hands of Wales in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
tonight.
The result and performance served to underline the
utterly shambolic state of the Scottish National team
under Berti Vogts, who has now been in charge for two
years that have been little more than an unmitigated
disaster. Indeed in the last two games Scotland have
conceded no fewer than ten goals.
The Welsh may be formidable opponents at home, but it
had been all of eleven months since their last
victory, and Manager Mark Hughes could hardly have
believed that this match would be won so easily.
True the Scots took the field minus Barry Ferguson and
Steven Pressley, but the home side were without Craig
Bellamy and John Hartson.
The Welsh struck early - in 41 seconds to be precise -
when Robbie Earnshaw burst through the middle on a
long Gary Speed pass, catching the Scots' defence cold
as he buried the ball behind Rab Douglas.
Earnshaw was causing havoc to a new defensive
formation - in nine minutes his 25-yard drive was
deflected wide, then sixty seconds later his header
from a Ryan Giggs cross was just over.
The visitors were a defensive shambles, with yet again
Berti Vogts' formation and tactics baffling to most
onlookers, and, it appeared, the players themselves.
Former Ranger Kenny Miller did manage a header from a
Gary Naysmith corner - but failed to hit the target.
Ryan Giggs - making one of his few International
Friendly appearances - was in devastating form on both
flanks, and in 25 minutes he played a one-two with
Earnshaw that ripped the Scotland defence asunder,
before Simon Davis' shot was blocked by Naysmith.
The second goal was merely delayed however - Earnshaw
bundling a Giggs cross home in 35 minutes despite the
close proximity of both Paul Ritchie and Gary
Naysmith. Former Ranger Ritchie had been recalled
following impressive performances for Walsall, but was
all at sea tonight as he and his defensive colleagues
were ripped to shreds time and time again.
Giggs was running riot, and almost got on the
scoresheet himself four minutes later when his header
from a John Oster cross slipped wide of the target.
Two down at the interval, the Scots' performance was
crying out for tactical amendments, yet Berti Vogts
contented himself by tinkering at the edges, with two
straight substitutions. His opposite number Mark
Hughes felt comfortable enough to replace his star man
Ryan Giggs and goalkeeper Mark Crossley.
Earnshaw was still there however, tormenting the
visiting defence with his power and pace - and in 57
minutes he completed his hat-trick when he collected a
Robbie Savage pass before rifling a shot straight
through the hands of Rab Douglas.
Even the referee was feeling sorry for Scotland -
seven minutes later he disallowed a Gareth Taylor goal
for an apparent foul by Gary Speed, although few
amongst the 47,124 spectators spotted any offence.
Paul Dickov came close to netting a consolation goal
in 65 minutes when his angled drive struck the
crossbar, then seven minutes later Kenny Miller's
header from a Darren Fletcher cross was wide of goal.
By then Wales had replaced both Captain Gary Speed and
the combative Robbie Savage as they coasted to
victory, but even these changes could not prevent Goal
Number Four in 77 minutes when Gareth Taylor shrugged
off Paul Ritchie before shooting home under the body
of the floundering Douglas.
To compound the humiliation, Wales played out the
closing stages toying with their opponents and, as a
truly awful Scottish performance drew to a close,
Berti Vogts finally altered his defensive formation by
switching to a back three - in 85 minutes!
The German Coach afterwards reflected:
"I am very, very disappointed. The first two goals
killed us. We were badly organised defensively. We had
no organisation. What can I do?"
Since you ask, Berti, how about resigning?
WALES Crossley (Ward 45); Edwards, Gabbidon; Melville
(Symons 86), Page, Davies (Parry 32); Savage (Fletcher
71), Oster, Earnshaw, Speed (Robinson 71), Giggs
(Taylor 45)
SCOTLAND Douglas; McNamara, S. Caldwell, Ritchie,
Naysmith (Murty 45); Fletcher (Webster 85), Cameron
(Gallagher 67), Dailly, Pearson (McFadden 45); Miller,
Dickov