The playing of a Scotland fixture on Merseyside provided a significant boost to the area’s hospitality sector. Questions remain over whether Scotland’s upcoming World Cup involvement can deliver on-field impact. There was improvement and encouragement for Steve Clarke despite Côte d’Ivoire’s success. Yet Scotland still look short, particularly of scoring threat. Clarke, while positive in demeanour and sentiment, bemoaned a lack of “calmness” in front of goal.
This has proved a wholly rewarding stopoff in the United Kingdom for Côte d’Ivoire. Les Éléphants will remember their two wins from two. But for wastefulness, this victory would have been by a grander margin.
Clarke used post-match duties to reveal Scotland will face Bolivia in New Jersey in early June, the final friendly of their World Cup buildup. The manager was less forthcoming on whether his future will be resolved by the time Scotland play again, in May. “I want to concentrate on the World Cup,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I’m not bothered. I’m not talking about my contract any more.”
Scotland had not played in Liverpool since victory over Wales in a World Cup qualifier in 1977. Kenny Dalglish, who scored that evening, was in the stands for this friendly. So too were footballing Scots with connections to the city; Duncan Ferguson, David Moyes, Graeme Sharp and Gary McAllister. Alex Ferguson’s legend is linked to Manchester but he, too, attended.
