In a pre-match press conference ahead of Scotland's Europa League group stage second round clash against Switzerland, Scotland head coach David Clarke looked ahead to the upcoming match and shared his thoughts on his team's form.
Clarke began by saying that the players were eager to get back on the pitch and show a better performance to make up for their previous mistakes. He mentioned that the Swiss are a formidable opponent with a strong center line and great speed up front, so expect this to be a very tough game.
Regarding Switzerland's tactics in the first match, Clark believes that their system adjustments were not radical changes, but rather corresponding adjustments based on the opponent. He emphasized that whether the Swiss team used specific tactics exclusively against Hungary or whether they had other arrangements for Scotland, these will only be revealed at the time of the match.
While talking about the core players of the Swiss team, Clark specifically mentioned Zaka and Kroos as having similar importance in the team. He expressed his hope that the team will perform better in handling these key players than they did against Kroos before.
Clarke also talked about how the team can recover from the loss against Germany. He made it clear that the team must improve their performance against Switzerland. He mentioned that Switzerland had started well and were in form while Scotland were unhappy with their performance, so it was time to make a change.
Speaking about the team's preparation, Clark emphasized the importance of ensuring adequate preparation. He said that the team is ready and looking forward to seeing positive results on the pitch. He also mentioned that after the defeat to Germany, the message he tried to convey to the team is that what they want to achieve is still ahead of them and the next two matches will be crucial.
Finally, Clarke re-emphasized the challenge posed by the Swiss team. According to him, the Swiss excelled in every aspect of the game, from the team's central axis to the speed up front to the solid defense, so this game will be a tough test for the Scots.
