So Scotland fans, players and management have yet another hard-luck story to recount for years to come after a failure to qualify from the group stage of a major tournament.
But who is to blame for falling short at Euro 2024? The referee for controversially not awarding Scotland a penalty before Hungary’s late winner? Head coach Steve Clarke for his tactics? Or the pool of players for lacking quality when and where it really counts?
We asked for your thoughts and, as ever, there is no consensus…
‘Stonewaller’ or ‘never a penalty’?
So let’s get that penalty award out of the way first. Scotland substitute Stuart Armstrong went down in the Hungary penalty box with 10 minutes remaining under pressure from centre-half Willi Orban, but referee Facundo Tello waved play on and VAR official Alejandro Hernandez opted not to intervene…
Alistair: What a joke! It was a horrendous decision to not award a penalty kick for Scotland. All of the angles show the defender knee Stuart Armstrong in the calf muscle from behind. It is a clumsy tackle, the defender did not get the ball. Why VAR did not intervene is a mystery and it makes a farce of the whole system.
Richard: Clear to me that Stuart Armstrong had a good pull on the Hungary player’s shirt before contact, plus he looks offside when the ball is put through to him. I’d be gutted if that was given against my team.
Patrick: I think it was a penalty. I’ve watched it about three times and there was shirt pulling by the Scottish player, but it was a definite penalty.
Dale: Never a penalty. He was looking to go over as soon as he got in the box. Didn’t want the opportunity to get off a shot and risk missing. Coward.
Jon: The Scottish were poor for most of the match and only played well in parts. As for the penalty, it was clearly 100% a penalty (I’m an England fan). The player clearly runs into Stuart Armstrong and knees his left leg, which spins him round, which, in turn, causes Armstrong to grab the defender. How VAR the can’t see that is beyond comprehension.
Neil: Steve Clarke’s comments about an Argentinian referee were bitter and out of character for a normally fair and reasonable person. There are four pitch officials – and a few more in VAR. The Scottish player who Clarke claims to have been taken down in the penalty box also tugs at the shirt of the Hungarian defender, but not one person has commented on that.
Tony: 100% penalty. Stuart Armstrong shielded the ball with his body and the defender took him out. No contact with the ball, just with Armstrong, so has to be a foul. It would have been given anywhere else on the pitch.
Gary: The referee had a good game. The penalty decision was correct. The players were scrambling, no-one had the ball under control. For me, the decisive move is when the Scottish player holds on to the shirt of the Hungarian defender. He seems to pull him over. Scotland had no creativity and no idea of how to unlock the defence.
Anon: If we start to give penalties for jumping in front of defenders to deliberately initiate contact then the game is lost. The attacker should have stayed with the ball and tried to score. I’m disappointed that a respected pundit like Alan Shearer thinks that a penalty should have been awarded.
Tom: VAR should have intervened. If they had, they’d have seen that Stuart Armstrong steps in to the space in front of the defender (which he’s perfectly entitled to do), so the defender has two options, try to go around Armstrong or else bring him down. Terrible officiating from the VAR and yet another example of where we rightly wonder what the point of the VAR actually is.
Stuart: Stonewall penalty. Against any of the big countries, it is given. Uefa has to respond and at least admit it was wrong.
Bruce: A blindfold gerbil on the moon could see it was a penalty. But Hungary were – just – the better side on balance sadly.
‘Dire’ display from ‘dour’ Clarke’s men
That leads us on to what, discounting the decision over the possible penalty, went wrong for Scotland and what it means for the future of Steve Clarke and this squad of players. The head coach is taking the brunt of the flak…
Doug: Biggest game in 26 years and we get exactly what we deserve. Too negative in every aspect. 5-4-1 with two holding midfielders and zero penetration. No forward passes, nobody receiving passes on the half turn in midfield. Total lack of bravery in possession. That squad should regret that big time.
Anon: Scotland passed it around at the back too much early on. They had to desperately try and score from 30 minutes onwards, even if that meant using a long ball to get higher up the pitch.
Seagull: I thought Scotland played well, but let’s be honest, they do not have a good forward line.
Neil: Scotland, not the first time, showed they are only support acts on the big stage. Clarke’s record is one win from the last 12 matches – and that was an unconvincing friendly victory against Gibraltar. He didn’t have the guts to drop poorly performing players like John McGinn, And Robertson, Callum McGregor – and, most of all, an uninspiring and erratic goalkeeper. He is lucky to still be in a job. Many club managers with his record would have been sacked a long time ago.
Eric: Not a great deal of positives to take, but it’s a squad game and we didn’t use the squad quick enough in the games. A good time now to dump some of the older guys and hopefully get in some youth outwith the Old Firm. Up-and-coming young players are learning nothing going to the Old Firm, they need to go overseas or the Premier League and learn the game properly.
Jamie: It’s not time to panic and start saying we need to completely re-build. There is a nucleus of players who have got us to two tournaments, which for Scotland in the 21st Century should be viewed as a reasonable degree of success. If we blood three or four young players into the starting 11 over the next campaign, we’ll be able to maintain that level or maybe even take one step forward.
Eddie: Steve Clarke has to go. He’s run his race with this group of players. His tactics in the first game and the subs in the second two were horrific. How did we end that last game with Jack Hendry and Kenny McLean at full-back and Lewis Morgan on the pitch is beyond me. It was crying out for width, which James Forrest would have provided. Scott McTominay should have come off for Forrest to keep the structure in the team, which might have prevented that last goal. It should have been a penalty, but Clarke’s tactical catastrophes have cost us.
Anon: Steve Clarke is so negative in his selection and why James Forrest was not used just sums up how dull that manager is. Dire performance matched by Mr dire and dour Clarke.
Stuart: Scotland were poor in the final third across all three games, but the signs were there in the nine months before, yet we stuck with Che Adams up front. He worked hard, but he’s not international class. Why not chuck on Tommy Conway or Lawrence Shankland for the last game? Callum McGregor was poor too – no penetration from midfield and too conservative. Substitutions were odd and not early enough. I think Steve Clarke has to go – failed and we need to get fresh ideas.
Craig: The game should have been won without relying on a penalty decision. Tactically, Scotland were weak and passive throughout this competition.
Gary: Very poor and negative and the penalty decision was correct because the forward initiated the contact.
Michael: Another lacklustre performance from a Scotland side struggling for form. I think we could’ve played for another six days and not scored. Overall, not good enough to qualify. Too many injuries and mediocre players have cost us. Manager’s selections and tactics must also come into question.
Gentile: I was at the game and it was a definite penalty, but we didn’t go into the game looking like a team that wanted to win or needed to win. It was abject. Nothing created until the dying embers of the game. Changes made too late and the wrong ones. Steve Clarke has done a good job, but the time has come for him to go.
Anon: Started all Braveheart and ended up like Rab C Nesbitt – sent homewards to drink again.