Scotland need to learn from Russia defeat, admits Steve Clarke
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Scotland manager Steve Clarke has urged hi steam to not get disheartened by their 4-0 defeat to Russia but instead learn harsh lessons and act accordingly against San Marino. Scotland sit 5th in Group I with 6 points and are only above San Marino who have not registered a single point in 7 games.
Scotland’s loss to Russia meant that Steve Clarke’s side cannot qualify directly but are reliant on making it to Euro 2020 via the play-off place they earnt after a successful National League competition, rather than the European Qualifiers. The game against San Marino is the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways and uplift the squad’s morale. Clarke told Sky Sports that he has urged the players to forget the disappointment and move ahead.
"We're just looking to get over the disappointment of the other night and get ready for our next game. What's gone is gone, we have to learn from it. I think in adversity you always learn more about people sometimes than when things are positive. So we have to learn those lessons, stick together as a group and we have to turn the corner and what better way to turn the corner than the game tomorrow night,” Clarke told Sky Sports.
"The only way to turn the corner is to win matches. We can keep looking back and beating ourselves up or we can say 'OK, everything that we want to achieve is still in front of us."
Scotland’s loss to Russia meant that they have now suffered their fourth consecutive loss in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. The four losses have taken a toll on the Scotland squad and they look under-confident during games. Clarke hopes that the team can turn this around and win the next three games which are against relatively modest opposition. He also urged the senior players like Robert Snodgrass and Andy Robertson to take charge and give confidence to the team.
“If we win those three games we'll get the positivity back around the place that we're all striving to get. And if we do that we're going into the play-off games in March, hopefully with two matches to secure qualification for Euro 2020. So everything is still in front of us, no matter how bad it's been or how disappointed we are - we still have everything to play for," concluded the Scot.
