Rangers and Celtic Youngsters Embarrassed in Scotland U21s Thrashing
The Scotland U21s side, featuring several Rangers and Celtic youngsters, suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat at the hands of Iceland in their latest European Championship qualifier. The loss has put pressure on manager Scot Gemmill, who has been in charge of the U21s since 2016.
The young Scots had gone into the match on the back of a 2-0 win over Republic of Ireland, but they were brought crashing back down to earth by an impressive Icelandic side. Rangers midfielder Bailey Rice, making his first start for the U21s, was unable to make an impact as Scotland struggled to cope with Iceland’s attacking threat.
Celtic starlet Lenny Agbaire, currently on loan at Ayr United, also made his first start for the U21s, but it was a day to forget for the young Hoops player. Celtic defender Matthew Anderson, on loan at Admira Wacker, and Colby Donovan were also part of the Scotland side that was comprehensively beaten.
The match got off to a disastrous start for Scotland, with Benony Andresson netting twice for Iceland in the first half. Eggert Gudmundsson added a third goal for the home side, leaving Scotland with a mountain to climb.
Things went from bad to worse for Scotland when Hearts’ Finlay Pollock, on loan at Raith Rovers, was sent off for two bookings. Iceland took full advantage of the extra man, with Haukur Haraldsson making it 4-1. Ilmir Mikaelsson and Johannes Bjarnason added further goals to complete the rout.
Scotland U21s manager Scot Gemmill was scathing in his criticism of his side’s performance, describing the scoreline as “really embarrassing.” Gemmill told the Daily Record: “It was a really embarrassing scoreline and it’s disappointing to end the camp like this.
“The players need to quickly get up to speed with the level because you could see a clear gap between the teams. They were ahead of us in terms of preparation and they have got a very good team. It wasn’t a good day.
“No, I definitely don’t question the players’ commitment – at this level there is no room for mistakes and there were too many mistakes today.”
The defeat is a setback for Scotland U21s, who are preparing for European Championship qualifiers in September. They are in Group B alongside Portugal, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, and Gibraltar.
For Rangers and Celtic, the defeat will be a concern, as several of their young players were involved in the match. The two Glasgow giants will be hoping that their youngsters can learn from the experience and bounce back stronger in the future.
In the meantime, Scotland U21s will be looking to regroup and refocus ahead of their next match. With a tough qualifying campaign ahead, they will need to improve significantly if they are to have any chance of success.
As for Gemmill, he will be under pressure to turn things around after this embarrassing defeat. The Scotland U21s manager will need to get his tactics and team selection right if he is to avoid further setbacks in the future.
The defeat to Iceland is a wake-up call for Scotland U21s, and they will need to respond quickly if they are to get their qualifying campaign back on track. With several Rangers and Celtic youngsters involved, the two Glasgow giants will be hoping that their players can learn from the experience and come back stronger in the future.
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