Scotland reaction: Clarke calls out one star, defends Celtic man and gives big update on Tierney

Steve Clarke hailed goalkeeper Angus Gunn as Scotland secured the result required against Switzerland to stay in contention at Euro 2024. 

Scotland scored first through a deflected Scott McTominay effort and then watched Xerdan Shaqiri take advantage of a loose backpass from Anthony Ralston to equalise 13 minutes later. 

It was the end of the scoring but not of the drama. Grant Hanley hit a post with a header in the second half as Scotland were still processing an injury to Kieran Tierney, who had to lead the field shortly before the hour mark. 

Steve Clarke gestures from the sidelines during the match against Switzerland. | Getty Images

Clarke confirmed the defender will miss Sunday’s all-important clash against Hungary in Stuttgart, when a win will almost certainly ensure Scotland qualify for the second stage of a major finals for the first time. 

The manager had only asked his players to “play better” – and that’s what they did. They showed a truer version of themselves than against Germany on Friday night, when they lost 5-1 in the opening game and endured heavy criticism. 

“It was what we expected,” he said. “This is the way we have been playing as a team for the last three or four years.

“It’s why we’re here at a major tournament. We knew what we had to do, the players knew what they had to do. So it was a good team performance against a good opponent.

“I said before game I wanted the players to show the real Scotland I think they did that. It was a good reaction to a disappointing night against Germany and we are still alive in the tournament.

“Sometimes as a footballer or a manager it doesn’t go your way, and it certainly didn’t go our way last Friday night. But this was just a case of getting back to what we’re good at by working hard and making sure we got the preparation right, and I thought we did.”

He praised Gunn for a three superb saves, one of which was wrongly given as a goal kick. This was just after the incident where Tierney was injured while trying to halt muscular forward Dan Ndoye. 

“I am glad you asked that question,” said Clarke, when a reporter asked about Gunn. “That is what you need your goalkeeper for, that is what we need from Angus. When we are the team coming into this kind of match you need your goalkeeper to make good saves and that is what he did. Two or three really good saves though he got a goal kick from one of them! That is what you need at key times.”

The manager defended Ralston, whose part in the Swiss equaliser was undeniable. However, Clarke described the error, when he left a backpass short, as a “small mistake” and the manager noted that there were others nearby who could have rectified the situation. He also noted that no other player in the Swiss team could have finished the way Shaqiri did.  

“Tony made the mistake and it was a small mistake it could have been recovered because there were two players near the ball,” he said. “If that chance falls to any other player in the Swiss team it’s not a goal.  He is a top, top player. You do not give top players that type of chance.”

Kieran Tierney picked up a bad injury against the Swiss. | Getty Images

Now Clarke’s focus is on Sunday. He knows he is without Tierney as well as the suspended Ryan Porteous. “Kieran is injured so he won’t play in the next game,” he said. 

But the manager will surely find a place for Billy Gilmour, who was excellent on his return to the starting XI after being left out against Germany. “Everyone uses that word technical but sometimes what gets missed is that he is a good player,” he said. “It was always my intention to start Billy in the second game and that is why he did not start the first game. But I knew and you could see it towards the end he was tiring a little. It is a tough shift in midfield. I thought he and Callum McGregor, both central midfielders, were outstanding.”