McGinn: We are all hurting but it’s time to show mettle

John McGinn has urged Scotland to find the big-game mentality that will get them to a major tournament.

The Scots have now lost four games in a row, albeit home and away ties against Belgium and Russia, with opportunities to build momentum ahead of next spring’s Uefa Nations League play-offs growing shorter.

Scotland have still not qualified for a major tournament since 1998 and despite stocking a squad that now includes multiple players playing regularly in the Premier League, results at international level keep hitting a stumbling block.

McGinn said: “There’s no one hurting more than us. We’re hurting for the supporters and the manager, for everyone who cares about the team. It’s not a good feeling.

“We’re just not doing enough. Every game’s so important now.

“We’re heading towards those two games that could put us in the finals and it’s up to us as players to find some form and get the results that will take us there in a better frame of mind.”

One of the few pluspoints of last night’s 4-0 defeat was the debut of Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland, who came on at halftime for Oliver Burke.

It was a bittersweet moment for former Aberdeen man Shankland, given the manner of the loss at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Shankland said: “We’re all craving that tournament, we’re all desperate to be there and we’ll give everything we have to try and get this right.

“It is obviously a great experience to get on, especially in this stadium.

“But all in all I’m there to do a job and I want to win the game with the boys, much as it’s my debut.

“I’m there to do a job and we’ve not done it tonight unfortunately.

“I’ve come here and managed to get an opportunity tonight even if the result wasn’t what I wanted it to be.

“You just need to do the best you can.

“It’s not as If there were any real chances I missed or anything.”

Frustrated: John McGinn has called on the national team to prove they possess big-game mentality