Scotland head coach Steve Clarke hopes there’s a silver lining from their heavy house defeat by Greece after showing to be taught fast classes.
Clarke’s facet had been relegated from the highest tier of the Nations League after shedding 3-0 of their play-off second leg at Hampden.
Scotland had gone into the sport on a excessive after successful 1-0 within the away leg on Thursday however they had been two down on mixture inside 46 minutes and by no means regarded like getting again into the sport.
Ryan Christie returned from suspension to exchange Lewis Ferguson however Clarke in any other case saved the identical crew that performed in Piraeus whereas Greece made six adjustments together with handing a debut to 17-year-old goalscorer Konstantinos Karetsas, whose half-time introduction had impressed Greece on Thursday.
“We didn’t have sufficient vitality within the crew,” Clarke mentioned. “Greece had extra vitality. They had been somewhat bit sharper. The perfect crew received on the evening.”
Scotland additionally journey to Greece within the World Cup qualifiers on November 15 and Clarke hinted he would have a look at making extra adjustments earlier than their closing group recreation at Hampden three days later.
That recreation can be towards Denmark, whose place in Scotland’s group was confirmed in a while Sunday after they misplaced 5-2 after extra-time towards Portugal in a Nations League quarter-final.
When requested if he might need freshened issues up extra, Clarke mentioned: “It’s attainable. With hindsight, every little thing’s attainable. The boys assured me they had been all match and nicely.
“I believe the primary purpose gave them a raise. Their first harmful foray ahead, they scored with that. After that, it grew to become a protracted evening for us. I might have completed with a number of extra legs on the crew, to be sincere.
“It’d work in our favour, really, as a result of now we have to do the same journey in November out to Greece.
“It could be one thing to take a look at, the truth that you go on the market, you place in an enormous shift on the market, you might have the lengthy journey again. Possibly we weren’t fairly recovered in time for the sport. Not all people, however some individuals.
“It’s one thing that I can definitely have a look at and try to deal with.”
Scotland began on the entrance foot with Scott McTominay wanting harmful however an absence of monitoring again value them as they conceded two first-half objectives. A unfastened cross from Christie then gifted Greece a 3rd.
Clarke mentioned: “I believed the again 4 did moderately OK. I used to be dissatisfied with the defending of the crew. We defended as a crew from again to entrance on Thursday evening in Greece. We didn’t try this on this recreation and that’s why we obtained punished.”
Clarke added: “Greece got here right here and laid down a marker. We all know what to anticipate after they come again in October. We’ll be prepared.
“To complete such a optimistic Nations League marketing campaign on such a low be aware and such a poor efficiency is one thing that can damage the gamers. We’ve obtained loads of time to stew on it earlier than our subsequent aggressive recreation.
“We’ve obtained two friendlies in June. Now we have to deal with one or two issues and attempt to be higher going ahead.”
It was a report fifth consecutive away win for Greece, whose beginning line-up had a median age of lower than 23.
Head coach Ivan Jovanovic mentioned: “The expectations have continued to extend however the crew is constant to fulfill them.
“Now we have a younger group of gamers however the future is of their arms. I really feel I’m lucky to have these younger gamers obtainable.”
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