The last time Scotland played Gibraltar in the Algarve, Gordon Strachan ended a six-goal run by hailing one of the most memorable nights of his career. If Steve Clarke remembers this game, it won’t be with any lingering affection.
In the penultimate warm-up clash before facing Germany in Munich in the opening match of Euro 2024, the good news was that Scotland’s winless streak finally came to an end in the eighth minute.
The bad news came when he saw Leeds defender Liam Cooper limp out of the fray with 12 minutes remaining, just days after key striker Lyndon Dykes succumbed to an ankle injury.
The Scots, playing in their pastel blue uniforms, spent long stretches playing like a team that might have had a hard time hitting a barn door with a beach ball. Of 24 goal attempts, they only managed five on target, a laborious and disappointing victory against the 203rd ranked team in the world that is unlikely to give German coach Julian Nagelsmann too many sleepless nights.
In his 70th cap, captain Andrew Robertson converted chance after chance, and Ryan Christie finally converted one with an emphatic finish after 58 minutes.
A spectacular volley from substitute Che Adams five minutes from time gave the score a more acceptable shine and reinforced the striker’s claim to start against Germany ahead of Lawrence Shankland. With Dykes ruled out, options are slim.
It was a tough moment for Scotland coach Steve Clarke (left), who opted for a seat in the stands.
Ross McCrorie and Billy Gilmour greet Ryan Christie (right) after he broke the deadlock
Che Adams (right) is applauded by Ryan Jack after doubling Scotland’s lead.
Eight years ago, the Scots traveled here to play a dead game after failing to reach Euro 2016. In the end, Strachan gathered his players and staff on the field to pose for selfies in front of 11,000 fans and a celebration of the Failure epitomized how far the national team had fallen.
Last night Clarke’s team returned to the Algarve Stadium with a place for Euro 2024 already in their pocket. Still, there was very little to celebrate in the performance this time. In any case, he proved the old theory that Scotland does not organize friendlies.
There was a first cap for Ross McCrorie, the only man who could regard the loss of regular right-backs Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson as a stroke of good luck.
In the absence of the unfortunate Dykes, stretchered out of training last week, Hearts captain Shankland was given the opportunity to claim the attack, with James Forrest, Christie and John McGinn providing support behind. With results, it must be said, mediocre.
There should be no overreaction to a disappointing performance. As far away from the Allianz Arena as possible, the entire exercise had the feel of a pre-season friendly from the start. Competitive conditions are sometimes difficult to fake and the lack of urgency and pace in Scotland’s play contributes to a lackluster performance.
Germany will be a different proposition and, for that reason alone, Gibraltar struck many as a curious way to prepare for a meeting with Toni Kroos and Jamal Musiala.
A member of UEFA since 2013, the British team last won a match in November 2022 against Andorra.
Scotland assistant manager John Carver speaks to defender Liam Cooper after he had to come off in the second half, although it is not believed to be serious.
Gibraltar is a combination of gnarly old professionals and young jet-setters. Lincoln Red Imps midfielder Liam Walker was their top scorer, with a total of five goals. At the other end of the scale was James Scanlon, a 17-year-old striker for Manchester United.
After 12 straight defeats, including a 14-0 loss to France, Europe’s second-worst ranked team was never expected to give Scotland much of a game.
By missing opportunity after opportunity, Clarke’s team made the whole thing much more difficult than it should have been.
Unusually, the Scottish manager was absent from the touchline and sat in the stands to watch the players enjoy a few minutes of play. After only ten appearances for his club all season, Norwich defender Grant Hanley was a good example. This was the centre-back’s first outing for the national team since the epic victory over Spain in Glasgow that sparked the road to Germany and he really should have marked him with a first-half hat-trick.
Robertson, one of the few players in last night’s starting XI who was certain to start against Germany, took advantage of opportunity after opportunity and, until Christie finally broke the deadlock, his team-mates managed to miss them all. Hanley set the tone when he missed a shot after 10 minutes, heading the ball down and over the crossbar from a corner.
Before the break, the centre-half had a header superbly saved by debutant Gibraltar goalkeeper Jaylan Hankins before cutting an easy chance wide of the post from three yards.
He wasn’t the only one to blame. Forrest tipped a weak effort wide, while Kenny McLean headed a Robertson cross wide of target.
Ross McCrorie made his Scotland debut at right back and kept a clean sheet, at least
The suspicion that the second part could hardly be much worse turned out to be optimistic. Even the winning goal was tricky: Bournemouth attacker Christie hit the net high, through a crowd of bodies, after Robertson hung another cross at the far post.
Under media scrutiny the day before the match, Cooper addressed the worrying number of injuries hampering hopes of becoming the first Scottish team to reach the second round of a major tournament for the first time.
Insisting that no one could let up or hold back, Hanley’s half-time substitute must have wished he had stayed on the bench when he fell to the ground in the 78th minute. Limping heavily through the melee, the Leeds defender cut a dejected figure . It seemed bad.
The second goal was much more similar. Adams put his laces through a McGinn cross towards the back post to make the score a little more respectable.
When Adams scored the second, Tommy Conway was converting a header for the under-21 team against Türkiye. On a night when the lack of attacking cut and drive was impossible to ignore, Clarke may still be tempted to give the Bristol City striker a chance at glory.