Euro 2024

SKIPPER Andy Robertson hailed Scotland’s response to their first-game thrashing and said: “That was more like us.”Steve Clarke’s side needed a huge performance to stay in the tournament after a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany last week.Scotland earned a draw against SwitzerlandCredit: AFPXherdan Shaqiri equalised for Switzerland after Scott McTominay’s openerCredit: ReutersAnd Robertson was delighted with the character he and his team-mates showed as they grabbed a draw and breathed some life into their Group A chances.He said: “It was much more like us. Aggressive and on the front foot.“We got off to a better start. They had their chances but so did we and it was an open game.“We are a lot more happy with that and we could have scored. But we’ll take the draw and we take it to the last game which is all we could ask for.”READ MORE ON EURO 2024Scott McTominay’s deflected 13th-minute strike may have been cancelled out by a wonder goal from Xherdan Shaquiri after a bad mistake from Tony Ralston.Robertson added: “We made a mistake. But Tony Ralston was unbelievable after the mistake.“It was a difficult one for him but fair play to him for recovering.”This was a result and performance that gives the Scots a fighting chance of making it into the last 16 ahead of Sunday’s final group game with Hungary.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSIt could have ended better, it could have been worse.But by the final whistle there wasn’t a Scotland supporter here or at home who could have asked for any more.Tartan Army begin march to stadium for Scotland’s game against SwitzerlandClarke is too stubborn to admit he got his line-up for the Germany game wrong.But picking Billy Gilmour for this one could be construed as an admission of guilt.Other than the forced change which saw Grant Hanley replace suspended Ryan Porteous, that was it.Clarke kept faith with the nine other players who played so miserably in Munich.Each and every one of them owed their manager for giving them a second chance.Just as they were in debt to the travelling Tartan Army and the millions more watching back home.Another half-hearted performance simply couldn’t be tolerated. To a man, they knew it.If they had any fear before kick-off, they left to behind in the changing room before they walked out.Because the way they started this game was night and day from last Friday night.EURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANYThey deserved to go ahead after 13 minutes with the goal giving the travelling fans the moment they’d been waiting for.Sure, they saw their team hit the net in the Germany defeat.But the wild scenes of celebration when McTominay scored meant something so, so much more.The deflection off defender Fabian Schar helped it in on its way, of course it did.Chances are, Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer would have saved the shot from the Manchester United midfielder.But the build-up which saw Scotland break with so much purpose deserved that slice of luck.Gilmour’s touch at the beginning of the move was crucial.A split-second example of how he sees things differently from the vast majority of his team-mates. And has the technical ability to play the pass he envisages.The run from Andy Robertson saw him charge into the box before sliding a pass to Callum McGregor who also bust a gut get forward in support.Again, something that just didn’t happen in the first group game.For a moment it looked like the Celtic skipper had taken the momentum out of the attack when he chopped back onto his left foot.But when he played a cut-back for McTominay, he did the rest.The Swiss looked stunned.But they were to have their moment in the first-half to make it 1-1 in 26 minutes.Ralston will have had a sleepless night thinking about it.Over and over again, it must have churned around in his mind as he lay staring at the ceiling.And you can bet he still won’t be able to come up with an answer on what the hell he was doing.He wasn’t looking when he attempted to play a pass inside to centre-back Grant Hanley who had absolutely no idea the danger that was lurking.But still. No-one could legislate for the finish from Shaquiri.It was simply out of this world.Shaqiri’s goal was one to rememberCredit: GettyIf Angus Gunn didn’t cover himself in any glory at the Germany opener, here he was utterly blameless.The star of Switzerland had the precision of a Swiss-made watch as he found the top corner with inches to spare.It was just so galling from a Scotland point of view. Such a needless goal to concede.Clarke would have been forgiven for substituting Ralston there and then, the Celtic squad player clearly rattled by the costly lapse in concentration.Jack Hendry ran across to slap him on the back in a much needed show of support.But for the next ten minutes Ralston had to dig deep into his reserves of resilience just to stop himself from crumbling completely.Switzerland could have taken the lead before the breakThe had the ball in the Scotland net with a VAR check ruling out a strike from Dan Ndoye for off-side. Replays showed it couldn’t have been any closer.Scotland came out for the second half with renewed energy.The loss of Kieran Tierney after an hour – when he had to be carted off by stretcher with a hamstring injury – was a major blow.You sometimes feel that if he former Celtic defender didn’t have bad luck he wouldn’t have any luck at all.It was at that moment the Swiss passed up a brilliant chance to take the lead.In 67 minutes came the ‘what if’ moment for Scotland.From a Robertson free-kick, Hanley’s thumped a header off the post which could easily gone into the net.But it wasn’t to be.READ MORE SUN STORIESThankfully, too, neither was the cool finish from Swiss sub Breel Embolo in 82 minutes with a late off-side flag rightly going up after he clipped past Gunn.In the end, though, a draw was enough to keep Scotland’s group hopes alive.Kieran Tierney was stretchered off the pitchCredit: AP More

PHIL FODEN knows and England fans know, that there’s still another gear or two to come from him.I can see why the comparison with Paul Scholes is made in terms of players who have not consistently reproduced their incredible club form when they represent their country.Phil Foden was criticised for his performance against SerbiaCredit: GettyFoden’s international career has been compared to Paul Scholes’ time with EnglandCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdI think you can make an argument that Foden has already had a more successful international career than Scholes.Don’t get me wrong. I loved Scholes as a player and looked up to him when I was young.His achievements with Manchester United were amazing and he was part of one of the greatest teams in history.But Foden has already reached the final of a major tournament with England, with some nice moments along the way at Euro 2020, and he had a decent World Cup.READ MORE ON EURO 2024Scholes would probably admit it is a slightly better record than his.In turn, Foden would himself accept there is another step for him to take.That might be winning something with England.Or if we don’t win something, I still think he can show us more.Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSThe most difficult thing for Foden is that when he is at Man City, they play a positional game.They are all so well drilled, they understand so well what their position requires and where everyone else is, that Foden could do it with his eyes shut.Three reasons why Phil Foden is world-classComing away with England, it’s a different style of play with different team-mates.It is inevitable that two players who want to get on the ball so much, like Foden and Jude Bellingham, will get in each other’s way sometimes.I’ve heard people say that maybe Jude was doing too much against ­Serbia — which potentially had an effect on Foden.It’s not as mad as it might sound.Bellingham dropped deep like a No 6 at times, he was a No 8 at other moments, sometimes further forward as a No 10, and, for his goal, heading it in like a No 9!But I believe the opposite is true — that Bellingham’s ability to excel in all those roles should actually help Foden and England.Why I love Bellingham, and why I think the whole country loves Bellingham, is the way he takes hold of games.Jude Bellingham’s dominance in the midfield may have hindered Foden on the pitchCredit: AlamyHe probably sensed that’s what was needed. If he comes low, that leaves space in the No 10 position for Foden.They didn’t combine against Serbia as much as you would like. But you could see that they were looking for each other.That’s what happens when two players with a really high understanding of the game play together.When Bellingham gets the ball, even if he is only lending it to Foden to get it back, or vice versa, they want to combine and make something happen. We have to get them between the lines and receiving on the half turn, playing forward.As I said before the tournament, I believe they can play in the same team, as two No 10s, with Declan Rice as the only holding player — especially in the group games.Gareth Southgate almost certainly won’t do that and Foden will probably start on the left wing again against Denmark.Going back to Scholes, he was never a left winger, his only position was in the middle, but he could not or did not play there for England because of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.Foden CAN play on the left. But ­circumstances at Euro 2024 are making it harder.In order for him to cause the opposition full-back problems, he needs a left back behind him who is going to overlap.But Kieran Trippier is right-footed. He’s not going to take on a player on the outside like Josko Gvardiol does for City, for instance.The opposition know that and it changes how they press. Foden is marked all the time, especially against a back five like Serbia had. Even if the wing-back or full-back doesn’t follow him, he’s going into another centre-back.Luke Shaw is still training alone as he recovers from injuryCredit: GettyTrent showed he’s a central character for England… he deserves to keep spot, says Wilshere

THIS game felt a bit like an audition for Trent Alexander-Arnold in centre midfield, writes SunSport columnist Jack Wilshere.
I think he passed it and deserves another chance to show all the qualities that he can bring to the role.
I was pleased when I saw Trent in the starting line-up.
It’s a little bit braver than we have normally seen from Gareth Southgate and I like that.
It was: ‘Go on, go and play!’ It didn’t necessarily work out like that but that wasn’t Trent’s fault.
Southgate was experimenting with him in there, seeing if it worked.
If we get later in the tournament against the big teams, you will need someone who has played in there a few times and understands the position a bit.
The combination between Trent, Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka is a promising one.
You see Trent naturally drift over to that right side and receive it almost like a full-back.
It’s interesting what happens then with Walker.
He was still getting involved in and around the outside, which was good to see, and it was Walker who got forward to help create the Jude Bellingham goal.
That link-up is something we need to exploit more. We should probably have used it more last night as well.
At the start, he was a little bit shaky. He gave the ball away a couple of times, and one of them led to that decent chance for Aleksandar Mitrovic.
When he plays for Liverpool he comes inside. But it’s different when you’re in there from the start. It’s 360 degree pressure, from all sides.
I always found international football that bit quicker. You’ll often receive it with your back to the game and you’ve scanned, but you need to get more on the half turn to see what’s coming.
But it was difficult for Trent, especially in the first half, for him to show his range of passing. When you’re playing against a back five, with four in front, and they’re stubborn and just waiting . . . it is very hard.
There’s no space in behind, they’re very tight and organised.
And when the ball is going over your head, your job then becomes jumping on second balls, disrupting and trying to shield the big two up front.
Trent’s positioning was good and he made some good interceptions. I think he can — and should — hold on to the ball a bit more, draw the pressure, and then play the ball forward.
If someone comes to him, that frees up space for  someone else. And he and Declan Rice have the ability to find Bellingham and Phil Foden through the lines. I would like to have seen more of that. As the game opens up, Trent is a player who can pick the right pass.
Especially in transition, like he did with a lovely one down the side for Saka in the first half and another early in the second.
It was also good to see him get forward for a decent long-range shot.
But Trent was not helped by England’s performance in the  second half. We weren’t aggressive enough, we didn’t press well enough.
Trent’s audition lasted just under 70 minutes in the end. I believe  it is something Gareth should  persist with.
He is more than intelligent enough to work it out. And as the tournament goes on, I’m sure he will be fine in there.

The set-up has worked for Gareth Southgate before but it functions so much better with a left-footed left-back.Luke Shaw scored in the Euro 2020 final by getting round the outside. It gives you a different dimension in attack.Even if our left-back doesn’t go around the outside, the opposing full-back is thinking about it and can end up over-covering by a foot or two feet. And that creates a crucial extra bit of space for Foden.It will make such a difference if Shaw returns to fitness and is able to play.But we don’t know if and when that will be, so Foden and England will have to get on with it.And he will know himself that he wasn’t at his best against Serbia. Giving the ball away will have annoyed him.He’s used to completing probably 90 to 95 per cent of his passes in every game, including those decisive passes.He is good at dribbling and combining but he can also make that final ball, or the one before the final ball.EURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANYThe weight and timing of the pass is usually perfect.But Foden was not the only one to be below par, especially in the second half.England ended up defending with a midfield five and even when we won the ball back, Serbia still had three men back there.In those circumstances it probably would have been better to put Anthony Gordon or Eberechi Eze on as left winger. Foden is not the  biggest or strongest. He’s not your typical winger, who is going to take someone on down the line, which is what we probably needed.The Denmark game today should be a bit different.Denmark will go into a block at some points of the game, but they will try to play out from the back and be more expansive.That will suit Foden and England.In the last two seasons, especially the one just gone, you’ve seen him step up in big moments for City and take responsibility. I am convinced he is trying to do that for England, too.Foden and Scholes are different types of player from different eras.Foden has plenty of time to make his mark in this ­tournament.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd at only 24, he could go on to become a true England legend.He is a generational talent so it would be a shame if he didn’t.Foden’s form at Man City has been electricCredit: GettyGareth Southgate can find a way to make it all click for EnglandCredit: Getty More