The gaffer phoned me about what we could have done better and within the first minute or two I knew we were on same page

Robbo insists Clarke's Scots are ready for battle again after Euros post-mortem

- FRASER WILSON

IT was a manager-captain heart-to-heart aimed at getting to the root of why the script went so badly wrong in Scotland's attempt to write themselves into the history books in the summer.

Steve Clarke turned to Andy Robertson to get his trusted lieutenant's view on why a squad that travelled to the Euros with such high expectations ended up limping out in the first round. Again.

For Robertson, who spends his club season pounding up and down the left flank providing assists galore for a Liverpool side that's romped to Premier League and Champions League glory in the last four years, the lack of punch in his country must have been particularly alarming.

Mistakes were made in the build-up to the tournament.

More were made in Germany.

But while the skipper was keeping the details to himself, he was clear within 60 seconds of that call he and Clarke were on the same page.

Now, with changes already made to personnel, it's about turning over a new chapter.

And Robertson remains as committed as ever to his country and taking that next historic step.

Next up is the World Cup. But if Scotland are to get there they will need to perform a whole lot better than in Germany little over two months ago.

Asked about that Euros postmortem with Clarke, Robertson said: "I think it's up to us to say how we felt on the pitch.

"The manager was very good, he asked me to say what we thought we could have done better. I said what I believed and then we had the discussion around certain things.