Why Scotland can't play for draw or narrow defeat against Brazil
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When Scotland take on the famous yellow shirts of Brazil in Miami, they will know a draw is enough to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Even a narrow loss may well see them through to the last 32 as one of eight best third-place sides.
AdvertisementAdvertisementScotland fans' new obsession is the table of third-placed teams in the World Cup as everyone tries to work out what exactly would take the national side through for the first time ever.
Head coach Steve Clarke and the players will be asked about their approach given that context, but how easy is it to play simply not to lose?
The psychology of playing for draw
You can probably scrape through the history of football and struggle to find any coach or player say they will go out to aim for anything but a win.
Those involved with Scotland will do the same in their pre-match media this week - and you can bet your house on it being true.
But, with all the noise and talk outside the camp, might there be a subconscious effect?
As former Scotland player and manager Craig Levein told BBC Scotland: "I don't believe Steve will be playing for a draw because there's a dangerous element to that.
"Because you're in a mode where if you do lose a goal then getting shifted out of that mind space is difficult. I've been in that situation on a number of occasions.
"One of them was the Czech Republic game, the 4-6-0 [in 2010], where a draw would have been a really good result. The game wasn't great and neither team threatened, but we lost the goal to a set-piece.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"So you can plan all you want to play for a certain outcome, but football is so random that you're not guaranteed to get that."
Levein believes Clarke's demeanour and approach to training, the gameplan and team selection will be more influential in the players' mindset than outside talk of only needing a point.
The inclusion of winger Ben Gannon-Doak, for example, may send a message Scotland are going to be more aggressive going forward.
"You get a feel as a manager where the players are," Levein said.
"You're looking at it and you're thinking: maybe if we just put another attacking player on, it gives everybody the idea that it's time to take the shackles off and have a go."
Why being passive is not an option
So, rather than Scotland's mentality being affected by their desired outcome, is a cautious gameplan - even when trying to win every game - more of an issue?
Against Haiti, Clarke's side had only 46% of the ball - and that dropped to 40% against Morocco. Scotland have managed just two shots on target so far.
Defensively, they have not often pressed the opposition fiercely, with Scotland taking an average of 25 seconds to recover possession against Morocco, who on average won the ball eight seconds faster.
Former Hibernian and Celtic midfielder Scott Allan told the Scottish Football Podcast: "When you're constantly sat off the game and you're passive, players go into a certain mindset where they start to worry, instead of having that real belief about going and creating and scoring goals.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"You can sit in a low block and still be aggressive. There's a point where once they [the opposition] reach here, when they make a square pass, can we go with real purpose and go and try and get the ball back?"
Former Rangers and Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday agrees that Scotland need to find more urgency when defending as a team against Brazil.
"When you're going to be this team that wants to sit in and frustrate then try and be as quick as you can on transitions," he said. "I think we need to be a lot more aggressive than we've been off the ball.
"I think every chance we created actually came from us putting pressure on Moroccan players and turning the ball over at the top end of the pitch.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm not expecting a huge difference in possession [against Brazil], but I think, out of possession, we can't just allow these top players time and space on the ball and make it easy for them to just feel their way into the game."
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
