Football
Kenny McLean Reflects on Scotland’s Euro 2024 Heartbreak: ‘A Missed Opportunity, But No Need for Major Overhaul’
Kenny McLean calls Scotland's Euro 2024 campaign a missed opportunity but sees no need for a major overhaul. He believes the team has the quality to learn and grow from this experience.
Image Credits: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Scotland stalwart Kenny McLean believes the national side’s frustrating Euro 2024 campaign was a “missed opportunity”.
But the midfielder is confident that wholesale changes are not needed to achieve tournament success, with enough quality in the squad to grow from the experience of crashing out at the group stage in Germany.
A 5-1 thumping by hosts Germany on the opening day of this year’s tournament at the Allianz Arena was understandably hard to swallow.
Scotland bounced back with a battling 1-1 draw with Switzerland to keep their last 16 qualifying hopes alive. However, an agonising last-gasp defeat to Hungary in their final group match in Stuttgart saw the Scots’ tournament brought to a premature end.
A Missed Opportunity in Germany
“It was an opportunity missed,” McLean told SportsBoom.com. “When we reflect on it, it is a disappointment.”
“Before the last couple of tournaments, we were that nearly-team, but this time we weren’t, we got there (to Germany).”
“But when we got there, we wanted to properly take part and show that we are a really good team.”
Image Credits:Chris Ricco - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
“The first game was a massive disappointment but coming up against the hosts day on the first day, after the opening ceremony, it was always going to be tough.”
“But we did go in with confidence and we’re prepared everything perfectly. However, on the night we just weren’t good enough.”
Obviously people in England would have seen that as well because they struggled to get through when they played them.
Kenny McLean
Unmet Expectations
McLean, who made his Scotland debut in 2016, added: “In the Switzerland game, we showed what we are all about. The Swiss were a very good team.
“We put ourselves up against a really good Swiss team and had a lot of confidence after that game.”
“However, I think the expectation was really there for the Hungry game and the demands were there from everybody, but we just didn’t meet them.”
“Unfortunately, we just didn’t do enough on the night, it was a hard luck story.”
“But it’s one we need to take some responsibility for because it was down to us to get the job done – and we didn’t.”
Building for the Future
Former Aberdeen, Rangers and St Mirren ace McLean, capped 42 times for his country, is readying himself a fourth season at Norwich City as the Canaries gun for a third promotion to the Premier League.
Last season he won the club’s Player of the Season award as the club narrowly missed out on promotion.
But as well as domestic duty ambitions, McLean is also focused on helping Scotland build for the future, starting with Nations League matches at home to Portugal and away to Portugal in September.
“I think we’ve got everything in place in Scotland (to be successful),” stressed McLean.
“We’ve got a lot of young players coming through, so now it’s about taking the next step.”
“I think we need to improve ourselves more in tournaments – and I think we’ll do.”
“I don’t honestly think there’s going to be a massive re-build because what’s there is only going to get better with experience we’ve had.”
I don’t think they’ll be too many who will be calling it quits on their international career just yet.
Kenny McLean
“Maybe the manager will want to freshen things up and change things, but as I say I think the core of that group is still at a very good age to get to new tournaments.”
“I think it is experience where we need to learn from, and we need to get better from.”
“I don’t think a massive re-build is needed; I think everything’s in place for us to be successful as a nation. We’ll do everything we can to make that happen.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.