Steve Clarke warns Scotland risk running out of credit with fans and has words for Nathan Patterson

Seven-match winless run is worst in 25 years but Clarke is not overly concerned

Steve Clarke has warned his players that the goodwill is at risk of running out as they head towards the Euro 2024 finals in Germany in the worst run of form for over 25 years.

While the manager stressed that he knows that he can rely on the squad to turn things around in the next two friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland, he is aware the mood among a large portion of supporters is not good.

Scotland are on a seven-game winless run. The last time this happened was under Craig Brown, with the eventual nine-match sequence including three games at the 1998 World Cup.

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke grimaces on the touchline during the 1-0 defeat to Northern Ireland at Hampden on Tuesday. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

The booing following Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat against Northern Ireland did not register with Clarke at the time. However, he did not expect the reaction to be any different. “You only have so much credit,” he said. “If you keep spending your credit you run out of money!” Scotland lost 4-0 against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday and have conceded 19 times in their last seven outings.

“It has not been an ideal March camp, we’d obviously have liked better results,” said Clarke. “It is what it is. You take it and move on. I am not overly concerned, I am not over worried about anything.

“I know the nature of the group,” he added. “They are determined to do what no Scottish team has done before in the summer.”

Clarke also realises there is little he can do about supporter disillusionment as he continues deliberating over his squad options ahead of this summer's finals. Certain to be included is Nathan Patterson, although the Everton full-back endured a tough night on Tuesday evening. His mistake led to the winning goal from Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley.

The former Rangers defender had looked to have been successful in retrieving the situation after accelerating towards his own byline when he lost the ball in a 50-50 challenge with Brodie Spencer. He regained possession before inadvertently laying the ball into Bradley’s path.

“He did fantastic to get back in, did well and then picked the wrong option,” said Clarke. “It happens, if you are not playing. He is a young player who we know will be part of what we are trying to do in the future. He will learn.”

The manager earlier this week challenged his players to end the recent poor run with a victory against Northern Ireland, in what had been referred to as a “must-win” encounter. Just two more warm-up games remain against Gibraltar and Finland at the start of June before Scotland face hosts Germany in Munich.

Reminded that he said Scotland needed a win on Tuesday, he replied: “Well, we need to try to win the next one (v Gibraltar) then!” He added: “I don’t think this (disappointment) will linger. I really don’t. I (know I) can be a little bit sulky but we tried what we tried to do against Northern Ireland and it didn’t work for us.

"But I don’t think it was a bad performance. People might say it is a bad performance because we lost. It was a bad result, it was not a bad performance.”