Israel 1-1 Scotland: Five things we learned

The results leave the Scots with two points from their opening two fixtures and facing an uphill battle to make it to Qatar next winter - particularly after Denmark recorded back-to-back wins and the Austrians bounced back from the draw at Hampden with a 3-1 home win over the Faroe Islands.

Here are five things we learned from a disappointing draw in Israel.

SCOTLAND MUST SHOW MORE URGENCY

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There are glaciers at the North Pole that have moved with greater purpose and intent than Steve Clarke’s players did in the first half in Tel Aviv. Things improved a little in the second once the Scotland boss shuffled the deck by switching to a back four, but Scotland remained far too lacklustre to seriously trouble Israel on a regular basis.

We’ve faced these same opponents often enough over the last few years that we should really have a game-plan to hurt them and yet, the Scots had very few ideas going forward. The same was true against Austria, where we were dormant for large spells before exploding into life after goals from Grant Hanley and John McGinn.

Clarke has built his reputation on his resolute defences but the former Killie boss is a pragmatist first and foremost. There is no dearth of attacking quality that needs to be mitigated by defensive tactics with the national team and a change in approach is required if we’re to make it to Qatar. The reality is that as long as the handbrake remains on, Scotland will remain toothless going forward and points will be dropped regularly.

ADAMS AND DYKES THE WAY TO GO?

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The two strikers briefly shared a pitch for 10 minutes or so in the 2-2 draw with Austria before Adams was handed his full debut against Israel on Sunday night as Dykes dropped to the bench.

The former looked lively, showing neat link-up play with Ryan Fraser for the equaliser, while the latter was brought on for the last 15 minutes or so but was starved of the service he requires to be effective.

Adams was replaced by Dykes in Israel and while Fraser grasped his opportunity in the supporting striker role by getting on the scoresheet, there remains a sense that Clarke is still experimenting with his line-up to find the most potent attack.

We haven’t really seen these two play together properly yet but Wednesday’s fixture against the Faroe Islands could be an opportunity to see if the partnership works. Dykes’ raw physicality and hold-up play make him excellent foil for someone like Adams, who has shown clever movement and demonstrated his intelligent use of space in his two Scotland appearances so far.

MARSHALL MUST DO BETTER

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The shot-stopper became a national hero overnight back in November after he denied Aleksander Mitrovic in Belgrade, bringing Scotland’s 23-year wait to qualify for the finals of a major competition to a close, and the No1 jersey has been his to lose since.

However, his displays over the last week could put his place under threat. Against Austria, Marshall spilled the ball invitingly into the path of Sasa Kalajdzic for the opener at Hampden and against Israel, the 36-year-old got a hand to Dor Peretz’s long-range strike but was unable to keep it out.

Marshall suffered a back injury at Derby last month but has struggled to regain his place in Wayne Rooney’s starting line-up since regaining his fitness. His starting berth between the sticks for Scotland might not be as nailed-on as it appeared just a few weeks ago.

ROBERTSON GOES MISSING AGAIN

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It’s unrealistic to expect the Scotland captain to put in the kind of performances he does for Liverpool when he pulls on a dark-blue jersey – after all, he’s playing a completely different role – but that doesn’t mean the 27-year-old shouldn’t be offering a lot more than he currently is.

Against Israel, Robertson was once again anonymous. Perhaps most tellingly of all it was his opposite number, right-back Eli Dasa, who finished the game as the BBC’s man of the match. All too often, Robertson is reluctant to close down opponents to block crosses into the area and going forward, his deliveries are simply nowhere near the level of the ones he produces at club level. Needs to offer a helluva lot more to justify his captain’s armband.

FANS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

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For 90 minutes on Sunday night, viewers at home in Scotland got a little taste of normality as they tuned in to cheer on the national team and were greeted with the view of a few thousand fans spread around the Bloomfield Stadium.

There were whistles and boos from the stands when Scotland applied a bit of pressure, and jeers at the referee when marginal calls went against their side.

After going so long without seeing or hearing any supporters inside stadia whatsoever, the draw in Israel was a timely reminder of what fans have got to look forward to as lockdown restrictions hopefully ease off in the coming months. They might have been cheering on our opponents but the home crowd were a welcome sight nonetheless.