BORUC: SCOTS CAN RELY ON RITCHIE
Put your trust in Matt because his magic touch will help f ire Scotland to the World Cup, says club-mate Boruc
ARTUR BORUC has a fair grip on the Scottish football population’s relationship with fervent opinions, rushes to judgment and wild undulating reactions. So when expressing surprise at learning Matt Ritchie’s introduction to the Scotland fold had been viewed by a sceptical audience, he gives a heavy hint that the doubters called this one prematurely wrong.
Ritchie was hauled off at half-time on his debut against tonight’s opponents Gibraltar back in March, on his first-ever visit to Scotland.
When the same scenario played out in Dublin three months later, questions were being asked. What exactly was it about the Bournemouth man that Gordon Strachan had so fallen for?
Even his well-struck goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Qatar was subdued by other matters, political off-field issues on the night such as the game being staged in the first place.
Boruc and his Bournemouth team-mates, English Premier League performers no less, are as abundantly aware of Ritchie’s merit as Strachan. Now Scotland observers are catching the drift.
The skill of his take and volley against Sunderland last month could be worth the most precious three points to his club come May. It will definitely be in Goal of the Season arguments at the same time.
Ritchie’s stunning equalising strike against Poland and man-of-the-match performance on Thursday night at Hampden ultimately counted for nothing in the Euro 2016 qualifying effort. But the evening has, eventually, marked the 26-year-old down as one of the players Strachan — or his successor — can expect to bank on for the next World Cup campaign and beyond.
‘Matt is a great guy first of all. Second of all, he’s a great player,’ said former Celtic No1 Boruc. ‘He’s scored a couple of great goals recently and is a very important player in our team.
‘I am really pleased for him that he is playing well for Scotland, too, and that he started against Poland.
‘I don’t know what the reason was behind him being selected but I definitely think he’s good enough.
‘Matt has scored a couple of crackers, really, some great goals. Unfortunately for him and Scotland, that wasn’t enough in the game. I don’t think people should have been doubting him, to be honest.
‘He’s a very good player, is such a hard worker and that’s the end of the story.
‘He plays for Scotland and feels he’s a Scottish guy. Against us, he certainly showed to everyone what he is capable of.’
While Ritchie’s dream of capping a remarkable year of English top-flight promotion and discovering a Scotland national team career with a Euro 2016 qualification is over, Boruc can make it to the party.
He is back-up to Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny, so will be watching from the bench as Poland host Republic of Ireland with an automatic place at the finals at stake.
That Scotland are already eliminated after two draws with his nation and four points out of six against the Irish has left Boruc baffled.
‘Something crazy is going on in this group,’ he said. ‘And it’s still quite interesting. In the end, nothing changed for us, we still need to get some points off Ireland, who won.
‘And I am probably not surprised at that because we (Poland and Ireland) are the kind of the same teams, maybe not quality-wise but as a group of lads.
‘But we didn’t really expect Ireland beating Germany. The quality of the other teams was kind of similar but, at the beginning, I thought Germany was going to be the No1 in this group.
‘It hasn’t yet turned out this way. I am really looking forward to the Ireland game. Obviously there is sympathy for Scotland from me after all my time here.
‘They were playing very well. The team’s spirit and passion was good and I think they were a bit unlucky in the game.’
Should Germany look after business as expected at home to Georgia then they will belatedly seal the status of Group D winners before preparing to add a European Championship to that world crown.
Meanwhile, the loser in Warsaw will head for next month’s play-offs and Scotland will endure a dismal wait to try to rebuild for the next competitive action in Malta on September 4, 2016.
With a newcomer’s enthusiasm and emboldened by making his impact, Ritchie is not damaged by the pattern of failure since 1998. He is just determined to play a part in a brighter future.
‘I believe I’ve absolutely so much to look forward to in a Scotland shirt,’ he said.
‘The last few squads I’ve been in gives me great confidence.
‘I think the team has got a great potential. Every trip, I’ve come away and felt that we are getting better every time and we can keep getting better.
‘It’s been a pleasure to be involved in. You’ve got to use your disappointments throughout your career to fire you, to get motivated and that will be there for us.
‘We have to swallow it and get better. We have to look at ourselves, why we have not qualified.
‘We have failed to qualify for the Euros so, yes, we have failed.
‘But you can’t look at the team and say: “You didn’t give it your all”. To a man, everyone can look in the mirror. They can say they’ve given 100 per cent.
‘If our best isn’t good enough this time, hopefully, next time it can be. We’ve got a very strong squad.
‘I’ve got lads in the dressing room at Bournemouth who will be going to the tournament.
‘I will be pleased for them but absolutely gutted that we won’t be with them and involved.’