STEVE Clarke has attributed Scotland’s vastly improved performance against Switzerland in their second Euro 2024 match in Cologne last night to his players embracing football's dark arts as he started preparations for the encounter with Hungary on Sunday.
Clarke and his charges were under intense pressure going into their Group A encounter with Murat’s Yakin’s men in the RheinEnergieStadion because of their abject display in the 5-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Germany in Munich last Friday night.
However, Andy Robertson and his team mates were far better in defence, in midfield and in attack and secured the point they needed to keep their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive at the end of 90 engrossing minutes.
Clarke was pleased that Scotland, who beat Cyprus, Spain, Norway and Georgia in qualifying and secured their spot in the finals with two games to spare, managed to put their opening loss firmly behind them and give a good account of themselves.
The former Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool assistant felt that showing their nasty side had enabled his players to get a 1-1 draw against opponents who reached the Euro 2020 quarter-finals and give the Tartan Army a display and a result to cheer.
“We knew what we had to do, the players knew what they had to do,” he said. “So it was a good team performance against a good opponent. I said before game I wanted the players to show the real Scotland I think they did that. It was a good reaction to a disappointing night against Germany. And we are still alive in the tournament.
“Sometimes as a footballer or a manager it doesn’t go your way, and it certainly didn’t go our way last Friday night. But this was just a case of getting back to what we’re good at by working hard and making sure we got the preparation right, and I thought we did.
“Everybody was trying to overhype the fact that we had to get something from the Switzerland game. But the reality was, even if we had played well against Germany, we’d probably have been in a similar position where we had to go into the Switzerland game and get something to take the group to the last game. That’s what we’ve done.
“They’re going to feel a lot better going into the next game on the back of that kind of performance, which is what we are. This is how we play, this is how we work. We’ve shown, as well as the aggression and the fight, the dirty side of the game if you like, we can play.
“When we got the ball down and we played we created some chances. Switzerland created some chances too and I’d imagine for the people watching it was a pretty good game. For me, it was pretty nervous at times, but I was also pretty hopeful at times.
“So, we did what we had to do and we’re still in the competition and that was the most important thing. It was what we expected. This is the way we have been playing as a team for the last three or four years. It’s why we’re here at a major tournament.”
Clarke dropped Ryan Christie against Switzerland, moved Scott McTominay into a more advanced position just off striker Che Adams and brought in Billy Gilmour in central midfield alongside Callum McGregor and was pleased with the difference his changes made.
“I thought Billy was really good,” he said. “He is a really good player. He is a fantastic player. Everyone uses that word technical, but sometimes what gets missed is that he is a good player.
“It was always my intention to start Billy in the second game and that is why he did not start the first game. But I knew. You could see itowards the end he was tiring a little. It is a tough shift in midfield. But I thought that he and Callum McGregor, both central midfielders, were outstanding.
Scotland supporters, former players and media pundits had all called for Angus Gunn to be dropped after the Norwich City man let in five against Germany – but Clarke ignored the critics.
He was pleased that Gunn, who produced three vital saves during the course of the 90 minutes, justified his selection.
Asked about the 28-year-old’s inspired showing, he said: “I am glad you asked that question. That is what you need your goalkeeper for, that is what we need from Angus.
“When we are the team coming into this kind of match you need your goalkeeper to make good saves and that is what he did. Two or three really good saves though he got a goal kick from one of them, That is what you need at key times. , you need your goalkeeper to save a goal and that is what he did.”
Gunn was only beaten when Xherdan Shaqiri pounced on an underhit Tony Ralston pass and curled an unstoppable first time shot into the top corner in the first-half.
The second choice Celtic full-back is only playing at Euro 2024 because Aaron Hickey of Brentford and Nathan Patterson of Everton are injured – but Clarke felt that he was not solely to blame for the equaliser.
“Tony made the mistake and it was a small mistake,” he said. “It could have been recovered because there were two players near the ball. If that chance falls to any other player in the Swiss team it’s not a goal. He (Shaqiri) is a top, top player. You do not give top players that type of chance.”
