Kieran Tierney earned his first World Cup start for Scotland against Morocco, and it’s one he will want to forget.
Steve Clarke’s defensive-first and suffocating tactics didn’t just affect the Celtic defender but also the rest of his teammates, as they suffered a 1-0 defeat.
After Clarke had played two up top for the narrow win over Haiti, he brought in extra defensive cover, including Tierney, for a much tougher clash against 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, Morocco.
But as FIFA’s official report, which details each team’s and players’ data, revealed, it was a game to forget for Celtic’s flying fullback.
Should the SPFL send off players for covering their mouths while talking to an opponent?
It's not a law in Scotland, but it is at the World Cup, as Miguel Almiron found out! 😬
Kieran Tierney’s struggles as Scotland lose to Morocco
What’s even more frustrating with Clarke’s tactics is that he used Tierney in a left-wing role.
So, from the get-go, he put him in a sticky situation and expected him to run at the opposition like he was Jeremy Doku.
FIFA’s official report revealed that Tierney attempted just five line-breaking passes, completing three, on a night where only four of his teammates reached double figures in that metric – compare that to the opposition, who had seven men in that category.
One of Tierney’s strengths is his crossing ability. But that’s as an overlapping left-back.
Given how Clarke was set up, any time Celtic’s fullback was breaking, it was more through the middle, rather than out wide, and it’s a reason why he only managed to pull off two crosses – one outswinger, and a lofted cross.
But Tierney wasn’t shy about wanting the ball because he asked for it 23 times during his hour on the pitch before he was forced off with a knock.
- Minutes played: 60
- Attempted passes: 17
- Attempted line-breaking passes: 5
- Attempted shots at goal: 1
- Total crosses attempted: 2
- Offers made to receive the ball: 23
- Total possession regains: 4
- Tackles: 4
- Blocks: 3
- Interceptions: 2
- Clearances: 2
- Top speed (km/h): 33.4
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
