SCOTLAND, on a high after winning their first five Euro 2024 qualifiers and moving to the cusp of a place in the finals in Germany next summer, were given a stark reminder of exactly where they stand in the international order by England at Hampden this evening.
The 150th Anniversary Heritage Match between the oldest rivals in international football – they first played each other in Glasgow way back in 1872 - was a fitting way to celebrate the Scottish Football Association’s birthday.
Gareth Southgate’s side, though, gatecrashed the party and coasted to victory over Steve Clarke’s team thanks to first half strikes from Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham and a late effort by Harry Kane.
Scotland pulled a goal back in the second half when England centre half Harry Maguire turned into his own net. But Kane pounced with nine minutes remaining to kill off any hopes of an equaliser.
Denmark and Spain, who are both in the top 20 of the FIFA World Rankings, have been beaten by Scotland in competitive matches in Mount Florida in the past two years. This, however, was a clear step up in standard. They were found wanting.
With Norway beating Georgia 2-1 in Oslo to keep alive their hopes of progressing to Euro 2024 – if they had drawn Scotland would been guaranteed at least second spot in Group A – the Tartan Army had nothing to celebrate on what proved to be a sobering evening.
It remains 24 years since the Auld Enemy have been overcome in any fixture – and 38 since they have been defeated at home.
Andy Robertson and his team mates battled valiantly. But their efforts were ultimately in vain. They they must learn from the outing and produce an improved showing when they face Spain away in Seville next month. Here are five things we learned from the “friendly” encounter.
IMPERIOUS ENGLAND
Clarke stuck with the same starting line-up which had taken to the field for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus in the AEK Arena in Larnaca on Friday night.
But the 3-4-2-1 formation that he normally favours became more of a 5-4-1 at times. The national team took a far more cautious approach than they had four days days earlier.
However, when your rivals are fielding Foden of Manchester City, Bellingham of Real Madrid, Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Kane of Bayern Munich in their front four, it made perfect sense.
It was one of the sternest tests the Scotland back three of Kieran Tierney, Jack Hendry and Ryan Porteous had faced together. The time and space which Bellingham was given on the ball when the visitors broke on the counter attack early on was a concern for their followers.
When right back Kyle Walker whipped a powerful volley just wide of the left post it gave a taste of what was to come. The home favourites conceded two goals in the space of four calamitous minutes. Foden rounded off a slick interchange to break the deadlock and shortly after that Bellingham was gifted a second.
ROPEY ROBBO
Robertson had led by example against Cyprus and helped to set up the opening two goals in the first half of a deserved 3-0 triumph.
But tonight the Scotland captain was badly at fault for his side falling two behind after a Foden cross broke to him off of Kane. He had the simplest of tasks to shell the ball to safety. But he hesitated and passed straight to Bellingham. The £90m man fired beyond Angus Gunn.
He redeemed himself in the second half when he forced centre half Maguire, who had come on for Marc Guehi at half time, to turn his low delivery into his own net and then found Lyndon Dykes, who came on for Billy Gilmour, and John McGinn with crosses. Both men headed just wide.
The Liverpool left back has, like every player in a dark blue jersey, enjoyed an excellent run of form for his country this year. Hopefully, he will put the uncharacteristic error behind him and be back to his very best again next month.
TEMPER TEMPER
Emotions ran high shortly after England had netted their second when Kalvin Philips brought down Che Adams in his own half.
Referee Davide Massa quickly showed the offending player the first yellow card of the evening for the foul. But Jack Hendry was incensed and got involved in a shoving match with Bellingham.
Both players picked up cautions from the match official when calm was restored. But Scotland failed to lay a glove on their age-old adversaries for much of the 90 minutes. They must get back to hurting teams with their play on the park going forward to seal their spot at another major tournament.
FRESH FACES
The physically and mentally draining outing in the Mediterranean last week may have taken its toll on Scotland. They were far from their brilliant best.
That said, Ryan Christie and Dykes both looked bright when they came on. Lewis Ferguson, Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Jack and Nathan Patterson also injected much-needed energy. Clarke would perhaps benefit from freshening up his side in the second game of a double header in future.
BROWN HONOURED
The SFA made sure that absent friends were remembered amid all of the excitement and festivities tonight.
It was fitting that tribute was paid to Craig Brown, who led Scotland through to both the Euro ’96 and France ’98 finals during his eight year tenure as manager, in the first international to be staged at Hampden since his sad passing at the age of 82 back in June.
The advertising hoardings read “There’s Only One Craig Brown” as the teams took to the pitch before kick-off and there was a pause in proceedings for a moment of quiet reflection before the hostilities commenced.
The 3,000 or so travelling supporters who had made the journey over Hadrian’s Wall proved unable to keep silent. A chorus of booing broke out in their section. That prompted a regrettable chant of “Lizzie’s in a box" from their counterparts.
But Brown, who oversaw a 1-0 win at Wembley in the second leg of the Euro 2000 play-off final in 1999, was no stranger to these sort of occasions during his long and distinguished career and would have fully expected such enmity.
He would, too, have been proud of the fightback his country staged even if it proved to be in vain.
