One swallow does not a summer make. Or make up for one as bitterly disappointing as that which the Tartan Army were just forced to endure. But are there now just signs that the worm is beginning to turn for Scotland?
Granted, a run of just one win in 16 games now may not make for pretty reading on the face of it, but there is no doubt in the minds of the players that the national team are heading in the right direction following their gutsy goalless draw against Portugal at Hampden on Tuesday night.
By scratching under the surface level of recent results against some pretty formidable opposition outfits, they may well have a case.
There was a feeling within the Scotland camp that Steve Clarke and his men hadn’t quite got what they had deserved for the level of performances they have been putting in during their first outing at the elite level of the Nations League, and they are hoping that the rewards will now start to match their overall endeavours.
There was a lot to like about what Scotland were doing against the Portuguese, and indeed, against the Croatians on Saturday evening. Of course, when facing sides who are blessed with such world class talents – particularly in the case of Portugal – it wasn’t always going to be pretty.
There were extended periods where the Scots had their backs to the wall, and particularly towards the end of the first half, there were numerous occasions when the men in dark blue resorted to slashing the ball up the park in any old direction, as long as it was away from their goal.
After a half time reminder from Clarke though, the Scottish players settled back down, and even though they were being pressed relentlessly by the opposition high up the pitch whenever they landed on the ball, they kept trying to pass their way out of trouble.
It didn’t always work, and the hosts coughed up possession in some dicey areas. But they kept trying to do the right things, and when they did play their way out of the press, it allowed Scotland to mount the odd counterattack of their own.
So, along with the recent formation change, there appears to be a change of approach too, and that hints to an evolution of this Scotland team that the fans have craved for some time.
If Clarke and his team can rediscover the defensive solidity that was once their hallmark – and their doughty performance against Portugal suggests they can – and marry that with a quick, passing style when in possession – and they certainly now have enough technically proficient players to do so – then there are reasons for some cautious optimism around what may lie ahead in November and beyond.
Grant Hanley, one of the players on the receiving end of some criticism of late, and deservedly so after his rash lunge at the death cost Scotland a point against Poland last month, certainly senses that the national team are back on track.
“We are not daft,” Hanley said.
“We know there are going to be times where we will come in for criticism for not getting results. People will look at that. When you are in the midst of it then it is important to realise we are going in the right direction.
“It was [a shift against Portugal] but that is to be expected when you play against teams like that, who have quality.
“There are always going to be times when you are going to need to suffer, dig in and stick together and we did that.
“At times in the first half, we imposed ourselves on the game and created chances. Even in the second half, we also created a couple of chances. It was nice to put on a performance along with a result.
Read more:
-
From Ballon D'Or to 'balloon': How Cristiano Ronaldo fared against Scotland
-
Portugal manager admits concern for Cristiano Ronaldo at Hampden
“I don’t think performances have been a million miles away from where we need to be. We have maybe not had that wee bit of luck we have needed, but on Tuesday we put on a performance and also got a result.
“There has been a change of formation and maybe the squad was looking a bit different at times because there have been injuries and the like as well.
“It is really important to remember the direction we are going in. As players, we feel we are going the right way.”
And as much as the attempts at a more expansive style have provided crumbs of comfort amid the recent run, just as pleasing for Hanley was the clean sheet, their first in seven matches since beating Gibraltar, which was their only victory and only other shutout in the 16 matches of this long barren sequence.
“As defenders, that is obviously your bread and butter,” he said.
“That is what you want in every single game.
“When you concede goals you analyse it and look at what we could have done right. We put it all together against Portugal and got a clean sheet.
“We knew at times there would need to be blocks and we would need to rely on Craig (Gordon) at times. We know he is always good for a save or two.
“I am just really happy with the clean sheet.”
Hanley’s teammate, Lewis Morgan, backed up the theory that Scotland are slowly but surely showing they can now not only compete with such a level of opposition, but also gain some results along the way.
“You look at every single game we’ve played [in the Nations League], we’re playing nations that are top sides, and every single game has been close,” Morgan said.
“We’ve been right in it, and we’ve created chances in every game. We’re not just out there surviving. I think even [against Portugal] we created potentially bigger chances, or better chances than what they did.
“We know the quality we’ve got. We also know that there’s bits that we can improve and do better. I think we’ve done that. Maybe a month or so ago we would have conceded late and we lose the game.
“But I think, for morale, it’s good for the group in there that we managed to see that out.
“It’s a massive result. When you look at the group stage now as well, it’s right within our hands. You don’t want to be falling behind third place.
"We’ve got two massive games coming up next month and you see the lift it gives the boys. We we went toe-to-toe with a top team, and we’ve continued to do that over the last few months.
“So we can take a lot of positives from it.”
