YESTERDAY’S defeat was only a humiliation to those who haven’t been paying attention. Astana are there or thereabouts in the Champions League qualifying and certainly have picked up enough experience in that competition and in the Europa League to have gone onto their hard artificial pitch expecting to do better than just about everyone involved with Scotland thought. They were up against for instance a few Aberdeen players who haven’t been used to playing at the same level as Astana – and how it showed.
The outfield Celtic boys knew what to expect but could do little to turn the tide after the most awful of starts. James Forrest missed a sitter, Callum McGregor showed some fight and pride in the jersey at the final whistle – well done to him for that – and on loan forward Oli Burke demonstrated all the aspects of his game that needs improving and probably put Crystal Palace off making a move!
Scott Bain lost three goals – it’s a very long time since that happened – but was completely blameless.
If anyone is thinking that Scott McKenna is a suitable replacement for Dedryck Boyata – who played for Belgium in their win over Russia in Scotland’s group – then they will be thinking again if they watch that yesterday. The click baiters had Celtic fans hammering Boyata for playing for his country after missing Dundee away – complete nonsense! He played for Belgium, that’s good news and he’ll be ready for next weekend when we want to field our strongest side possible.
Alex McLeish is so clearly the wrong man for the job that it is astonishing that he was ever given it in the first place. He had become pretty much a failed manager that football had passed by and was sounding increasing desperate in pushing himself for jobs, including his old one at Ibrox.
Asked if yesterday’s 3-0 defeat was a sacking offence, McLeish said: “I will just continue to do my job. Suffice to say I’m not going to get drawn into that question.”
He was then asked where this defeat ranks in his management career, he added: “I don’t really rank defeats. I just feel in terms of losing I have to bounce back.
“It’s never finished until it’s finished. We bounced back from a poor performance in Israel and that’s what we must do after this game.
“We have other players to come back, players with more experience who have to come back to the Scotland squad.
“Obviously we need to have as strong a squad as we can if we’re going to be strong in qualification.
“It was a poor performance on the night,” McLeish said. You almost feel sorry for the guy, so bad is he in this job.
How the SFA reckoned he was the man to take Scotland FORWARD is a complete mystery and on the evidence of yesterday it is surely time for the blazers to act. Craig Gordon actually put forward the notion that San Marino will fancy their chances against Scotland on Sunday – that’s where we are at.
As an emergency measure they should get rid of McLeish, Grant and McFadden immediately and consider getting Gordon Strachan back in to take us through the Euro 2020 campaign, while planning for the long term after that.
Kieran Tierney won’t take part in that game against San Marino in Rimini on Sunday, he’s on his way back to Glasgow and is now a doubt for the Glasgow Derby. In truth it might be the best idea to allow him the time to properly recover and get back to being the player we know he can be for Celtic. Emilio Izaguirre is fit again and Jonny Hayes offers another option at left back – both have done well as KT understudies since he dropped out of the side in December with his hip problem.
The silver lining in all of that is that Arsenal. Leicester City etc will be unlikely to bid the £25million that Pistol Pete was looking for for KT with any ongoing injury concerns.
