Scotland must focus on own strengths rather than Brazil's weaknesses as criticism of Hibs star addressed
Defender was caught in the firing line due to his involvement in Morocco’s decisive goal
Former Scotland international Kenny Miller has defended heavily criticised Hibs defender Grant Hanley for his costly error during Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Morocco in Boston.
But the ex-Hibs and Rangers striker admits he wouldn’t be surprised if head coach Steve Clarke makes several changes for the Scots’ final group stage clash with Brazil on Wednesday night.
Hanley was caught out after just 71 seconds against the Atlas Lions when he attempted to play offside before Bayern Munich-bound Ismael Saibari produced a classy finish from a tight angle in what proved to be the match-winner.
Veteran centre-back Hanley found himself in the firing line post-match, but Miller believes the 34-year-old shouldn’t have been singled out for his involvement in the concession of the goal. He does, however, feel Scott McKenna could be primed to overcome a calf issue and step in to partner Jack Hendry against Brazil in Miami.
“I wouldn’t single out Grant Hanley,” Miller responded when asked by the Edinburgh Evening News on behalf of BetGoodwin if criticism of his performance against Morocco was fair. “A lot was made of him around the goal in particular.
“Having said that, I personally thought Scott McKenna would have got the nod anyway right from the start of the tournament. He just gives you a bit more balance, being left-sided, and he’s got that pace as well.
“I’m not necessarily saying I expect him to come in, but I do think he’s definitely an option if we’re looking to make a change in that back line. And I think there will be changes. For me, Scott McKenna is the one who could come in there.”
Scotland must focus on their own strengths rather than Brazil’s weaknesses
While the general consensus is that this current Brazil squad may not possess the same aura which has accompanied them in previous World Cups, Seleção remain a force to be reckoned with and appear to be trending in the right direction again under new head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
With Scotland one step away from reaching the knockout stages at a major tournament for the first time, Miller has urged Clarke’s side to focus on their own strengths rather than necessarily target the Brazilian’s weak spots.
Miller admitted: “It’s always dangerous when you’re talking about a team like Brazil to start focusing too much on their weaknesses. I think you’ve got to look more at where Scotland’s strengths are. If you’ve got Ben Gannon-Doak in the team, you’ve got real pace and directness. Then you’ve got players like John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie – guys who can arrive in the box, who are good footballers, and who can cause problems.
“I think we can definitely give their backline issues, but we’ve got to make sure we’ve got the right players in the right areas to do that. Gannon-Doak is the obvious one because his speed is going to trouble any team. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against – Brazil, England, France – if you’ve got that kind of pace and directness, you’re going to cause problems for anyone.
“Then it’s about how we support that. We’re going to have spells where we’re defending, that’s just the reality against Brazil, but when we do get the chance to attack, we’ve got to use it properly.
“Out wide, with players like Gannon-Doak, and maybe Hickey or Patterson, who are very good going forward, and Robertson as well who’s always been a great outlet, we’ve got real options to get forward and deliver into the box. McTominay and McGinn naturally arrive in those areas too, so if you get those wide players in good positions and delivering service, you can cause problems.
“But we also need to get more of a foothold in the game. That’s something Scotland can improve on, even at major tournaments. We saw spells of it against Morocco, and against Brazil it’s going to be crucial – because you can’t just defend for 90 minutes and hope nothing breaks.
“At some point you’ve got to try and take a bit of control, get into the game, and give your Gannon-Doak’s, Shankland’s, Adams’, and McTominay’s the chance to get into the box and hurt them. That’s where the damage can come from.”