FRANKFURT — It was the fist pump that divided a nation.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke is not a demonstrative man but his delight at a draw against Switzerland bubbled over at full-time in the Cologne cauldron when he punched the air.
It was an understandable reaction after a dramatic night – Scotland had climbed off the canvas to ensure their Munich battering wasn’t a knockout blow. But back in Scotland the debate began: had Scotland been guilty of settling for a point when three were there for the taking?
And was Clarke – in failing to summon the prolific Lawrence Shankland from the bench until injury time – too cagey in letting his desire to keep Scotland in the tournament override gambling for three points?
After the game key members of the squad filed through the Cologne car park that doubled up as a mixed zone to acclaim the steep improvement from the Germany game. They were right but it is only half a job done. Now Scotland must cast off the shackles and go for it against Hungary, when only a win is good enough to extend their Euros.
That has been a problem at major tournaments in the past. When Scotland gave themselves a platform to qualify by drawing impressively with England at Euro 2021, they were then undone by Croatia. Hungary will be stubborn, obdurate opponents for a team that have relied on heavy deflections for their two goals so far in this tournament.
They need goals and a win and that should surely lead Clarke to Shankland, who has 24 goals in each of his last two seasons in the Scottish Premiership.
Shankland’s contribution in Germany has been limited to 14 minutes, 11 of them spent chasing shadows as Scotland were hammered by the hosts in Munich. He got three on Wednesday, replacing the willing but peripheral Che Adams. Surely he is worth more than that?
Clarke has already shown a willingness to repair selection damage out here in Germany, recalling Billy Gilmour after his bizarre omission for the opener. He formed a fine midfield partnership with Callum McGregor, who supplied Scott McTominay for Scotland’s goal against Switzerland.
Gilmour can help the team progress the ball better but he also has an understanding of what is required at elite level. That feels critical.
“I think when he comes in he takes the ball and he gets us playing,” McGregor said.
“I like playing inside him because he’ll take the ball and start to connect the game and at this level you need to have the ball so you can’t just defend for 90 minutes. It’s important that you get it, you retain it, you keep the ball, you give yourself a breather in the game.
“We like playing in there together and Billy was fantastic.”
Too often Scotland have been guilty of relying on passion and fight in the past.
On Friday the occasion got to them and the key against Hungary will be to remember the tournament basics McGregor identified.
“In European football you have to have the ball, it’s so critical,” he said.
“The other teams look after the ball so well and when you come to the game there’s big energy, everyone’s running, running, running.
“You need to be calm. You need to have the ball and you need to rest with the ball as well. You can’t just be flat out for 90 minutes chasing the ball, teams at this level are too good.
“Sometimes you need to breathe with the ball, put a few passes together. And that got us to half-time on Wednesday, we came out in the second half refreshed with more energy again and we started to take the game to them.”
The same approach will suit them against Hungary.
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