ON a night in which the position of goalkeeper really did look like the loneliest one of all, words of consolation for Cieran Slicker echoed loud and clear across Hampden Park from the opposite dressing room.
Iceland No 1 Elias Rafn Olafsson knows what it is like to be castigated for an absolute howler.
In a Europa League group fixture away to Steaua Bucharest with his Danish club side FC Midtyjlland in November, he took a pass from kick-off at the start of the second half 35 yards from goal, whacked an attempted ball forward off opposing forward Daniel Birligea and watched it loop right back over his head towards goal.
Birligea won the race to nod it in. Steaua won 2-0.
Olafsson’s rush of blood to the head went viral. It takes a strong constitution to shake that off and a heart of stone not to see another keeper going through similar agonies and not feel the urge to show some empathy.
Olafsson did that on Friday night all right.
Slicker and Clarke embrace before the dream turned into a nightmare for the young keeper
Slicker is dejected after conceding three avoidable goals at home to Iceland
Scotland team-mates try to rally round the inexperienced goalkeeper at full-time
However, he’s not the guy picking the Scotland team for a friendly against Liechtenstein tomorrow evening.
And the guy who is, Steve Clarke, didn’t exactly offer resounding words of confidence in Slicker’s readiness to be thrown back between the sticks in the wake of an absolute nightmare of a Scotland debut in which he was to blame for all three goals in Iceland’s 3-1 win. Clarke did explain he will talk to Slicker back at base camp. He did not rule out the idea of him playing in Vaduz.
After all, Robby McCrorie was hurt in the warm-up at Hampden, leaving the Ipswich Town keeper as the only remaining option when Angus Gunn went down injured early on.
But his comments on Slicker, who had nine minutes of football all season behind him and has never played in an adult league game, not being ‘quite ready for it’ stood out and made you wonder why he was part of the squad at all.
‘This was probably an opportunity that came a little bit too early for Cieran, but we’ll be there to support him and help him,’ said the national coach.
Clarke has been hunting around for another keeper who hasn’t disappeared on holiday and looks like he has settled on Ross Doohan.
There certainly weren’t many outstanding candidates.
Scott Bain left Celtic for Falkirk after a spell as third-choice, but he has made only three appearances in two campaigns and didn’t play at all last season.
Doohan filled in for Aberdeen when Dimitar Mitov was injured, but his ambition has extended to little more than going back to former club Celtic to be the next Scott Bain.
Former Rangers keeper Jon McLaughlin played only once for Swansea after going there last summer. Jon McCracken lost his place at Dundee. Zander Clark, Liam Kelly and Craig Gordon are all injured.
Part of the problem is that Slicker’s body language on Friday night was not good. He looked haunted from the moment Iceland’s first goal went in.
And if he is to convince Clarke he deserves a chance at wiping the slate clean, this is where Olafsson is unyielding.
Slicker has to look the Scotland boss in the eyes and make it evident to him that he has the character to bounce back — because getting back out there on the field and showing what he can really do will be the best way to put Friday’s calamities to bed.
‘Playing again as soon as possible is 100 per cent the best thing, in my opinion,’ said 25-year-old Olafsson, who earned just his seventh full cap at Hampden.
‘To come into the game and know you’re going to play. It’s just about going to the hotel, then forgetting about (Friday) and moving on.
‘I had one of those in that Europa League game. It was a pretty big mistake from kick-off, but that’s how it is.
Ross Doohan spent last season as Dons No 2 (right) and will be drafted into the Scotland squad
‘To get over it, you just have to be honest and forget about it. It’s a mistake by you. But it’s a part of the game.
‘When we make mistakes, it’s very obvious — it leads to a goal. That’s why it is a different position to the outfield players.
‘Goalkeeper is definitely the loneliest position in the team.
People see the mistakes. That’s how it is. You have to be strong mentally for that. I feel empathy with him (Slicker).
‘It’s always tough, especially when you come into the game cold off the bench. When you come in and make some mistakes, it’s hard to get back into the game.
‘I feel it’s hard making any debut, coming in when you don’t expect to come in as a goalkeeper off the bench.
‘International football is a different game as well. It’s a little bit like European football.
‘If you make mistakes, you get hit in the face. It’s a different kind of football from the club level.’
Slicker fails to keep out Iceland’s third goal in the dispiriting 3-1 defeat to Iceland at Hampden
It’s a tough one for Clarke. He needs to see in his weekend discussions that Slicker has been capable of putting that night from hell behind him.
Let’s face it, the fellow is in the wrong game if he hasn’t. There’s also the prospect of further damage at an early stage in his career if he fouls up again.
However, it is Liechtenstein. It’s a game Scotland should dominate. It’s a chance for the bloke to get back on the bike, be part of a winning team and do a bit of damage limitation.
Bournemouth’s Callan McKenna, at 18, is too young to play and Doohan is surely so far down the pecking order that he is unlikely to have any realistic hope of an international future.
If Clarke and his coaching staff really do believe Slicker can develop into someone of worth for the longer-term future — and see the right signs in him over the next 24 hours — maybe thinking the unthinkable and throwing him in again could be the biggest show of support of all.
