The writing was on the wall for Scotland's World Cup campaign long before it reached its potentially catastrophic conclusion. A meagre 17 shots across three matches tells a damning story – the lowest tally by any nation in a group stage since the Euro format changed the game in 1980. Steve Clarke's side are being propped up by just about anyone, with even World Cup debutants Curacao boasting a slightly higher shot count.
Make no mistake, Scotland's attacking woes have been glaring from day one. Expected goals (xG) paint a middling picture, but the truth is that they've underperformed by 1.6 – missed chances galore, and counting. Shots on target per game? Scotland are right in there with Curacao and Haiti at the bottom of the pile, alongside just eight nations who average fewer.
The drought was a long one: 200 minutes without a shot on target after John McGinn's opener against Haiti. It took Scott McTominay's crucial header against Brazil to finally break that cursed spell – but by then, it was too little, too late. McTominay himself has been struggling, his tournament hamstrung by a lack of attacking prowess from the team as a whole.
Steve Clarke knows the score – and has tried everything in his power to change it. Three different formations across the group games have yielded limited success: the 4-4-2 that saw them scrape past Haiti, the 4-2-3-1s against Morocco and Brazil. But will these tactical tweaks be enough? Or is the damage done – and another early exit looming large for Scotland?
The writing's on the wall once more: a familiar tale of woe, with even that solitary victory over Haiti starting to look like it might not be enough to see them through. It's been a painful watch, one dominated by missed chances and individual errors that have ultimately sealed their fate.