Scotland captain Andy Robertson admits he’s struggling the worst feelings of his soccer profession after a variety of close to misses in large video games.
However the Liverpool participant is extra involved in regards to the feeling of loss amongst his Scotland team-mates after their World Cup hopes had been dashed by Ukraine.
A 3-1 Hampden defeat within the play-off semi-finals on Wednesday means Scotland’s lengthy look forward to a primary World Cup expertise since 1998 continues.
The defeat adopted rapidly from Liverpool’s Champions League ultimate reverse towards Actual Madrid and being pipped by Manchester Metropolis amid late drama on the ultimate day of the Premier League season.
Robertson has additionally are available for criticism after being filmed consuming beer on Liverpool’s open-top bus tour three days earlier than the sport with Ukraine.
The 28-year-old mentioned: “Personally, it’s been the hardest 10 days of my soccer profession, in fact it has been. Emotionally, mentally, bodily, the whole lot. So it’s not been nice.
“However to be sincere I’ll cope with that myself, I’ll go away and take into consideration that myself.
“However I’m simply gutted for these lads in there. Clearly I used to be determined for them to get to a World Cup and play on the most important stage and sadly we’ve got fallen quick.
“However we should be prepared the following time it comes round. The way in which it’s with worldwide soccer, individuals become old and also you by no means know when your final likelihood of it is going to be. That’s why it hurts a lot.”
Robertson after defeat by Actual in Paris (Adam Davy/PA)
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Solely Craig Gordon prevented Ukraine being out of sight earlier than Callum McGregor made it 2-1 within the 79th minute, and Scotland’s late strain got here to nothing earlier than they had been caught out on the counter-attack with the final kick of the ball.
Ukraine triggered Scotland all types of issues as they picked up good possession in harmful areas and Steve Clarke’s males appeared nothing just like the group that had received their ultimate six video games within the qualifying group.
“We didn’t put a efficiency in that deserved to undergo,” Robertson mentioned. “We didn’t fairly get our foot on the ball. They settled faster. Normally in these video games the group that settles faster has the higher hand, and that’s what occurred.
“We didn’t play our soccer till it was too late. We knew they had been going to tire however we didn’t begin actually placing strain on them till the final 15 when you’re 2-0 down and also you begin chasing the sport and you allow yourselves open to counter-attacks.
“However we needed to push and we gave it a battle for the final 15, however that’s not adequate to win a sport.”
Robertson hugs Ukraine’s Oleksandr Zinchenko on the finish of the sport (Andrew Milligan/PA)
(PA Wire)
There have been unprecedented feelings surrounding the sport as Ukraine returned to motion for the primary time because the invasion of Russia in February.
When requested if that had impacted on the sport, Robertson mentioned: “I can’t reply for them. I do know we had been extremely motivated, extremely decided to get to the World Cup, one thing we’ve got by no means achieved earlier than. You would want to ask them how emotional or decided they had been.”
Scotland might want to enhance to make their Nations League marketing campaign successful on condition that Ukraine are additionally of their group.
They now put together for a double-header towards Armenia both aspect of a visit to the Republic of Eire as they appear to get off to a fast begin in a contest which proved a passageway to the earlier European Championship finals and may very well be once more.
Robertson mentioned: “Look, we’re constructing one thing right here. I consider typically you’ll want to take bumps within the highway and that is actually an enormous one.
“However we’ve got already been to 1 (main finals) and we’ve got to attempt to get to a different.
“Clearly the Nations League was the best way in final time to the Euros and that begins subsequent week. So we should be prepared for that and we should be prepared for the Euro marketing campaign.
“We had a very good marketing campaign this time spherical that secured the play-off however the play-off sport we weren’t adequate sadly.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
