Former Scotland skipper Graeme Souness launched a blistering attack on Steve Clarke’s side after their Euro 2020 exit – insisting their ‘route one’ game was like ‘football from a different era.’
Seething Souness, who captained Scotland at two of the three World Cups he played at, launched a scathing post-match analysis of his country’s 3-1 defeat to Croatia on ITV4.
Scotland crashed out of the Euros at the group stage with a Luka Modric-inspired Croatia showing why they reached the World Cup Final just three years ago.
However, Souness believes the result was as much to do with Scotland’s tactics as Croatia’s superior technique.
“I don’t want to be down on my nation but I’m disappointed,” Souness told ITV 4.
“You came here thinking it would be more of the same in terms of the way we played against England.
“I don’t think you’ll see another team at the Euros who go as long as we did tonight. The keeper was kicking it up and it seemed to be route one stuff.
"These lads have done themselves proud getting to the Euros – it just wasn't to be" 💬
"It was a lesson for us" 🏴@ScottBrown8 & Graeme Souness reflect on Scotland's exit from #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/oiB7ourNnk
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 22, 2021
“That’s football from another era.
“We just didn’t play enough football tonight. If you are going to do well at this level then you have to get it down and play football.
“Kieran Tierney, Grant Hanley, Scott McTominay and Scott McKenna – when he came on – were all the same. None of them were prepared to get on the ball and make passes.
Souness attacks ‘long ball’ tactics from Scotland
“They were quite happy for the keeper to launch it all the time and the midfield were watching it going over their head.
“Dejan Lovren was putting it back into their midfield and they were putting it back up with wave after wave of attack from Croatia.
“I’m going to leave here slightly disappointed.
“You know what you get from Scottish teams – lots of effort, 100 per cent passion but you’ve got to play more football. That’s the top and bottom of it.
“If we want to progress and do well at this level we have to play more football than we did tonight.
“We can do it. We did it at Wembley on Friday but tonight we didn’t play any football and were like a team from another era.
“I’m sorry if that criticism hurts but that’s how I saw the game.”