More Positives Than Points

Steve Clarke and co have been quick to point out there are many positives to be taken from our recent performances. However, while that might be true, Scotland also have to deal with the fact that we have taken none of the points, and are likely heading for relegation back to League B and a tougher World Cup qualifying draw along with it.

Against Poland, individual mistakes meant it was an uphill battle to come from 2-0 down to get the game back to 2-2, only to have another individual mistake cost us in injury time and lose 3-2.

A few days later in Lisbon, Scotland couldn’t hold onto a lead as Portugal eventually wore us down to win 2-1. Angus Gunn had a great night, although he might not want to see the equaliser again.

Then on Saturday it was a similar story. Scotland weren’t in the lead for long as Croatia equalised, and although the game could have had a winner either way it was the home side that eventually got it. Our last gasp equaliser was, unfortunately, correctly ruled out for offside.

We clearly have something going forward, but we’re just not taking enough of the chances. Particularly against Croatia we seemed to get into good positions only for the final ball to let us down. Had we got that right we may well have won the game in Zagreb, let alone not go on to lose it.

Unfortunately, we don’t have much time to do anything about it with just three games of this campaign to go, the first of those at Hampden tonight against Portugal. Kick off is 7.45pm and it’s on YouTube again for those that can’t make it along.

We can cry about the number of players we have out – I heard several times on the commentary on Saturday about how we had a team of players out. But as much as that might be true in numbers, in terms of key players there’s only really Kieran Tierney and John McGinn that we’re missing.

Angus Gunn could be argued given his place in the team for the last year and a half, but Craig Gordon has 76 caps to his name now so it’s not like we’re lacking experience there. We chop and change the centre of defence so much that Scott McKenna isn’t always first choice, and Jack Hendry probably falls into the same category. Particularly when you consider Ryan Porteous who had become a reliable pick hasn’t featured since his sending off in Germany and he’s been on the bench this whole time.

Greg Taylor, James Forrest and Lawrence Shankland are all options from the bench, whilst Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey have been out of the picture for so long that we’re now more than used to Anthony Ralston at right back ahead of them. And as much as we’d like to see Lewis Ferguson step up and fill the Callum McGregor vacancy in midfield, he’s not had the chance to do that yet given his injury so he’s still considered another bit part player for now.

Then again, when you’ve lost the last four games late on, if you include the Hungary game at the Euros, you do have to wonder if the strength off the bench is an area where we struggle. If that’s the case then injuries certainly don’t help, but then again you’d have to wonder if guys like Lewis Morgan, Ryan Gauld and Ben Doak would even be near the squad if we had everyone available. Certainly Ben Doak has been getting deserved plaudits for his contribution in the campaign.

So we turn to the Portugal home game with the opposite record when compared with the visitors. Where we’ve lost all three games so far, they’ve won all three. The win over us came in between a similar 2-1 win at home to Croatia…

… and then on Saturday evening they had a 3-1 win in Poland. Again, I apologise for the quality of these, the UEFA rights are a mess. That’s why we’re watching our games on YouTube this month!

As noted last month, our home record against Portugal is better than our away record. All four of our wins, and two of our three draws have come in Scotland. In fact, we’ve only lost two of the eight home games we’ve played. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be video of most of these!

Our first win came in May 1955 where Tommy Gemmell (not that one!), Billy Liddell and Laurie Reilly all scored in a 3-0 win at Hampden.

Jose Torres got the only goal of the game when Portugal won at Hampden in June 1966. That was a Portugal side who went on to finish third in the World Cup a month later though.

Our first competitive game against Portugal at home came in October 1971 in Euro 72 qualifying. John O’Hare gave Scotland the lead in the first half, but Rui Rodrigues equalised in the second. That didn’t last long though as a minute later Archie Gemmill scored what would be the winner. It wasn’t enough to qualify though, the damage being done earlier in the campaign.

The May 1975 friendly at Hampden was decided by a Artur Correia own goal.

March 1980 was back in Euro qualifying again. The 4-1 win came long after the campaign was dead and buried for both teams, but goals from Kenny Dalglish, Andy Gray, Steve Archibald and a penalty from Archie Gemmill after Fernando Gomes has pulled one back at least gave us a decent win ahead of the more successful World Cup 82 campaign.

Which is when we next met Portugal! The goalless draw in October 1980 didn’t fill us with confidence for qualification, but we did get there in the end and even the defeat in Lisbon at the end of the campaign didn’t harm us.

The only home game not to take place at Hampden came, of course, in the 90s when Hampden was going through its renovation. The goalless draw at Ibrox in World Cup 94 qualifying was certainly better than the away game, that’s for sure! And of course, this is when we start finding videos…

The most recent meeting at Hampden came in a friendly in October 2018. Holder Costa scored just before half time, with Eder and Bruma both adding to the scoreline in the last fifteen minutes. Steven Naismith got a consolation at the end.

With two home games left across the three remaining games, there’s still time to try and make something out of this campaign. Hosting the 100% team in our group isn’t ideal, but given how we played in Portugal we know we can cause them problems. Then again, we also know they’ll be relentless.

A positive result tonight might well kick start the rest of our campaign and arrest the horrible record we currently have of just one win in our last fifteen matches – and that was a less than impressive victory over Gibraltar. Then again, I doubt we’re going into this match with much hope never mind expectation. We really need something to lift us.

Good luck to Scotland tonight!