Steve Clarke raised eyebrows with his pre-match assertion that
Belgium might prove perfect opponents at the perfect time for Scotland. The manager’s attempts to boost the mood of a beleaguered football nation were undermined by harsh reality. Romelu Lukaku set the tone for a dominant Belgian performance – in which Kevin De Bruyne was at the heart of everything positive – as the Scots endured yet another harrowing night.
Scotland teams, while unable to compete on technical terms with the world’s best over a concerted period now, are now also apparently easy to beat. Clarke must have his sights on next year’s Nations League playoffs as his only legitimate means of reaching Euro 2020, but has a significant task in raising morale in the meantime. After years in the doldrums, apathy reigns. Whether Clarke is any closer to finding solutions after four matches in charge is open to debate.
Scotland have slipped to fifth in Group I.