Ian Wright used Scottish Football to say Scotland are being let down “on a massive scale” after their 1-0 loss to Morocco on Friday. He said he felt sorry for Scotland fans and argued the problem runs deeper than one tournament result.
Wright's 160-word critique
Wright’s criticism came in a roughly 160-word run on ITV, and he tied it to Scotland’s numbers on and off the pitch. “Two shots on target in two games,” he said, before turning to the wider structure around the side. Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 in their opening game, then managed only those two attempts on target across the first two matches.
He also drew a direct comparison with Norway, saying the country the same size as Scotland averages 6,000 or 7,000 weekly attendances in its domestic league, while Scotland averages 16,000. On top of that, Wright pointed to Norway’s broadcast deal, which he said is £25million more a year than Scotland’s.
Scotland fans and the numbers
The criticism landed against a backdrop that does not fit a simple blame game. Scotland fans have made a positive impression at the tournament, even as Wright said the team and its football decision-makers are letting the country down. He added that Scotland’s raw materials include “amazing attendances, talent, storylines, grassroots participation,” and said somebody in Scotland is letting the country down on a massive scale.
That leaves the football audience with a sharper question than the result alone. Scotland are still in line to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed teams, but they may need something from their last group game against Brazil on Wednesday to secure a knockout-place spot. Wright’s complaint was not about one bad night; it was about the gap between what Scotland have and what they are producing.
Brazil and Steve Clarke
Steve Clarke’s comments on Brazil underline the size of the task waiting next. He called Neymar one of Brazil’s superstars of the modern era and said Brazil have so many dangerous opponents that Neymar is just one of them.
Clarke also said Brazil have shown in the tournament that they are a big threat and that they expect to be, as a minimum, last four of the competition. For Scotland, the immediate target is simpler: find a result against Brazil, because the margins after two games are already narrow.
