Scotland’s disappointing performance in the Euros was not a surprise to some, as signs of decline had been present for quite some time. Despite qualifying in a spectacular fashion, the team had been struggling for nine months leading up to the tournament. With only one victory in the previous nine games, the team’s poor form continued in Euro 2024 with a winless campaign and just a single point from three group games.
BBC Scotland’s chief sportswriter, Tom English, believes that the team’s lack of creativity was a significant factor in their downfall. While the qualification campaign showed promise with “verve, intensity, and aggression”, these qualities seemed to have disappeared by the time the Euros came around. English feels that the team’s performance was reflective of their decline over the past several months, and that changes needed to be made in order to avoid such disappointing results.
English criticizes head coach Steve Clarke for failing to bring new elements of creativity into the team and for sticking with the same players and formations that were not proving effective. He suggests that Clarke will have to answer for the team’s lack of progress in post-tournament press conferences. Despite having high hopes for the team, English feels that their failure was a result of stagnation and a failure to adapt to the challenges of top-level competition.