Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean has acknowledged that the team's overall performance has fallen short, leaving them on the verge of elimination from the World Cup. A significant 3-0 defeat to Brazil in Miami followed earlier struggles, pushing Scotland towards an early exit from the tournament.
The campaign has been marked by notable defensive errors in losses to both Morocco and Brazil. Grant Hanley was identified as being at fault for Morocco's goal, while Scott McKenna's defensive lapse allowed Brazil to score their opening goal. Scotland's sole victory came against Haiti, a result McLean noted was insufficient given the team scored only one goal across three games.
McLean emphasized that the responsibility for the team's performance lies collectively, including the midfield. "We want to get better all over the pitch. That’s the plan. Of course, we wanted to score more goals," he stated. He also pointed out that while they had chances against Brazil, the opposition goalkeeper made crucial saves, and the low goal tally is something the team will analyze.
Discussing the errors, McLean recognized that defensive mistakes at this level often lead to goals. He expressed support for McKenna, stating that the experienced player knows he cannot control past events and that McLean himself could have provided better options on the ball. "He probably took more time on the ball because there weren’t enough good options ahead of him, so there’s a lot more to it. We all need to be better," McLean added.
Scotland's progression now depends on favorable outcomes in other group matches, a situation McLean described as difficult. He acknowledged that if mistakes are made at this level, they will be punished. "It’s hard to really legislate for errors like that. We know we need to be better," he said.
McLean highlighted the quality of opposition, particularly Brazil, noting their individual talent and experience. "When Brazil take part in the game, you know about it. Individually, they are unbelievable footballers. They’ve also got a lot of experience in there," he commented. He also suggested that attempting to press high against top-tier teams might be unrealistic, and that the team cannot always go toe-to-toe with the world's best.
"It is out of our hands now. Unfortunately for us we can’t control what happens in the other games. We just need to wait and see how it all pans out. It’s out of our control now. It’s a waiting game," McLean explained. He expressed disappointment that their fate now rests on other results, especially when many of the team's struggles stem from their own errors.
McLean concluded by praising the support from the "Tartan Army," calling them the best fans in the world and expressing a desire to have advanced for their sake.