Scotland’s performance is a warning for Celtic in Europe, but not in the way you’d think…
It was said by more than a few last night that watching that Scotland performance was akin to watching Celtic in Europe. Maybe a bit tongue in cheek, but I can relate all the same. We’ve had our fair share of hammerings dished out at the top level and looked well out of our depth so I can see the comparison.
This could also serve as a warning as we get ready to compete in next season’s revamped Champions League group stages.
Like Scotland we have players who are punching above their weight at this level. Indeed we had two of our players in the starting XI last night, although Callum McGregor is better than the showing he put in, whilst not being disrespectful to Tony Ralston, he is our back up right back for a reason.
However we will never set up the way Steve Clarke done last night for any game against superior opposition. in the past Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers have been heavily criticised for perhaps being to expansive against better opponents.
Admittedly I’ve been critical of them for the same thing, but last night proved that it doesn’t matter how you line up because if the opposition are better they will beat you regardless.
The likes of Ange and Brendan may leave themselves open to criticism with their gung-ho style, but at least their kind of system lets us keep the ball and have a go at the opposition. Yes me may get beaten, but not in the insipid manner in which Scotland succumbed to the Germans last night.
Brendan won’t ditch his philosophy next season when we take on the big guns, and after last night’s Scotland display it looks like the most sensible approach after all.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
If you want to play a holding midfielder that can build attacks, maybe Callum McGregor fits the bill. If you want to play one that can protect his defence, Callum certainly doesn’t fit the bill.
Don’t tend to watch to many Scottish matches, as a glutton for punishment with suffering trying to endure the Republic.
Anyway what I found so shocking last night from the Scots, was just how badly the manager had set the whole team up?
Haven’t a clue, how many players actually play the same roles with there clubs, but certainly isn’t the roles Calmac and ralston are playing on a regular basis, that’s for sure?
Scotland looked like a fish out of water, and players not seeming to know there roles and who to be picking up, so in turn all over the place?
This will happen when you don’t get a team set up properly?
Scotland still have player’s well capable of producing better, but you don’t tend to get to much from a game, if the team set up is totally wrong before the whistle blows?
Would be fuming if Rodgers had such an approach for ourselves in a CL match?
Would be expecting a manager to set up our team where each player actually knows their roles within it?
Still might not be enough against superior quality, but you can remain within a game, making it tighter and trying to confine the game to moments within it?
We still have enough quality within our team to even make reduced moments in such games count, and something we have already seen on plenty of occasions with Rodgers last season?
We might be some way off as a CL team currently, but getting in the right players to suit the manager, and how he actually wants to set the team up, remains key for ourselves at CL level?
Get it totally wrong, and decent enough players can be made to look very poor, as the manager for the Scots last night confirmed?
1st goal McTominay stood off Kroos and gave him time and space for the diagonal ball, which eventually led to the goal. At this point you’d have thought OK let’s sacrifice Che Adams and let him stand in front of Kroos if for no other reason than obscure his view and make him pass the ball with some pressure and less time.
Gundolun knew Calmac and McTominay were playing zonal and time and again picked the pocket in-between both, neither knew whether to engage or if it was the others responsibility. McTominay played against him many times, shude been sacrificed and stood on his boots. Kroos and Gundolun had the easiest 90 minutes of their entire playing career.
1 goal down after 10-minutes no tactical changes to assist with that weakness. 2 down after 20mins still nothing changed.
Clarke is an imposter and is an embarrassment. He’s fully culpable and knows it, hence his temper tantrum over the free kick which wasn’t executed properly.
Selections: Clarke has to explain the process which identified the only goalkeeper in the world with poppadoms for hands as the best keeper in Scotland.
Ryan Jack played 12 seconds of football all season and he was a sub? Get tae fawk. Ridiculous.
And the SFA – Clarke is your mess and responsibility, take ownership and bleed him from the role, a seriously bad choice for a national team coach