Toothless Scotland Fall to Pépé Strike as World Cup Concerns Grow
Fergie and Dalglish witness a dismal Scotland display that leaves more questions than answers for the Tartan Army ahead of the World Cup.
Scotland’s World Cup preparations hit another stumbling block in Liverpool as a disjointed performance saw Steve Clarke’s men fall to a 1-0 defeat against the Ivory Coast.
Following the weekend’s dismal showing against Japan, Clarke opted for a tactical rethink, reverting to a 5-3-2 formation at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. While the likes of Dom Hyam and Ross McCrorie handed opportunities to stake their claim for a plane ticket to the States, the end result was a familiar story of missed chances and defensive lapses.
Scotland teased a bright start with Ryan Christie testing the keeper and Kieran Tierney pulling a shot wide, but the optimism was short-lived.
The African champions soon took the game by the scruff of the neck. After John Souttar produced a goal-saving block to deny Nicolas Pépé, the Ivorians’ dominance finally told. Just before the interval, the Scotland backline was caught wide open, allowing the former Arsenal man to slot home as keeper Liam Kelly watched a scuff shot trickle past him onto the post before Pépé bundled home the rebound.
The introduction of Scott Bain at the break proved vital, with the keeper producing a stunning save to deny Manchester United’s Amad Diallo. At the other end, George Hirst was the brightest spark in a blue shirt. The Ipswich man worked tirelessly but lacked the clinical edge required at this level, flashing two efforts wide before seeing a header parried.
While Scotland dominated possession in the closing stages, it was more huff and puff than genuine penetration. Ivory Coast almost doubled their lead late on when Simon Adingra rattled the woodwork, leaving the scoreline perhaps more flattering to the Scots than the performance deserved.
Two defeats, zero goals, and a squad that looks like it’s still searching for its identity. Steve Clarke remained pragmatic, but the “work in progress” tag is wearing thin with the tournament only weeks away.
The squad now disperses back to their clubs before a final Hampden send-off against Curaçao on May 30th. From there, it’s off to the USA for a final tune-up before the Group Stage opener against Haiti in Boston on June 14th.
If Scotland are to make any dent in a group containing Morocco and Brazil, the bluntness in front of goal needs to be addressed and fast.
Scotland: Kelly (Bain 46), McCrorie (Patterson 62), Souttar, Hyam, Tierney, Robertson, McTominay (Ferguson 46), Christie (McLean 70), Gilmour (McGinn 70), Adams (Conway 77), Hirst (Dykes 77)
Unused Substitutes: Gunn, Hendry, Miller, McKenna, Ralston, Curtis