And the Tartan Army’s need for an explanation about why the national team once again proved unable to progress to the knockout rounds of a major tournament, about why they once again conspired to snatch failure from the jaws of glory, is still every bit as great.
Steve Clarke will face the media for the first time since that fateful night in Germany back in June at Hampden tomorrow afternoon when he announces his squad for the Nations League matches against Poland and Portugal next month.
He can, having spoken for little over four minutes at his post-match press conference following the Hungary loss, expect to field just as many questions about Euro 2024 as he does about the forthcoming Group A1 encounters from those in attendance.
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Clarke still looked shellshocked when he was grilled by reporters in the immediate aftermath of a result – suffered when Kevin Ksoboth netted on the counter attack in the 100th minute – which consigned Scotland to bottom spot in their section and another early exit.
He bemoaned the fact that his men had not been awarded a penalty when Stuart Armstrong went down in the opposition box in the second half, expressed his incredulity the match official and his assistants had been Argentinian and blamed the outcome on an inability to score more goals. Then he was off into the night.
How will he assess what transpired in Germany now he has had over nine weeks to mull things over?
Will he accept personal responsibility, as he did after the 5-1 mauling by the host nation in the opening Group A outing in Munich, for what happened? Will he hold his hands up and acknowledge that his tactics were far too negative? Will he admit that he got his team selection and substitutions wrong? Will he accept that he should have been less cautious in his approach?
Or will he attribute the country’s sorry showing – they were, with the joint lowest points total (1), most goals conceded (7) and worst goal difference (-5), officially the poorest team at Euro 2024 – to the individuals who were missing and the poor form and fitness of those who were there?
With right-backs Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson, midfielder Lewis Ferguson, winger Ben Doak and striker Lyndon Dykes all absent due to injuries and centre-half Kieran Tierney being ruled out by the knock which he suffered during the 1-1 draw with Switzerland in Cologne, Clarke did not have his troubles to seek.
(Image: Martin Rickett – PA) Those who were available for selection struggled to scale the heights which they had previously. Angus Gunn, Andy Robertson, Callum McGregor, Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Ryan Christie and Che Adams only showed occasional glimpses of what they were capable of. Had they played too much football?
Should he have switched his formation and gone to a back four after Tierney departed? It would maybe have suited Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston, who performed valiantly in difficult circumstances, if he had. It certainly worked wonders after the defeats to Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland back in 2022.
Were the preparations the problem? In hindsight, was playing friendly matches against England, France and the Netherlands in the months leading up to the finals a bad idea? Did the heavy losses suffered damage confidence and kill much-needed momentum?
Or will there be another reason put forward? The SFA last week unveiled an innovative proposal which they hope will increase the number of aspiring professionals who make the successful transition from the youth ranks into the first team at our leading clubs in the future.
So is it all the fault of the system? Are we not producing enough top quality footballers? Are wholesale changes to how we develop promising kids urgently required? All will hopefully be revealed.
It is fair to say that Clarke’s stock, which rose to an all-time high during qualifying with those rousing triumphs over Cyprus, Spain, Norway and Georgia, has fallen somewhat as a consequence of what took place in Germany.
There were inevitable calls for him to be sacked following the Euros. Those have died down somewhat. Unrest in the stands is sure to grow, though, if Poland, Portugal and Croatia inflict further defeats on his charges in the next three months. There will be demands for change once more if there are no signs of tangible improvement.
Clarke’s current contract with the SFA takes him up to the next World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2026 and he has stated on several occasions in the past that his intention is to honour it. Will that still be his intention? Will he feel able to take his side move forward with the talent he has at his disposal? Will he decide it is time to seek a new challenge elsewhere and move on of his own accord?
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McGregor announced earlier this month that he has decided to retire from international football. Not being able to select the Celtic midfielder, an individual who has been one of the first names down on his team sheet during his five year reign, is a blow. He is, though, well placed in that crucial area with Ferguson, Gilmour, McGinn McTominay at his disposal.
The same cannot be said in defence or attack. Ralston should get the nod to start at right-back for the foreseeable future with Hickey and Patterson still not involved at Brentford and Everton respectively. But the Parkhead defender remains second choice at his club behind Alistair Johnston.
Elsewhere, Grant Hanley, perhaps the only Scottish player to receive pass marks at Euro 2024, has not featured for Norwich City since a 2-0 loss to Oxford United in the Championship earlier this month. Will Liam Cooper, who was one of those who failed to get on the field in Germany, want to carry on with his adopted homeland? Tierney, meanwhile, is not back playing and his future is uncertain.
(Image: Martin Rickett – PA) The same is true of Armstrong, who departed Southampton after they had clinched promotion to the Premier League, and Ryan Jack, who is still without a club following his exit from Rangers back in May.
On the plus side, Adams became the first Scottish player since Denis Law to score for Torino when he netted what proved to be the winner in the second half of their 2-1 triumph over Atalanta in Italy on Sunday and Dykes has been back in action for Queens Park Rangers this term.
Clarke admitted when he announced his squad for the Euro 2024 finals in June that it may be time for “a little refresh” when the Nations League comes around and that would very much appear to be the case. But who does he turn to lift the country and give them reason to be optimistic for the future?
He drafted Lewis Morgan, the New York Red Bulls winger, into his squad from nowhere and put the former St Mirren and Celtic man on against Hungary. Perhaps he should look to the MLS once again and give Ryan Gauld of Vancouver Whitecaps the opportunity to show what he is capable.
It would certainly placate those who are convinced the playmaker is the greatest Scottish talent since Sir Kenny Dalglish if he did so.
Tommy Conway, who clinched a move from Bristol City to Middlesbrough and scored a last minute winner for the Riverside Stadium club at the weekend to earn them a 2-2 draw with Portsmouth, would perhaps he worth having a serious look at. The 6ft 1in, 22-year-old is very much one for the future.
What the future holds for Steve Clarke and Scotland after Euro 2024 is less clear. The former Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool assistant slowly but surely resurrected the ailing fortunes of the national team in the years after he succeeded Alex McLeish, ended a 22 year wait to reach for the finals of a major tournament in 2020 and then followed that up with another qualification last year.
The prevailing sentiment among Tartan Army footsoldiers, however, is that he got things badly wrong in Germany. It will take nothing less than a return to the levels which saw them record a historic victory over Spain, who were crowned European champions in July, in qualifying for them to forgive and forget.
