Euro 2012 qualifiers preview: Scotland v Spain
On the defensive. That’s the best way to describe Scotland before, during and after Friday night’s defeat to the Czech Republic in Prague.
Craig Levein unveiled a revolutionary 4-6-0 formation during the 1-0 loss, and while it’s a setup that hopefully won’t catch on any time soon, the Scots were still quite happy with it.
“We could have done more going forward,” understated Steven Naismith, just one of the Scottish players who were instructed to abandon their attacking instincts, “and we gave up possession really easily, but until the goal I still think we did really well.
“We had a plan but they had quality players who could really punish you and if you matched up against them they would cut you open.”
The defeat has led to the system being widely derided in Scotland – “I was happy with it,” said Levein – and if the boss is to stick with it ahead of his side’s next qualifier, then it is about to face a much tougher test than the one it received in Prague. The world champions are coming.
There may be no Xavi, no Fernando Torres and no Cesc Fàbregas, but Spain will be no less formidable when they enter battle at Hampden Park tonight.
Two wins from two in Group I have ensured that the feelgood factor from Johannesburg hasn’t diminished yet, and with Torres’ stand-in Fernando Llorente in fine form judging by his brace in Friday’s win over Lithuania, Scotland’s defence – however many people are in it – will need to be in fine form. Even that probably won’t be enough though.
Elsewhere on Friday there was a defensive display that went down a little better, as Northern Ireland ground out a goalless draw with Italy in Belfast.
“We had a big heart, worked hard and the discipline within the team was magnificent,” said beaming boss Nigel Worthington after a result that, while admittedly impressive, did come against one of the worst Italian sides in living memory, and he’ll fully expect to build upon that point with a victory in the consistently obscure surroundings of the Faroe Islands tonight.
Three points could place the Northern Irish joint top alongside the Italians, and surely three points is what they’ll get.
Wales caretaker boss Brian Flynn would kill for three points in Switzerland tonight, even though a defeat at home to Bulgaria on Friday night all but killed off his country’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012.
He wants a victory to strengthen his claims for the job full time, and his players want to provide it for him.
“No one wants to let Brian down,” said midfielder David Vaughan, “and hopefully he will get the job, regardless of the results, if we play well.
“Hopefully we can do the job for him. We have only had a few days' training with him but if he is around long term I think you will see the benefits in the performances.”
Those performances are surely already geared towards planning for a World Cup 2014 qualification attempt, and while defeat tonight will surely end Flynn’s hopes of taking the job permanently, anything else will give him a fighting chance of staying on. The signs point to defeat though.
Defeat was what the Republic of Ireland experienced at home to Russia on Friday, as Giovanni Trapattoni’s men experienced their first dropped points of the campaign.
They travel to Slovakia in search of a win tonight, and although they’ll be without the services of forward Kevin Doyle, assistant boss Marco Tardelli is confident that Shane Long – who scored when coming off the bench against the Russians – can step up and take Doyle’s No. 9 shirt, just as he has done at club side Reading.
“They are good players but without experience - Doyle has experience in the Premier League.
“But I think the young players are ready to play in an important match. Against Russia, Long came on, he played well and scored a goal.”
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