The 6 Euro 2024 nations Scotland need to learn from and Steve Clarke can start inquest with these 2 questions - Keith Jackson

It's supposed to have stopped hurting by now. But the deeper we go into Euro 2024 one thing becomes more and more obvious.

The only true way for a Scotsman to enjoy watching the climax to this tournament is to forget that Scotland were actually ever part of it in the first place. Failure to wipe this mere detail from the memory bank only results in a sense of heightened agitation and painful regret. It has become impossible, for example, to observe the heroics of teams such as Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Georgia, Austria and Switzerland without wondering how it might have been for us, if only our side had embraced this tournament in the same, adventurous manner.

Come to think of it, Scotland have succeeded in being just about the only smaller nation at the whole event which wilted and froze when the opportunity presented itself to punch above its weight for once. While the rest of them looked upon these finals as the chance to put the foot to the floor, Steve Clarke kept the handbrake on as if he was terrified of the consequences of what might happen if he gave it a bit of serious welly instead.

It’s almost too excruciating to look back on Scotland’s faint hearted contribution while the rest of them are still out there milking Germany for all that it’s worth and drinking whatever beer the Tartan Army left behind. Yes, that massive travelling support played its part by launching a huge ground invasion without throwing a single blow in anger. And that just makes the whole campaign even more galling.

The best fans at the competition had to endure the ignominy of supporting its worst team and then being oxtered off the premises before the real party had got anywhere near full swing.

Clarke, of course, deserves all of our