Scotland’s Struggles Continue: Can They Find a Way to Stem the Tide?
Scotland’s 4-1 loss to Portugal at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible skills was no surprise. But the worrying trend that’s emerged from their recent performances is a major cause for concern. Five goals conceded in their last two games takes their total to 33 in their last 14 matches. Yikes!
What’s more alarming is that Scotland have conceded goals in five of their last six matches, with four of those coming after the 85th minute. That’s not exactly the kind of pressure you want to be putting on your team. To make matters worse, it’s now been 14 games without a competitive win, and a year without a victory in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying match.
Steve Clarke is trying to take the positives from these losses, admitting that his team needs to "re-adjust" after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign. He’s switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, which has shown glimpses of attacking flair, but it’s clear that there’s still a lot of work to be done.
The introduction of Ryan Gauld, Ben Doak, and Tommy Conway to the squad suggests that Clarke is trying to shake things up and prepare for the World Cup qualifiers next year. But evolution, not revolution, is the plan, and it’s unclear if it’s enough to turn their fortunes around.
Scotland have a tough road ahead of them, with top-quality opposition to face in their upcoming matches. They’ll need to find a way to stem the tide of goals and start picking up some wins if they want to avoid another disappointing tournament.
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