DEAR oh dear oh dear…that was awful to watch, embarrassing even. Alex McLeish’s side were humiliated at Hampden tonight with Belgium running out 4-0 winners in the international friendly.
How did it all go so horribly wrong for McLeish?
Oh dear…John McGinn’s hopeless control and lack of awareness sees him pick-pocketed by the brilliant Moussa Dembele – no not that one! You could imagine Harry Brady sitting beside ‘Big Pedro’ in the cushioned seats saying ‘look Peter, you were right not to pay that £500k extra to get him, McGinn’s a dud!” That goal, just before half time would signal the flood gates opening and Roberto Martinez’s side painfully exposing Scotland’s weaknesses all over the pitch. Maybe only 2 or 3 Scottish players could say that did okay, the rest? Embarrassing.
Oh dear…McLeish. Against the third best side on the World, if you go by where they finished at the World Cup, or the second best if you go by the FIFA ratings, or the best if McLeish goes by his own comments pre-match…the former Rangers manager decided to alter his team shape and formation to accommodate his two left backs. One – his new captain – didn’t really get into the game, the other Kieran Tierney played well enough but ended up being zero threat in attack, his best attribute. It didn’t work, Alex. It didn’t work.
Oh dear…Charlie Mulgrew, with our his experience, giving the ball away THERE. The consequences was always going to be devastating at this level. Charlie could at least claim that his howler was the least worse of the three.
Oh dear…Ryan Jack! How did this guy get anywhere near a game for Scotland? For the second match in a row he was dispossessed by a proper footballer and a goal was lost as he was rolling around on the ground. Completely out of his depth against Celtic at the weekend and even more so tonight against a Rolls Royce of a football team.
But how did the Celtic boys do?
The best of the bunch was Dedryck Boyata – can someone explain why the 20,000 crowd were booing him? The ONLY reason is that he is a Celtic player! Yes? Pathetic. Really pathetic. And some folk will point out that some Celtic fans booed the same player a few weeks ago and that’s certainly true. However many more cheered him that day and the Celtic supporters clearly had a reason to be upset with Boyata. What says the Tartan Army?
KT played well and was without fault in any of the calamities. Callum looked comfortable at this level. Craig caught McGinn unawares – maybe he thought he was better than that – and the goalie wasn’t really in contention to do anything about the second half shooty-in. Leigh, couldn’t even get his footwear selection right – he lacks momentum in his game and he really has got to hope that he can get it back.
Stuart Armstrong played like he did for Celtic in the Champions League -pretty poorly and Andy Robertson was pushed further forward to accommodate KT who was used in a back three. It didn’t really work.
Man of the Match Dedryck Boyata – absolutely strolled it and looked at home among those quality teammates of his.
Dud of the Day – Ryan Jack, quite an achievement for the Rangers man winning this one as the competition was intense. It wasn’t so much that he had a bad game, it’s just that he is a not anywhere near good enough to be playing international football.
