Summary Ally McCoist is "very hopeful" that Scotland can break their tournament curse and advance to the knockout stages at EURO 2024. Despite historic struggles, McCoist believes Scotland's current squad is their best in years, boasting players competing at a higher level. McCoist acknowledges concerns about injuries, but pinpoints why Steve Clarke's men will get out of the group stage.
Scottish Premiership icon Ally McCoist has tipped Scotland for unprecedented success at the upcoming European Championships, dubbing Steve Clarke's work to date "excellent".
Scotland's tough time on world stage
The Scots qualified for the upcoming tournament in Germany with an excellent record, losing just once in eight games and beating Spain 2-0 on their way to a runners-up spot ahead of Norway in a tough group.
It is the second consecutive tournament that they have qualified for, something that they hadn't achieved since 1996 (when they qualified for the 1992 & 1996 EUROs). However, their record when they reach the tournament is usually underwhelming at best.
In their three European Championship finals efforts, they have yet to make it out of the group stage, and didn't even manage to win a game in 2021, scoring just a single goal. If you extend that record to major tournaments more generally, it is no better; last in a World Cup finals in 1998, they have been to eight without making it past the group stages.
Scotland's record at major tournaments
Competition
Exit
World Cup 1954
Group Stage
World Cup 1958
Group Stage
World Cup 1974
Group Stage
World Cup 1982
Group Stage
World Cup 1986
Group Stage
World Cup 1990
Group Stage
EURO 1992
Group Stage
EURO 1994
Group Stage
World Cup 1998
Group Stage
EURO 2020
Group Stage
EURO 2024
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McCoist believes history can be made
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast courtesy of TalkSPORT BET, Rangers legend Ally McCoist revealed that he is "very hopeful" that Scotland end that hoodoo this time around.
Drawn in a group with tournament hosts Germany, Hungary and perennial dark horses Switzerland, it is a tough group on paper, but McCoist, who appeared 61 times for Scotland, believes his country shouldn't fear their two apparent competitors for second spot.
"I'm actually very hopeful that we'll get out of the group. I really am", he explained.
"Germany have hit form; I watched them against France and they had a good performance against Netherlands in the second game (during the last international break), so there might be a kind of acceptance that they'll go through.
"It's who else goes through with them. I don't think we should fear Hungary and Switzerland. I think we should respect them, which we will do because that's what Stevie Clarke and John Carver have done.
"They've been excellent and we will respect them but I don't see any reason why [we can't qualify], honest to god. I know we as Scottish do tend to get carried away but I think this could be the first time we qualify.
"We've got the best kind of small squad I think that we've had in a great number of years, and I don't think it's rocket science we've got boys playing a higher level and therefore we've got a better national team."
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However, he did point to the mounting injuries as a potential stumbling block for The Tartan Army: "I'm a wee bit concerned about the number of injuries they have picked up, I've mentioned Lewis Ferguson and you know we're not strong enough to lose players..
"Armstrong's got a bad one down at Southampton, Nathan Patterson is another one who just sprung to my mind who has got injured as well. These are all guys that are playing at a good, good level that are picking up injuries now and it's a blow for us because we are not for example England who have you know, I don't like the term embarrassment of riches, but they've got a serious serious squad and we don't have that. So in an ideal world we need our top boys fit."
Heading into the competition full of hope despite seven games without a win, could this be the year Scotland finally make it to the knockout rounds?