---
title: "Fletcher’s woes continue as he struggles for Scotland"
canonical: "https://readsunderland.com/2015/09/05/fletchers-woes-continue-struggles-scotland/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Chris Sparks"
section: "Articles"
published: "2015-09-05T14:07:33Z"
modified: "2015-09-05T14:07:33Z"
---

# Fletcher’s woes continue as he struggles for Scotland

[Steven Fletcher has been criticised by Neil McCann](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sunderland-afc-news-fletcher-criticised-9996259) for his display in Scotland’s 1-0 defeat to Georgia last night.

Sunderland striker Fletcher played the full 90 minutes for Scotland yesterday and missed their best opportunity in their shock 1-0 defeat, and McCann believes Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths would have been a better option for Gordon Strachan’s side.

Griffiths has a far superior goalscoring record than Fletcher in recent years, scoring 23 goals in his last 35 club outings and Sky Sports pundit McCann, who was capped 26 times for Scotland between 1999 and 2005 believes he should have led the line rather than Sunderland’s Fletcher.

McCann said: “It’s a terrific ball from Andy Robertson, a brilliant ball in.

“If he lets it come across his body on to his right foot, you buy an extra half-yard, an extra half-second that would allow you to get a bit closer and possibly knock it in the net.

“As a left-footer, I’ve got full sympathy because I’d have gone with my left foot there. I know that and you sometimes find left footers will try to get their left foot around anything.

“Would Leigh Griffiths have scored that? This is the argument about him being different from Steven Fletcher.

“At times Fletcher came off the game and there was one time the ball got slid inside the full-back for \[Ikechi\] Anya but Fletcher couldn’t make the ground up.

“I’m not saying Griffiths would have but I think he is quicker and when someone is so compact against you, you need precise little one-twos, a give and go.

“If it goes to Griffiths, I think he’s just got the ability to get a half turn and rocket one. I don’t think Fletcher had that tonight, but lots of things went wrong.”

Fletcher, who has scored just 20 goals for Sunderland since his move from Wolves in 2012 may find himself on the bench for not only his club but now his country. The former Burnley man has struggled for too long now and may find first team football hard to come by this year as he enters his final 12 months of his Sunderland contract.