- Author, Tom English
- Role, BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
On the day after the night before, things were icy in the Olympia-Eissport-Zentrum, the rink that doubles as Scotland’s media centre in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
This place is an oasis, an escape from the bedlam – and now frustration and anger – of Munich, but there are certain things that Steve Clarke and his players can’t avoid no matter how rural the setting.
The thoughts in their own heads, for example. The mind-dulling reality of what Germany did to them, and what they did to themselves, at the Allianz Arena.
There wouldn’t have been many takers for this news conference. Callum McGregor stepped up.
Experienced head. Respected. Well-versed in talking about bad beatings in Europe after some of his experiences with Celtic over the years.
McGregor did what he had to do. He held his hands up, apologised to the Tartan Army, called Friday’s shellacking a humbling experience that has left a sour taste in the mouth.
His team, he said, didn’t get close enough to Germany, didn’t make them feel uncomfortable, didn’t do themselves justice.
Switzerland and Hungary would now smell blood, he predicted.
There was more of that, lots more. He spoke about coming back to base camp directly after the match and you can only imagine what the journey of about an hour and a half must have been like.
He revealed that the players hadn’t pored over the grisly details yet. That video session will be a blast. Famous faces cowering behind couches as this footballing Exorcist plays out in front of them.
In his thankless task, McGregor did his best and spoke with honesty and sincerity, but the rallying words were a hard sell.
The camp the Scotland players returned to was different to the one they left on Thursday, a place more grey, more gloomy than before.
‘Five going on seven in horror show’
The epic scale of Scotland’s defeat did something that appeared beyond the capabilities of man – it silenced the Tartan Army.
At 4-0 in the stadium they were still singing. When they benefited from an own goal to make it 4-1, in a moment of delicious gallows humour, they sang about the Germans not singing anymore.
At 5-1 they finally fell quiet, like heroic prize fighters succumbing at last to the constant blows of a better opponent.
McGregor touched on the debt the players owe the fans and he meant it. The problem, though, is that Scotland’s ills did not just drop out of the sky on Friday.
The fantastic momentum they had in qualifying suddenly went out of the window once they confirmed their place in Germany.
They’ve won one of their last 10 games, scoring 12 and conceding 26. A narrative has built up around those matches.
Scotland lost heavily to England, France and Spain – but they are three of the best teams in the world, so no disgrace there.
Then they drew with 2-2 with Georgia and 3-3 with Norway in their Euro 2024 group, but they’d already secured their spot in the tournament, so who cared?
After that it was the 4-0 loss to the Netherlands, but more time was spent talking about the first 70 minutes, when Scotland were impressive, rather than the final 20, when they imploded.
Three more friendlies followed. A loss to Northern Ireland, a dreary 2-0 win over Gibraltar, and a ropey 2-2 against Finland. Those were friendlies, though.
This was Clarke’s mantra. He was trying things out. He was chopping and changing with his substitutions.
He got everything he wanted to get out of the games, which were glorified training exercises.
Germany would be different. Big match, huge arena, the competitive animals in his team would come out to play. Five-one. Five going on seven.
‘Clear signs of Scotland’s decline for months’
There’s been clear signs of Scotland in decline for many months.
The insipid nature of Friday in Munich – the singular lack of aggression, nous and big-game mentality from their biggest names – was shocking, but Scotland have been on the slide since last September.
McGregor is convinced they can put the wheels back on the bike for Switzerland in Cologne on Wednesday, but seeing is believing. And not a lot has been seen from Scotland in a worryingly long time.
He said he was still a bit raw about Friday. “The only people who can fix this is us, so we have to find a solution.”
After so many sub-standard recent performances, culminating in a game in Munich where they didn’t win a corner or record an attempt of their own on goal, the thought of finding solutions before Wednesday is an exercise rooted in blind hope.
Clarke has a goalkeeper in Angus Gunn whose confidence looks shot. A right-wing back in Anthony Ralston who looked haunted in Munich.
A first-choice centre-back in Ryan Porteous who stupidly got himself sent off and will be banned.
A midfield full of names who were utterly out-played. And an attacking game that looks as blunt as can be.
He has a lot of things to solve and very little time in which to solve them. “Keep the faith,” said Clarke on Friday, more in hope than expectation, you felt.