When I’ve done international reviews in the past I’ve done it on a game by game basis. Not this time. I literally couldn’t bring myself to write anything in the wake of the Kazakhstan opener.
On the one hand, I try to look at it objectively.
Both Celtic and Aberdeen have both been over there in the past six years – three times in Celtic’s case, one in Aberdeen’s – and both failed to win. From four visits in total, there has been three defeats and one draw. Temper that with the artificial surface which the team clearly looked uncomfortable on and add it to the raft of players unavailable then there are some good reasons for it.
Scotland selection wise were effectively decimated with the loss of Andy Robertson, Ryan Fraser, Kieran Tierney, Charlie Mulgrew and Calum Paterson leading up to the game and the likes of Robert Snodgrass, Leigh Griffiths, Steven Naismith, Tom Cairney, Matt Ritchie, Matt Phillips and Steven Fletcher all unavailable too for a variety of reasons. Then there has been the retirements in the past year of the likes of Scott Brown, James McArthur and Allan McGregor. So effectively a full teams worth plus subs were absent.
The replacements were just not up to it.
For some banal reason people have been calling for Graeme Shinnie’s involvement in the national team for some time and he got his start at left back only to look hopelessly out of his depth. The young centre back pairing of McKenna and Bates also looked lost without some experience at the back to guide them – okay that would have been Mulgrew’s role but surely common sense should have seen McLeish give Christophe Berra a call – and then there was the borderline insane decision to pitch in the little known Liam Palmer for his debut at left-back. Palmer looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights all night and this was particularly frustrating considering Kilmarnock’s Stephen O’Donnell was sitting on the bench a player who has not only been capped before and has been playing well all season but who also plays regularly on an artificial surface. You would have thought that one would have been a no brainer but then again when your coaching staff have no brain……….
From midfield to upfront the team looked capable enough on paper – I’m no fan of Oli McBurnie but in fairness, he does have 18 goals in 35 games for Cardiff this season – however, everyone was bang out of form with Celtic players Oli Burke and James Forrest particularly ineffective and disappointing.
Based on what we’ve seen so far there is little evidence to support a case to even attempt to make Burke’s transfer permanent, not that there would be much point in even trying considering the ludicrous transfer fee his parent club are likely to want. It is an indictment on the modern transfer market that Burke has so far collectively cost clubs £28 million in fees considering that, to say the least, he’s a work in progress. Yes, he has pace to burn and has moments of real dynamism but his final product is generally non-existent with a poor first touch and little to no finishing ability. I hope he proves me wrong in the coming weeks but as it stands he can return to Albion with my warmest regards this summer.
To that first game itself and the Kazakhs were 2-0 up after only 10 mins which was truly incredible considering their 117th world ranking. Even more incredible was that after the match national coach Alex McLeish insisted that he thought his team had got off to a ‘bright start’.
Both goals were fine finishes – Yuriy Pertsukh’s opener, in particular, was pretty spectacular – but both were also born out of poor defending as the back line was posted MIA.
Shinnie was all at sea for the second and Scotland looked completely hobbled thereafter.
In the second half, Zainutdinov scored a magnificent header and that was that pretty much except for the fact that both Armstrong and Forrest both should have scored with the ex-Celtic midfielder failing to hit the target and the current Celtic winger’s effort a feeble attempt at close range.
I’m a huge fan of Callum McGregor but personally, I don’t think he’s captain material and so it proved to be. McGregor is a playmaker and talented midfielder but not a leader of men, not helped by his rather diminutive schoolboy-esque stature, and for me, the armband would have maybe been better with the likes of McGinn or Armstrong.
Though it didn’t really matter who had it when your team can’t string three passes together and their play is completely devoid of any conviction or fire.
Three days later Scotland rolled into Serravalle to face the lowest ranked nation in world football. Having watched Ireland’s rather woeful effort in eking past minnows Gibraltar 1-0 the day before I didn’t think international football could get much worse. Scotland did their best to prove me wrong.
A 5 or 6-0 thrashing was just what the doctor ordered in the wake of the Kazhak embarrassment but instead, Scotland laboured to a wholly disappointing 2-0 win over the minnows via goals from Kenny McLean and Johnny Russell. Up front, Marc McNulty made his first start for the national team and if he’s the answer then I’m not sure what the question is.
The old mantra of ‘a wins a win’ and ‘it’s three points’ etc will be rolled out in the coming days by the team but it was another crap performance and gives little evidence of any real cohesion and passion within this squad.
Elsewhere in the group Russia visited Kazhakstan and proved that it’s not so much a case of the Kazhaks actually being pretty good but instead of Scotland just being really bad as they plundered their hosts 4-0 to get their first points on the board. In their first game, they were pretty easily dispatched 3-1 by group favourites Belgium who just look a class apart. Belgium have since won 2-0 in Cyprus and look like they are going to romp this group at a canter.
Next up Scotland face Cyprus at Hampden in early June in a must-win match – though to be honest after that start they are all must win now – and then they head over the water to visit Belgium and their galaxy of stars which right now seems a somewhat terrifying prospect.
Anyway, let’s forget all that uninspiring and quite frankly depressing international nonsense as it’s back to club duty and the build-up to next Sunday’s Old Firm clash where Celtic could go 13 points clear and effectively seal the league.
Preview of that to come as we get on with the really important business at hand.
....Always A Tim! 