Scotland's captain, Andy Robertson, expressed dissatisfaction despite their 2-1 victory over Belarus in the World Cup qualifiers. The win at Hampden Park, secured by goals from Che Adams and Scott McTominay, placed Scotland at the top of Group C. However, Robertson admitted that the team did not perform convincingly during the match.
Belarus dominated much of the game, with Evgeni Malashevich's first-half equaliser disallowed and Gleb Kuchko scoring in stoppage time. They had 22 shots but only three were on target, accumulating an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.3. Scotland managed six shots on target from 12 attempts, achieving an xG of 1.1. Adams had a goal disallowed due to a handball.
Despite securing three points, Robertson acknowledged that
Scotland's performance was below par. "It doesn't feel good," he told BBC Scotland. He noted that while they would have been happy with six points at the week's start, their current form left much to be desired. The team gave Belarus too many opportunities and lacked sharpness both on and off the ball.
The crowd at Hampden Park voiced their displeasure with boos at full-time. Robertson understood their frustration and admitted that better decision-making could have led to more chances for Scotland. He emphasised that although they were tired from a previous match, it was no excuse for their lacklustre display.
Steve Clarke marked his 72nd match as Scotland's head coach, becoming the most-capped manager in Tartan Army history. Despite this achievement and equalling Craig Brown's record of 32 wins, Clarke was disappointed with the team's performance against Belarus. "It's possibly as disappointed as I've been over the whole 72 games [I've been in charge]," he said.
McTominay played a crucial role by scoring his 13th goal under Clarke's leadership; only John McGinn has scored more with 20 goals during Clarke's tenure. Clarke acknowledged that while performances don't guarantee qualification, securing six points from two matches was still a positive outcome for Scotland.
The focus now shifts to November when Scotland will have another opportunity to qualify for the World Cup. Robertson stressed that despite current frustrations, reaching the World Cup remains their primary goal.
