Welcome and significant four-goal haul from Scotland in Armenia - but vulnerabilities put into context

It might be considered a case of stating the bleeding obvious to suggest it was all about the goals as Scotland handed out a 4-1 thumping to Armenia.

Armenia's Tigran Barseghyan, right, tries to score past Scotland's goalkeeper Craig Gordon during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Armenia and Scotland at the Vazgen Sargsyan stadium in Yerevan, Armenia.

Yet, even with a first four haul from an away encounter in the three-year tenure of Steve Clarke, the takeaways could not be restricted to the ones bagged by the victors. It would be churlish not to give credit to Clarke’s men for ultimately providing an emphatic response to their nightmarish 3-0 defeat in Dublin three days earlier. Commendations for the return to winning ways should be lavished on Stuart Armstrong over the two exquisite finishes with which he doubled his international tally in an instant. There was no little significance in John McGinn’s strike, too. In now boasting a total of 13 for his country, he has climbed into the top 10 in Scotland’s all-time scorers’ list. Meanwhile, it was a relief to see Southampton team-mate Che Adams on the scoresheet once more and so end a run of 16 games, for club and country, without finding the net.

However, even in acknowledging all that, it would be negligent not to recognise that Scotland are becoming an alarmingly porous team. Defensive frailties appear to be taking root. Armenia have plummeted to 92nd in the world rankings because they conjure up precious few goals. Yet, before they lost their discipline – and earned the first of two red cards on the stroke of half-time – they could have plundered three from Clarke’s loose-as-a-wobbly-tooth backline. It was more by accident than design that Scotland got away merely with the concession of a sixth-minute opener. A goal in which Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry failed to execute the basics, with the Norwich City captain outmuscled on the left before his team-mate inexcusably did not do more to stop the cross that was subsequently converted. Hendry’s slipshod ways resulted in another huge chance that went abegging for the home side shortly afterwards, while Scott McTominay got in on the act simply by looking in the wrong movie on the right of the backline. Something that is becoming a common theme.

To put Scotland’s vulnerabilities in context, Armenia haven’t scored more than one goal in any of their past 15 internationals. Both in the opening and closing spells alone, they could have ended that sequence. And that tells that all is not well with Scotland’s defensive shape, or personnel. Granted, the injured Kieran Tierney doesn’t so much leave a hole as a crater in Scotland’s backline, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Clarke’s side have now conceded nine goals in their past five games. Tierney was in situ for the start of that run – which came with the friendly draws in March wherein Scotland were held 1-1 at home to Poland before creaking in the 2-2 away to Austria.

Not since the World Cup qualifying wins over Moldova and Austria in August 2021 – both achieved with clean sheets, notably – has the Scotland manager been able, or willing, to field the same back defensive trio in back-to-back games. The absence of continuity in this department must be factored in when assessing why a previous strength has now become a weakness. It cannot, though, explain away entirely this unwelcome transformation. Clarke now has a summer to stew on the issue. And sort it.

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