Steve Clarke believes that Scotland needs to narrow the distance between themselves and the top European teams following their heavy loss to the Netherlands.

Steve Clarke has emphasized the need for Scotland to bridge the gap between themselves and Europe’s top teams following their 4-0 defeat against the Netherlands. Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring in the first half, with Georginio Wijnaldum, Wout Weghorst, and Donyell Malen adding to the tally in the final 10 minutes. With the European Championships approaching, Scotland will face Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on Tuesday.

As the Dutch are considered one of the favorites for the tournament, Clarke has urged his team to compete with the best in Europe. In a press conference on Monday, he stated, “We are still searching for that improvement that can close the gap on the top sides. Hopefully, as we are striving to reach the top sides, we are looking to move further away from the sides that are seeded below us. That has to be our objective. We are a pot two team now, but we have to be a better pot two team, and eventually, we have to try to latch on to the pot one teams.”

Despite the defeat, Clarke highlighted the positive aspects of Scotland’s performance against the Netherlands. He acknowledged that the team executed what they had worked on in training for a significant portion of the game. However, he also emphasized the importance of maintaining focus until the final whistle, especially against top teams who can punish any lapses in concentration.

Scotland’s winless streak now extends to six games, during which they have conceded 18 goals. Clarke called on all his players to match the high standards set by Champions League and Premier League winners. He stated, “That’s what we need from everybody in the squad. We always try to set the bar as high as we can. We want to improve.”

Clarke believes there is room for improvement within the team and expressed his satisfaction with glimpses of progress shown during the match against the Netherlands. However, he acknowledged that the team failed to execute their strengths towards the end of the game, resulting in the unfavorable scoreline.

In conclusion, Clarke’s message to his team is clear – they must strive to close the gap on Europe’s elite sides and continue to improve as they prepare for the upcoming European Championships.