Iceland boss admits they started deliberately targeting rookie Scotland goalkeeper Cieran Slicker

Scottish Sun

9 hours ago

They had a plan for the substitute stopper - and it worked
ICELAND boss Arnar Gunnlaugsson admits his team deliberately targeted rookie Scotland goalkeeper Cieran Slicker.
The Ipswich Town stopper had a debut to forget at Hampden as the national team stumbled to a 3-1 loss.
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Iceland manager Arnar Gunnlaugsson
Credit: PA
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It was a tough night in between the sticks for young Cieran Slicker
Credit: PA
Slicker, 22, came on as a sub for the injured Angus Gunn after seven minutes.
Not even a minute later he was picking the ball out of the net.
And it was his poor choice of pass that led to the opener.
Indeed, Slicker didn't cover himself in glory at end of Iceland's three goals.
And after the game, Iceland gaffer Gunnlaugsson told of how he made it clear to his players to target Slicker as soon as he entered the pitch.
He demanded they press the young goalie and it proved effective from that very first instance, forcing the bad clearance that ended up with the ball in the net through Andri Gudjohnsen.
Gunnlaugsson said: He said: 'It was an instruction to press him straight away.
'It's always difficult for a goalkeeper to come into a game when he's cold.
'It's especially difficult with his feet so it was an opportunity to give it a go.'
Scotland boss Steve Clarke conceded that Slicker simply wasn't ready for his international bow.
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Clarke was forced to throw him on for Gunn after No2 Robby McCrorie got crocked the warm-up.
And Clarke said: 'It was a difficult night.
'It didn't get off to the best of starts when we lost our number two goalkeeper in the warm-up then two minutes into the game our number one gets injured as well.
'It was a tough night and I feel a little bit for young Cieran.
'I'll sit with him over the next couple of days and have a little chat about it.
'I'll give him reassurance because he probably went in when it was too early.
'He wasn't quite ready for it. That wasn't his fault. That's the circumstances that dictated that.
'We'll now try and support him as much as can.
'Listen, he'll get over it.
'Goalkeepers are a resilient bunch.
'His character is good in and around the squad. He's comfortable.
'This was probably just an opportunity that came a little bit too early for him. But we'll be there to support him and help him.
'Our options are not exactly jumping off the page at me.
'We will go away and see how he reacts, how he is overnight, how he is tomorrow and at training on Sunday.
'Listen, we could talk about might about Cieran and what happened for him, but it's a circumstance I pointed out in March.
'I could see something like this possibly happening.
'The only crumb of comfort to take from it is that it happened in a friendly match.
'And hopefully we can be better prepared when it comes to the autumn.
'It is pretty unusual to have your five first choice goalkeepers all injured.
'Not everyone plays regularly at their club. It is something we have to address and look at.
'But it is not going to change in a click of the fingers.
'It is more for the long term, and the next head coach and the next head coach after that.'
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