Burley upbeat despite Scots’ Oslo nightmare

GEORGE BURLEY believes a place in next summer’s World Cup finals is still possible despite Scotland’s 4-0 thrashing by Norway which leaves them needing to win their final two Group Nine games if they are to have any hope of a play-off spot.

The nightmare at the Ullevaal Stadium began for Burley began when defender Gary Caldwell was sent off after picking up two yellow cards within a minute in the first half, the second of which allowed John Arne Riise to fire in the opener from the resultant free-kick.

A double from Morten Gamst Pedersen and a strike by Erik Huseklepp dropped a beleaguered Scotland side to third on goal difference and with just games against second-placed Macedonia and group winners Holland remaining to add to their seven points.

Burley, who dismissed the suggestions the result had put him under pressure, said: “We have two games to put it right so it’s still there for us.

“I’m not going to throw the towel in. It was a disastrous result to lose by four when we were looking to cement our position in second place but we will be in there fighting.

“We thought we needed two wins before tonight and it’s still in our own hands. Norway would like to be in our position just now. I have no doubts that we can beat Macedonia at home.

“Holland was always going to be difficult but they have qualified so I believe we have the players who can win both games.”

Burley insists that on the night fate conspired against his players, who looked a sorry lot as they trooped off at the end of the game.

He said: “Of course we are really gutted about the result but there were certain circumstances and that is not an excuse. All our problems started with the sending off and then it went from bad to worse.

“Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong, in terms as injuries and decisions. Before the sending off, I thought we more than held our own, we had three half chances and were slightly on top.

“The sending off was harsh and if the referee had realised he had already booked him before, he wouldn’t have sent him off.

“Then they scored right away and it was a wicked deflection off Scott Brown for the first goal. Steven Caldwell was complaining about his groin at half time and we had to then bring him off.

“We moved Alan Hutton in to the middle and then Christophe Berra, who had come on, picked up a hamstring injury and Steven Whittaker came on, so we had five different defences.

“It was a horrible result but it is gone now. You can’t say it was a disaster because we still have a chance. We have two games left and have to win them and if we do then we will finish second and get in the play-offs.”

Norway interim boss Egil Olsen believed his side were always going to win their first Group Nine game after they had taken the lead.

He said: “I wasn’t very happy about the sending off; it was probably not deserved and I feared that it would then be harder to score against them.

“But Scotland didn’t take any risks and when we got the first goal I sensed that there would be many more because I knew they would have to re-organise and that would give us space and we were good at exploiting 11 men against 10.”

NORWAY: Knudsen, Hogli, Waehler, Hangeland, John Arne Riise, Bjorn Helge Riise (Skjelbred 84), Grindheim, Pedersen, Hoseth, Carew (Helstad 84), Huseklepp (Iversen 76).

SCOTLAND: Marshall, Hutton, Davidson, Steven Caldwell (McFadden 48), Gary Caldwell, Graham Alexander, Darren Fletcher, Commons, Brown, Miller, McCormack (Berra 37), Berra (Whittaker 78).

Referee: Alain Hamar.