- By Nick McPheat
- BBC Scotland
‘We’re a hell of a lot nearer to the tally that can qualify us’
By the time the Tartan Army ultimately acquired residence from Hampden on Tuesday, a truthful few would have spent the remaining of their night time trawling by flight comparability web sites.
Germany is the vacation spot. June is the month. Euro 2024 is the occasion. But Steve Clarke is not comfy giving the nation the inexperienced mild to finish any transactions simply but.
Victory over Georgia ensured Scotland started their qualifying marketing campaign with a fourth straight win. Twelve factors from a attainable 12 on supply are on the board. A document begin for the lads’s nationwide aspect.
“It’s a good start, a really good start,” Clarke mentioned. “I mentioned six factors would not qualify us and I do not suppose 12 factors will. But we’re a hell of a lot nearer to the factors tally that can qualify us.
“Nobody is aware of what the factors tally will likely be. So let’s simply hold selecting up factors as typically as we will after which on the finish of the group, we’ll tally up and see if we have made it.
“The second half of the campaign is three tough away games and a difficult home game against Norway. So we have to come back in September and focus and go again.”
‘It was a loopy night time’
For 90 unsure minutes, it regarded just like the nation wasn’t going to have the possibility to bask within the glory of a fourth consecutive win.
Torrential rainfall made the Hampden pitch unplayable, with the groups referred to as in simply moments after Callum McGregor’s opener despatched a sodden Tartan Army rocking.
But after what felt like umpteen delays, pitch inspections and warm-ups, the sport ultimately restarted in entrance of a affected person residence crowd that caught with their crew each step of the best way.
Centre-back Ryan Porteous mentioned Scotland have been “a little startled” when the sport kicked again off, but Clarke’s aspect rapidly regained their focus as they dominated their guests and acquired the second aim their efficiency merited when Scott McTominay crashed in a fifth aim in 4 Scotland video games.
“It was tough,” midfielder Billy Gilmour mentioned. “One minute the sport was going forward, the subsequent it wasn’t. It was a loopy night time. Mentally, we needed to be prepared. Everyone caught collectively, helped out, and we acquired the three factors.
“We’ve proven everybody we’ve got a actual togetherness. We be sure we’re difficult one another each day in coaching. It’s clearly good for Scotland. There’s a good buzz concerning the place.”
‘Georgia have been at it. They needed the sport stopped’
It wasn’t simply the Scottish summer season rain that threw the competition into jeopardy, but additionally Georgia’s unwillingness to fulfil the fixture when it regarded just like the away aspect have been refusing to return again out onto the pitch.
Georgia boss Willy Sagnol denied these claims, although, and criticised Uefa by claiming his gamers had been handled as “objects” at Hampden.
“The truth the referee stopped the sport simply after the primary aim, he put himself below a lot strain,” the previous France defender mentioned.
“He might have stopped after each Steve [Clarke] and I requested him to cease the match earlier than the aim. But we restarted the sport as we had been requested – below large strain by Uefa, I’ve to say.
“The only thing I regret as a manager in these moments is the lack of communication. You don’t know why they decide these things, they don’t really give you explanations.”
