Steve Clarke stressed Scotland’s feelgood factor should remain fully intact despite a 3-1 Hampden Park defeat to England.
The chance of a double celebration lay in store for the Tartan Army but a chastening evening against their rivals saw many supporters drift out before full-time, as Norway’s 2-1 win against Georgia denied them an early qualification for next summer’s Euro 2024 finals in Germany.
Victory against Spain in Seville on October 12 would be enough to top Group A and even defeat would leave a significant chance for Scotland to qualify next month as something will need to give when Norway face the Spaniards three days later.
When asked how he would go about making sure the 150th anniversary defeat did not dent the feelgood factor, Clarke said: “It hasn’t gone. In the competitive group we are in – five wins, 15 points.
“I told the lads the camp has been a success. The most important thing in this camp was to get three points in Cyprus. We achieved that.
“It would have been nice to get a positive result against England to make it even better but the objective of what we came in to do has been done.
“Obviously we didn’t want to lose to our Auld Enemy but on the night England were better.
“Sometimes you need to take your medicine in football and we will take our medicine and try to improve.
“We knew playing against England was going to be difficult, playing Spain away is going to be difficult, playing France away is going to be difficult.
“But if you want to learn as a team you have to play against good opposition so we have to go away and learn the lessons and try to be better.
“This group have always shown they are pretty good in a little bit of adversity, they have always bounced back in good shape, so hopefully next month they can do that.”
Scotland struggled to make inroads against the English defence in the first half and were two down at half-time through Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham strikes before producing a more positive start to the second half.
Harry Maguire’s own goal gave the home fans hope midway through the second period but John McGinn missed a good chance to equalise and England got back on top before Harry Kane netted.
Clarke said: “You have to understand how good England are at pressing the ball, they made it very difficult for us first half, we couldn’t get our foot on it or string enough passes to open the game.
“Listen, you have to learn to play against the speed and physicality of the opposition and England have certainly got both speed and physicality as well as a lot of talented players.
“I think we can defend better. We didn’t defend as well as we could do so it’s something to improve.
“The way we shaped the team, the personnel I started with, I had some ideas in my head that I wanted to see how they worked.
“Obviously it didn’t work that well in the first half. I thought it was a little bit better in the second half I thought the changes were good, gave us a bit more impetus, a bit of energy, Ryan Christie came into the pitch really well.
“And just as it looked as though we might get a chance to get something out the game, I was just getting ready to make some positive changes, England got the third and that killed the night.”
Moyes: Leaving is 'right decision' for me and West Ham
David Moyes says he and West Ham made the right decision for him to leave at the end of the season.
West Ham announced on Monday that Moyes would be stepping down as their manager, with Julen Lopetegui reportedly lined up as his replacement.
The Hammers have slipped away from the European places in recent weeks, with a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea last time out extending a four-game winless run.
Speaking for the first time since the announcement, Moyes said he was comfortable with how it played out: "Look, there's a lot of things in football that can be done a lot better.
"But I'm really comfortable with the situation. I'm comfortable with the board, so at the moment, everything's fine. It's football.
"I think it's the right decision for both parties, for myself and the club and we'll go our separate ways having had, I think, a really good four-and-a-half years. "
Luton Town sit three points from safety after a 1-1 draw with Everton last Friday and know that a defeat against West Ham could see them relegated if Nottingham Forest avoid defeat against Chelsea.
Rob Edwards was upbeat about his team’s chances despite only having two games left, saying: "I don't think it would be a miracle at all. We have been in worse situations as a football club and still got out of it!
"We know what we have to do. We have got to pick up points and that has got to start [against West Ham].
"Of course, it's not [mission impossible]. We will concentrate on ourselves. Obviously, we know that we are going to need some help [from other teams], but we all know how hard it is to win in the Premier League.
"We have got to try and do that - obviously Forest and Burnley have got difficult games as well."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has scored 16 Premier League goals this season – the last West Ham player to net more in a single top-flight campaign was Tony Cottee in 1986-87 (22).
Indeed, no player has scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than Bowen (five).
Luton Town – Alfie Doughty
Doughty has created 67 chances for Luton Town this season in the Premier League – since 2003-04, the only Englishmen to create more chances in their debut season in the competition are James Maddison (100 in 2018-19) and Rickie Lambert (81 in 2012-13).
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games against promoted sides (W8 D2) since a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in August last season. At home, they have won six of their last seven such games since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in October 2021.
The Hammers are also looking to complete their first league double over Luton since 1983-84, following their 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road earlier this season.
However, West Ham have lost three of their last four Premier League games (D1), shipping five goals in each of the last two defeats (2-5 v Crystal Palace, 0-5 v Chelsea). Indeed, the Hammers have conceded 5+ goals in four different league games this season, last doing so more in 1965-66 (6).
Since beating Brighton 4-0 in January and moving outside the relegation zone, Luton have won just one of their last 15 Premier League games (D4 L10), with defeat in this match leaving them on the cusp of relegation back to the Championship.
Luton have both scored and conceded in 29 of their 36 Premier League games this season, a joint-competition record alongside Swindon in 1993-94 and Southampton in 1994-95. The last side to see both themselves and their opponents score in more top-flight matches in a single campaign were Newcastle in 1985-86 (31).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham – 56.5%
Draw – 23.9%
Luton Town – 19.6%
Al-Akhdoud 2-3 Al-Nassr: Brozovic stunner delays Al-Hilal coronation
Marcelo Brozovic scored twice – including a fine half-volley in second-half stoppage time – as Al-Nassr beat Al-Akhdoud 3-2 to delay Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League title coronation on Thursday.
Former Inter midfielder Brozovic fired in a seventh-minute opener from outside the area before Cristiano Ronaldo tapped into an empty net to double the visitors' lead.
Sadio Mane struck the woodwork early in the second half and Al-Nassr relinquished control of the game from there, with goals from Hassan Al Habib and Saviour Godwin making it 2-2.
However, Brozovic blasted a bouncing ball home following a goalmouth scramble in the first of seven minutes of stoppage time to hand Al-Nassr a fifth straight win and keep them within nine points of Al-Hilal, with three games still to play.
They have only delayed the inevitable though as the leaders – who have only dropped four points all season – need just one more point to secure their crown ahead of facing Al-Hazm on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Brozovic upstages Ronaldo
While it's usually Ronaldo writing the headlines for Al-Nassr, he was upstaged by Brozovic on Thursday as the Croatian found the net with both of his shots, also leading all players on the pitch for final-third passes (19) and completing 90.1 per cent of his passes overall (81/95).
Al Ahli 1-2 Al Hilal: Malcom saves league leaders' winning streak
Malcom’s stunning solo goal finished Al Hilal’s second-half comeback to earn a 2-1 win over Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Monday.
The forward started his run from inside his own half before slotting in the winner, after teeing up Aleksandr Mitrovic for the equaliser just after the interval.
Feras Al Brikan had given Al Ahli the lead in the 30th minute, but the hosts could not hold onto it against the league leaders.
Al Hilal continue their unbeaten league campaign to a 30th match, moving 12 points clear at the top of the table, while Al Ahli remain in third, now 22 points off the AFC Champions League spot.
Data Debrief
Malcom was one of Al Hilal's most influential players; as well as playing a hand in both goals, he had the joint-most shots (five), and the joint-most shots on target (two), and created two chances for his team.
Al Ahli also struggled to cope with Mitrovic's threat, as the Serbian created an xG of 0.61 from his five shots, having 11 touches in the opposition box.
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