John McGinn has promised fans that they will see a “different Scotland” following their Euro 2024 defeat to Germany on the opening night.
The Tartan Army were humilated by the hosts, losing 5-1 and barely scratching Julian Nagelsmann’s side.
But they have had a few days to recover and reflect on the match, while looking forward to their next Group A clash with Switzerland.
No Scotland side has ever progressed from the group stages at the European Championships and it is a must-win match for Steve Clarke’s side if they are to make history.
The players have sent a message to the fans, thanking them for their unwavering support even at 4-0 down and McGinn has spoken about how his team-mates will approach the next game.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Aston Villa man said: “It doesn’t take a genius to work out where it went wrong.
🗣️ ‘Knowing I could have given more to the game is what’s been stewing on my mind past few days’
John McGinn wants a “completely new version” of himself and the Scotland team when they face Switzerland ⤵️#BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/KX5rsRDxye
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) June 18, 2024
“On Wednesday, you’ll see a different Scotland. A team with a point to prove, probably more to ourselves than anything else.
“Seeing the amount of Scotland fans in Munich, that’s the disappointing thing, feeling like we’ve let them down.
“We can’t forget the opportunity is still there.”
Scotland will end their group stage campaign against Hungary and hope they can squeeze into the top two in Group A.
Four of the six nations who finish third will also progress, but the Tartan Army will need to pick up some points if they are to land anywhere but bottom.
It was not the best night for goalkeeper Angus Gunn either, who picked the ball out of his net five times.
🦸♂️ @jmcginn7 https://t.co/edtUKx3kQx pic.twitter.com/opsULXdT5B
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 18, 2024
But such is the sense of community in the Scotland camp, the stopper has taken positives from the heavy defeat and expressed his love for the support fans have shown him.
He added: “Everyone’s still bitterly disappointed from the result and also the performance. I don’t think anyone did themselves justice.
“We let ourselves down, our families down and obviously the fans, which is probably the most difficult part to take.
“Seeing all the videos of everyone travelling over before the game, it looked unbelievable and even after a result like that, they were still there, singing and clapping at the end.
“It gives us a great boost, lifts us after such a disappointing result and just makes us want to want to repay them even more in the next two games.
“Obviously we’ve played against the pot one team now already, so that’s out of the way and we’ve got a target – two wins – that’ll get us through the group.”
