clarke’s team would have claimed an improbable lead.
After passing up chances against the Czech Republic, Dykes was
ridiculously close to redeeming himself when he thrashed an angled left-foot strike through a ruck of bodies towards the postage-stamp corner.
Southgate’s decision to pick James ahead of Kyle Walker was justified when the Chelsea right- back brilliantly headed the netbound effort off the line.
After warming up on the sidelines awaiting his chance, the call came for Jack Grealish. Southgate’s decision to remove Phil Foden from the fray left the England fans unimpressed.
For Scotland it was a source of respite, albeit short-lived. Marcus Rashford was on his way for Kane.
As the game entered the final half hour the game was an old-fashioned British slugfest. Precisely the game, in short, England didn’t want.
Minutes after Gilmour left the fray to be replaced by Stuart Armstrong following a performance of composure and guile, Adams saw glory before him at the back post.
The angle was tight, the volley never easy. As the finish from Robertson’s cross fizzed wildly wide, however, you wondered once again what this Scots side might achieve if they could score a goal or two.
Croatia on Tuesday would be a good time to start.