SCOTLAND’S last match against Armenia in Yerevan back in June brought a desperately disappointing international break to an end on something of a high.
The national team may have been widely expected to overcome opponents who were languishing in 92nd place in the FIFA World Rankings despite being away from home.
Still, their hosts had beaten the Republic of Ireland in their opening Nations League match 10 days earlier at the same venue.
And seasoned Tartan Army footsoldiers could remember the humiliations their heroes have suffered on the road against international minnows like the Faroe Islands, Lithuania, Macedonia and Kazakhstan over the years.
So the comfortable 4-1 victory, which moved Steve Clarke’s side into second spot in Group B1, was celebrated joyously by the travelling supporters.
The win, clinched thanks to a Stuart Armstrong double and John McGinn and Che Adams goals, went some way towards easing the pain of the wretched losses to Ukraine and Ireland which preceded it.
Yet, it was heartening to hear Clarke stress that he was far from content with the display in the Vazgen Sargsyan Stadium when he announced his squad for the forthcoming Nations League games earlier this week.
“We showed great character to come back from an early blow in that game,” he said on Tuesday. “I have to commend the lads for that as it was a tough place to go. But we didn’t actually play that well against Armenia away. For the first time in a couple of years we stuttered in the summer.”
The former Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool assistant has high standards and is not prepared to let a win, as welcome as it was, gloss over the obvious flaws in his side’s play.
A stark improvement will be required against Ukraine at Hampden on Wednesday evening for a repeat of the Qatar 2022 play-off semi-final defeat to be avoided.
Scotland must do far better against the Republic of Ireland a week today than they did against their Celtic cousins in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin three months ago or the pressure on Clarke will grow.
There were maybe reasons why Andy Robertson and his compatriots failed to perform to as they had done during their eight game unbeaten run – a hot streak of form which had included wins over Denmark, Austria and Israel – last season in those outings.
The play-off match being switched from March to June certainly did not help matters. The momentum which had been built up was lost. Several players failed to perform as they can at the end of what had been a long and demanding campaign.
Nathan Patterson and Kieran Tierney, two certain starters who had been immense for their country in both defence and attack in the previous months, were also missing due to injury.
Aaron Hickey made, at the age of just 19, his first Scotland start at right wing back against Ukraine and, perhaps not surprisingly given his inexperience at international level, struggled to replicate the form which he had been showing with Bologna in Serie A.
Everton right back Patterson has been playing regularly and consistently well – something which was not the case last term – and Arsenal defender Tierney has also recovered from knee surgery.
Their presence in the Scotland side in midweek should ensure a far better all-round display.
But can the abject performances against Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland really be put down to scheduling and the absence of that aforementioned duo?
Craig Gordon, Robertson, Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Liam Cooper, Scott McKenna, Scott McTominay, McGinn, Callum McGregor, Billy Gilmour, Lyndon Dykes, Adams, Ryan Christie and Armstrong were all involved.
There was enough talent and nous, then, to successfully negotiate both games, even if one or two of them were not at their brilliant best.
Clarke was lauded as a hero when he led Scotland into the Euro 2020 finals two years ago with that penalty shoot-out play-off triumph over Serbia in Belgrade. He was showered with plaudits as second spot in Group F and a place in the Qatar 2022 play-offs was secured last year.
However, no manager can rest on his laurels in football. His team selection, tactics and substitutions all came in for criticism from fans and pundits following the Ukraine and Ireland reverses. Even the defensive display against Armenia away raised serious questions.
Vahan Bichakhchyan put Joaquin Caparros’s side ahead following a catalogue of errors. Hanley, Hendry and McTominay were all at fault. It was alarming to see.
Not having skipper Robertson available for this triple header – the Liverpool defender has been ruled out by a knee problem – is far from ideal.
There is much, then, for Clarke to address if Scotland are to get back to winning ways, finish top in their section and wrap up a Euro 2024 play-off spot.
If there are any re-runs of the June horror shows then there will be calls for the manager to be replaced before the next qualifying campaign gets underway.
