Steve Clarke points to former Celtic star in what could have been Scotland tale as he offers no Dutch excuses
Steve Clarke believes that the outcome of the Netherlands vs Scotland match could have been entirely different had Ryan Christie, the former Celtic star, scored in the first half. Despite a promising start, Scotland suffered a painful 4-0 defeat in Amsterdam. The game remained deadlocked at 0-0 when Christie’s header hit the bar, followed by a missed opportunity in the second half by Lawrence Shankland, who also struck the crossbar.
Tijani Reijnders scored a stunning goal for the hosts in the first half, but a late collapse led to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum, Wout Weghorst, and Donyell Malen, providing a harsh lesson ahead of Euro 2024. Clarke reflects on how the match might have unfolded differently had Scotland scored first, but he refuses to make excuses for the defeat. The next challenge for Scotland is a friendly against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on March 26th.
Clarke acknowledged a loss of composure on the field, allowing the game to become too open, which didn’t favor Scotland’s style of play. Despite having an equal number of shots as the Netherlands, Scotland lacked clinical finishing. Clarke emphasizes the need to learn from the experience and focus on improvement rather than dwelling on missed opportunities.
