Scotland manager Steve Clarke admits Andy Robertson’s calamitous blunder gifted a goal to England’s Jude Bellingham
Scotland boss Steve Clarke has pointed fingers at Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson for making a costly error in his side’s 3-1 loss to England in the Euro 2024 qualifier match.
In the SFA’s 150th-anniversary match, the Caledonii suffered a defeat at the hands of the Three Lions at Hampden Park. Clarke’s strong team was convincingly beaten by their historic rivals.
The goals from Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane secured a comfortable victory for the English side, while Scotland’s sole response came from a Harry Maguire own goal. Despite this setback, Scotland remains on track for qualification for Euro 2024 in Germany next summer, having won their first five qualifying matches.
The Scottish side found themselves outplayed by Gareth Southgate’s team, and it’s worth noting that England could have won by a bigger margin. Although Clarke’s side couldn’t prevent the goals from coming, they had some easy mistakes to blame.
Scotland’s captain, Robertson, made a costly mistake by gifting Bellingham the second goal of the match. With his team already trailing by one goal, the Liverpool ace oddly passed the ball across the penalty box directly to the Real Madrid midfielder. The English player seized the opportunity without hesitation and struck the ball past the helpless Angus Gunn.
Manager Clarke was quick to point fingers at the player while speaking to the BBC after the match. He said:
“We’ve always come back stronger from adversity, and let’s hope that’s the case [here]. Andy [Robertson] made a mistake for the second goal, that happens in football.”
Almost a decade ago, a young Robertson scored his first Scotland goal against England at Celtic Park, and he confessed to losing sleep over it in excitement. However, in the recent match at Hampden, the Liverpool star likely had some regrettable moments, particularly regarding the goal he gifted to the English team.
This surprising mistake was uncharacteristic of the 29-year-old defender, and it would have left many fans puzzled about what he was thinking. It was a costly blunder, as giving away such chances to a player of Bellingham’s calibre is certainly not appropriate, especially so close to the goal.
The Scottish fans should still show some leniency towards their captain, considering his years of dedicated service to the national team. To his credit, Robertson didn’t allow his earlier blunder to disrupt his performance for the rest of the match, showing the tough mental fortitude he’s known for.
In the second half, he made amends for his mistake with an outstanding run and cross that resulted in Maguire’s own goal, reducing the score to 2-1. Ultimately, any disappointment over the full-back’s error could be ignored if Scotland manages to secure qualification for the European Championships next summer.
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Liverpool would want their player to return confidently after the international break and start afresh for his club, as they have an intense Premier League season ahead.
