As he sat in the bowels of the Stuttgart Arena digesting another winless, group stage elimination for Scotland at a European Championship , Steve Clarke went on the attack. It was the first time a Scot had done so all evening. Sometimes the jokes write themselves.
Reflecting on the decision not to award Stuart Armstrong a penalty as the game entered its final stages, after Willi Orban had bundled into the back of the Scotland forward, Clarke seethed. “Somebody somewhere has to explain to me why that’s not a penalty,” Clarke said. “It’s 100 per cent a penalty.
“It’s a one-goal game, we get the penalty, it could be a different night. I’ve got other words, but I’m not going to use them.” Read Next Chelsea, Newcastle and Villa are leading a new age of PSR transfer nonsense The penalty probably should have been given, although Clarke’s unseemly comments about referee Facundo Tello – “He’s from Argentina, why would I ask him? He probably doesn’t speak the language,” – naturally lost him some sympathy points.
It could well have changed the outcome of the game and the complexion of Scotland’s tournament, but it shouldn’t distract from how limited in ambition they were and how little they created throughout the 90 minutes. Despite having a 58 per cent share of possession, Scotland managed just four shots on goal, none of which forced Peter Gulacsi into a save. By contrast, Hungary had 14 attempts, five of which were on target including Kevin Csobo.
