Scotland

Gordon Strachan: 'Lack of technical ability cost Scotland place at Euros'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 15 November 2015

Gordon Strachan insists that simply working hard will not be enough to get Scotland a place in the 2018 World Cup, claiming that their technical ability has to improve.

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has claimed that his side's failure to reach the Euro 2016 finals was down to a lack of technical ability.

Strachan's men finished fourth in their qualification group, with a surprise defeat away at Georgia costing them dearly in the end.

Despite the disappointment at missing out on at least a playoff place, the Scotland boss recently signed a new two-year deal at Hampden Park to see him through the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Speaking to the Daily Record about where it all went wrong, the 58-year-old said: "We're trying to create a team where everyone can pass the ball. I don't go in for this: 'Well, he puts in a good shift.' Anyone can put in a good shift.

"If you look at that wonderful goal we scored in Poland, Steven Fletcher turns, passes it out to Ikechi Anya who cuts it back and Shaun Maloney side foots in. It was virtually the same as the Georgia game. We had seven passes inside their last 25 yards.

"We got Anya into that position seven times in the first half but never produced the cross. So we're back to talking about technique and that is the main thing when it comes to winning games. Technical ability let us down in Georgia. That's where we are at the moment. But none of it was about effort."

Scotland will be joined by England, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta in their 2018 World Cup qualification group, which gets underway next September.