Scotland let themselves down against Germany and where it all went wrong is obvious

On the eve of Euro 2024, Scotland captain Andy Robertson asked ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ as he reflected on a record of underperformance at major tournaments and the chance to create history in Germany. By half-time on the opening night in Munich, imaginations were being tested at the Allianz Arena as a rampant host nation tore Scotland apart. Three goals down, reduced to 10 after Ryan Porteous was sent off, the worst that could happen against Germany became the fear of six or seven.

A mere 5-1 defeat remained a humbling night, an evening where Scotland suddenly woke up to the chasm in quality between themselves and their hosts. So much for talking up the chances of making life difficult for Germany and having a plan to frustrate them on the opening night. Manager Steve Clarke admitted Scotland “let ourselves down”. Robertson conceded Scotland “got it all wrong” in their first half performance. “We didn’t show up, we weren’t aggressive enough, and we let good players get on the ball,” the captain said.

Graeme Souness derided Scotland as “miserable”. Roy Keane said they looked “out of their depth”. Yet the most damning comments of all came from the Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, who revealed he was “surprised” by Scotland’s timid display. Nagelsmann was expecting to face a Scotland side who pressed aggressively and showed their quality on the ball when the moments came. Instead, Scotland were accommodating. “I was kind of surprised that Scotland weren’t that aggressive in first 20 minutes,” Nagelsmann said. The travelling Tartan Army were as well.

Perhaps Scotland’s standout win from qualifying, their 2-0 victory over Spain, had left a lasting impression on the Germany manager. But Scotland have not looked the same team since qualifying. They have become too easy for the world’s best to play against. From sending Rodri into a meltdown following that famous victory at Hampden last March, a night where Spain were harried and heated, Germany’s Toni Kroos was given the freedom of the pitch. The midfielder renowned as the best passer in world football was given a blank canvas and created a masterpiece of a pass map: Kroos completed 101 of his 102 pass attempts, the highest completion rate ever recorded at a Euros.

Scotland weren’t brave enough to even try and disrupt it. Clarke’s side stood off Kroos as the first half passed them by. Their run of form since qualifying extends to one win in 10 games, and that was against Gibraltar, while the worrying trend of conceding goals in spurts continued as well. To add to the two in three minutes against England, the two in 13 minutes against Spain, the three in 35 against France, and three in 14 against the Netherlands, there is now Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala striking twice within 10. “This game ran away from us very quickly,” Clarke conceded.

That may be the biggest concern of all, given how Scotland’s challenge is how they reset mentally ahead of facing Switzerland in Cologne on Tuesday. Clarke urged the Tartan Army to “keep the faith” and the defiant Flower of Scotland in the Allianz Arena at full-time made clear that the supporters will be with them. Meanwhile, Clarke will need to find some answers to show Scotland deserve such a magnificent following. Scotland need to win but first of all they need to show they can compete at a major championship.

There will be changes. Clarke reacted bullishly when he was questioned about the decision to drop midfielder Billy Gilmour, in theory the Scotland player best suited to keeping the ball, and suggested Scotland would have been beaten even if he had been picked. “I’m not too sure if it would have made any difference,” Clarke responded. “But we will find out.”

It was one of a few tense moments during a despondent post-match press conference, including when it was put to Clarke that Scotland had failed to land a single shot against Germany - Scotland couldn’t even manage to score their consolation, as Antonio Rudiger headed into his own net. “I don’t look at the stats,” Clarke replied, before mentioning that he had heard Germany’s expected goals total was less than two. “That tells you how clinical the German team were,” he said.

It’s all about the reaction now. Clarke has a huge job on his hands to lift the spirits of his squad but Scotland’s players have to take responsibility as well. John McGinn and Scott McTominay, the heroes of qualifying, were unable to make any impact.

They at least have the experience of playing at the highest level. In defence, Anthony Ralston and Ryan Porteous were exposed. In hindsight, it should be no surprise that Celtic’s back-up right back and a Watford centre-back struggled against Musiala and Wirtz.

That’s not what Scotland are about, though. In qualifying they showed a quality to rise above it as a collective. In Munich, Scotland could have played well against Germany and lost, but were unrecognisable and that was the worst part of all. “We’re better than that, we’re a better team than that,” Clarke said. “I believe the players will get over this quickly. I have never doubted my players and I never will.” Scotland have got to show it now, or they may find themselves on the first plane home.