Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Strachan hits out at wayward passing

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 29 May 2016

108 Views

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan bemoaned his side’s inability to pass accurately following a 1-0 friendly defeat to Italy on Sunday.

Strachan’s men failed to register a single shot on target in Malta as Graziano Pelle’s second-half strike settled the encounter, which Italy should arguably have won by a greater margin.

And Strachan believes he knows the cause of his side’s shortcomings in attack.

“I counted about eight or nine passes we gave away which you’d think we’d keep and do better,” he is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “No matter what system you use, if you can’t do that you can understand it [the defeat].

“There might be some factors that some of the players have been away, some have been rested for a while, whereas the Italian lads have been on top of their game right until now.

“That’s a problem for us, because a lot of people are playing the Championship, not at a top European level. And you’re also playing against the Juventus back three and the goalkeeper who are fantastic.

“We’d have liked to have done more, but we know it’s partly down to them and partly down to us.

“That clears the picture, so you now understand exactly what you need going into the top games.

“You can’t get offensive if you can’t pass the ball to each other. It’s still the biggest secret in the game – whatever any coach tells you about systems, it’s about players being able to beat people and pass, and we keep coming to this conversation every time. It’s something I know, I wish somebody would just listen to me.”

Scotland, who failed to qualify, take on Euro 2016 hosts France in a friendly on Saturday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top