Scotland’s followers have discovered there is a drawback to World Cup qualification after all. Nobody who paid – and handsomely – to sit through the sheer tedium of this fixture could reasonably deny that. Yes, Scotland, you can come to the party; but only after a clutch of international friendlies. It is just about worth the trade-off.
Officially, this marked the start of the tournament buildup for the Scots and Japan. It was a game that involved the going through of motions rather than one from which to draw strong conclusions. Japan were the slicker team, as should be expected for a nation which has aspirations of making a proper impact in the summer. Junya Ito ensured the visitors headed towards Wembley in fine fettle, his goal fitting reward for Japan’s enterprising approach.
Steve Clarke used post-match media duties to take a swipe at the home support. Scotland were booed off at full-time. Asked if that surprised him, the manager said: “Yes. And it disappointed me. “It is just the modern way. It seems to be now you lose a game, you get booed.”
Still, Scotland were passive. Punters also flooded out and into the night long before full-time. March 2016 makes the last time Scotland won a Hampden friendly. Clarke may be delighted the next one is in Liverpool. The manager has promised to make at least half a dozen changes for Tuesday’s meeting with Côte d’Ivoire.
