Steve Clarke has spent the previous few days “kicking a few backsides and giving a few cuddles” as Scotland try to maneuver on from their opening-night mauling by Germany at Euro 2024.
The Scots had been swept apart 5-1 on Friday because the match hosts dished out a harsh lesson to Clarke’s males in Munich.
Given their aim distinction, Scotland most definitely want to select up at the very least 4 factors from their subsequent two video games, the following of which comes on Wednesday towards a Switzerland facet that opened with a 3-1 defeat of Hungary yesterday.
Reflecting on the Germany sport, Clarke advised a information convention in the present day: “They perceive they’ve let everyone down, they’re disillusioned, however they know they should be prepared for the following sport – that’s the character of being concerned in soccer.
“It was a disappointing evening. We bought numerous issues improper and we’ve bought to place it proper within the subsequent sport.
“If I might criticise myself, and I all the time criticise myself, I begin with myself, I possibly gave an excessive amount of data, which possibly clouded the gamers a bit on the pitch by way of what we do with the ball and what we do with out the ball.
“So we are able to work on that and now we have labored on {that a} bit this morning. We’ll work on it within the subsequent two days.”
Full squad locked-in for coaching 🔒 💪#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/AglFzRBlLB
— Scotland Nationwide Staff (@ScotlandNT) June 16, 2024
Requested what he has achieved to rally the troops since Friday, he added: “Kicking a few backsides, giving a few cuddles, getting them collectively as a bunch and making them perceive why we had that efficiency on Friday evening and ensuring we don’t have that efficiency once more.”
It might be straightforward for the Scotland gamers to lose confidence in what they’re making an attempt to realize however Clarke says morale stays excessive.
“We imagine in ourselves. There’s no hazard of that,” he mentioned.
“We all know it was a nasty evening. We’ve to simply accept all of the criticism that comes our approach after which now we have to place it proper.
“To be in soccer, you need to be very resilient.”
What’s Clarke’s view of Switzerland?
The Swiss current one other stern problem for Scotland with Murat Yakin’s males possessing loads of match expertise.
Clarke added: “When you return to the qualifying marketing campaign, it was a little bit of a wrestle for the Swiss. They most likely didn’t play in addition to they’ll.
“Folks all the time have a look at the Swiss and assume they’re a smaller footballing nation, however they’re all the time there on the main tournaments.
“So relating to match soccer, a little bit like Germany, they had been on it – the identical with the Swiss staff.
“They know the right way to survive in tournaments and they’re a nation now we have to be taught from.”
