It was solid, steady and rarely threatened the
spectacular. At the end of a stodgy opening night, however, Gordon
Strachan’s reign as manager of Scotland began in quiet triumph.
The
applause from the Aberdonian crowd at time up signalled a level of
cautious satisfaction. Nothing more. The real business begins next month
against Wales and Serbia, when the first real judgments will be made.
There were certainly familiar touches of the new man’s methods and ways.
In
his days as a player at Pittodrie Strachan developed a neat line in
training ground free-kicks designed to flummox bemused opponents. Most
memorably against Bayern Munich in the quarter final of the club’s epic
run to European Cup Winners Cup glory.
Here we go: Scotland celebrate after taking the lead against Estonia thanks to Charlie Mulgrew
Match facts
Scotland: McGregor; Hutton, Berra, Webster, Mulgrew; Burke (Rhodes 45), Brown (Morrison 62), Maloney (Snodgrass 45), Adam (McArthur 61); Naismith (Commons 75), Fletcher (Miller 67)
Subs not used: Gilks, Bardsley, Martin, Wallace, Phillips, Mackie
Goal: Mulgrew 39
Booked: Webster
Estonia: Pareiko, Jaager, Morozov, Klavan,Teniste, Puri (Purje 58), Mosnikov, Vassiljev, Oper (Ahjupera 45), Kink (Luts 58), Ojamaa (Kams 73).
Subs Not Used: Meerits, Sisov, Rahn, Kruglov, Voskoboinikov.
Booked: Morozov,Kink.
Att: 16,102
Ref: Clement Turpin (France).
There
were no feigned collisions with a colluding John McMaster. Yet the
manager’s love of the training ground free-kick remains evident , a
clearly rehearsed move ending in Celtic’s Charlie Mulgrew thumping home
the first goal of the new era from Charlie Adam’s cunningly disguised
assist in 38 minutes.
For Mulgrew it was a
sweet moment. His first for his country officially closed the lid on the
events which witnessed his first spell at Parkhead brought to a hasty
end by the man who awarded him a fifth cap last night.
A
set-piece was always likely to be critical here. The Pittodrie surface,
decimated by days of heavy rain and cold, gusty conditions, was wholly
unsuited to flowing, attacking football.
A
respectable crowd of 16,202 turned out in plummeting temperatures. Yet
providing the kind of football required to warm the cockles was a tall
order on a badly rutted, lunar surface.
Estonia, 14 places below Scotland in the FIFA rankings, were stodgy, troublesome opponents. The Scots, playing a 4-2-3-1 formation not a million miles away from Craig Levein’s favoured shape, dominated possession, but had defending to do as well.
Winner: Mulgrew fired home from Charlie Adam's corner just before the interval in Aberdeen
A
three man attacking prong of Steven Naismith, Shaun Maloney and Chris
Burke started behind Steven Fletcher, with new captain Scott Brown and
Charlie Adam protecting the back-line.
Predictably, a raft of second half substitutions ushered changes, but the formation remained constant throughout.
It
wasn’t a resounding success, but it did bring victory in the last
warm-up before the World Cup qualifying double header with Wales and
Serbia next month.
The new manager broke a nasty
habit of losing his opening games in new jobs, but will have learned
little here beyond the fact that it can be done.
Chris
Burke was a success, winning only his third cap here. He played well
enough in a 45 minute run out to prompt the suspicion that he must have
broken a mirror after his first two appearances in Japan’s Kirin Cup
seven years ago.
The Birmingham player was excellent, a bundle of uncontainable energy. He was brisk, alert and lively, benefitting from the familiar presence of Alan Hutton, his former Rangers teammate in the right back berth.
Winning start: Gordon Strachan tasted victory in his first game in charge of Scotland
Scotland’s
best first half moves came from Hutton, newly loaned to Spanish club
Real Mallorca, dinking balls behind the Estonia defence for the wide man
to chase.
Interchange between the two witnessed
Burke at the byeline in the 20th minute, his chipped cross for Steven
Fletcher headed just over the bar by the Sunderland striker.
That
wasn’t the first Scots chance. That had come in just the third minute
when Wigan’s Shaun Maloney produced a save from a close range snap shot
following unconvincing defending.
Maloney
worked Sergei Pareiko again in 20 minutes, forcing Estonia’s keeper to
parry his low 20 yard shot, the ball almost spinning favourably to a
dark blue shirt.
The early tempo was set by the Scots. The continued disintegration of the pitch made passing a lottery, however.
Those who suspected Estonia had arrived in the Granite City as bit part players in a Strachan coronation, meanwhile, had cause to reconsider when Allan McGregor ended the half the busier goalkeeper.
Towering: Scotland's Scott Brown (right) rises above Tarmo Kink to have a pop at goal.
Taijo
Teniste, the left back, had his hands full defensively containing
Burke. Yet the Estonian number 23 posed his own threat at the other
end, producing two thumping long range shots, the first forcing
Scotland’s keeper to scramble the ball over the bar in nine minutes.
McGregor
was called to the fray once more on the half hour mark. The Baltic
nation created a fine opening when Konstantin Vassiljev’s delightful lob
behind the Scots defence put the striket Tarmo Kink in on goal, the
Besiktas keeper stretching out a giant paw to prevent the dampness
enveloping Aberdeen from soiling the occasion further.
Just as it seemed as if the tempo of the Scots was being quelled, however, the opening goal of the Strachan new dawn arrived.
Shaun
Maloney, drifting to the left of the attacking three behind Fletcher,
was felled as he took Estonia’s Igor Morozov out of the play.
The
playmaker Charlie Adam shaped to curl the ball high into a crowded
area. In a move utilised by Strachan more than most during a successful
tenure with Celtic, however, Mulgrew peeled away from the pack to take
receipt of a deceitful low centre and rattle a bouncing shot low into
the right hand corner of the Estonia net past keeper Sergei Pareiko.
Main man: Scotland player Steven Fletcher is fouled by Igor Morozov of Estonia
Predictably, the momentum and tempo of the game dropped after the break.
With
no fewer than 13 substitutes Strachan could have used a revolving door
at times. Jordan Rhodes, the darling of the Tartan Army, joined Robert
Snodgrass in replacing Burke and Maloney at half-time.
James McArthur, James Morrison, Kenny Miller and Kris Commons were also wheeled out for a second half stretch.
The
game itself followed the traditional pattern on these occasions. Never
the noisiest at the best of times the largely Aberdonian support had
little to rouse their emotions beyond long range shots.
As Estonia also made changes the ebb and flow of the game was replaced by a practice match vibe.
Before leaving the pitch Steven Naismith fired a fizzing right foot effort over the bar.
Mulgrew
then threatened a second goal in 71 minutes when his first time left
footed piledriver from 20 yards was tipped over the bar by Pareiko.
If nothing else the Scotland supporters witnessed Miller and Rhodes playing together at last. It was one of the small, incremental changes which signalled evolution rather than revolution. Under Gordon Strachan it was always likely to be thus.