Scotland may have been on the end of a confidence-shattering defeat by Germany on Friday, but Kieran Tierney insists it needn't be fatal for the nation's qualification hopes at Euro 2024.

Steve Clarke's men were pulled asunder throughout 90 shocking minutes by the rampant hosts who looked threatening every time they got the ball.

It's no surprise that the Germans are a better side than Scotland, especially on their home soil, but expectations were rightly set higher than failure to register a single shot on goal. That Scotland hit the net through a deflection was a minor miracle, a situation reflected by their expected goal stat of 0.01 which means that mathematically, Scotland would be expected to score once if the game was played 100 times based on the patterns of the match.

And yet, Tierney isn't in the mood to adopt a surrender mentality. The Arsenal defender still feels his side can be history makers as the first from our nation to reach the knock-out stage of a major championship.

Asked if the team can register the four points they now likely need, he said: “Yes. I think so. We need to believe. We’ve had some big results in the past against teams who have done very well in the Euros before. We go here for a reason as well. So, there’s no reason why we can’t go on and do it. 

"I think it’s normal when you get beat by the score we lost by on Friday that it feels like a sore one for any team on any stage. But we can still come back from this, for sure. If anything, it can make you hungrier to go out there and so it."

Part of the problem will be less the score and more the nature of the performance. While everyone accepts the quality deficit that exists between the teams, it was the failure of Scotland to get close to their opponents and match them physically that left observers stunned. While Toni Kroos is a player of the very highest quality under any criteria, with six Champions League trophies in his glittering career, he was able to make 99 per cent of his passes unhindered. Of all the statistics to come out from the match, that one surely sticks out as emblematic of the problem. Tierney's head isn't in the sand though, he knows it simply wasn't good enough.

"We’re devastated," he admitted. "We never did ourselves justice. Now we have to pick everyone up. We knew we were never going to qualify from the first game. These next two games are going to be hugely important. We know what we need to do. It’s very clear what we need to do. We’ll be focused on doing it. They started a lot better than us, for sure. When you go one and then two down inside the first 20 minutes, it’s going to be tough to come back from that. 

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"It was a tough night. Now it’s a case of focusing on what’s next and what can still be done. Germany are a word class side to be fair. They’ve got strength in every position. Even the subs they were bringing on were world class. But the next two teams are good ones as well. It’s about us and what we do and what we can do better. That’s what we’ll be focusing on." 

Some might wonder if the titanic nature of the occasion spooked the squad. With reports well over 100,000 fans followed them to Germany and scenes of wild celebration in Munich prior to the match, it's natural to wonder if the pressure of living up to such visible passion might have taken its toll. 

Tierney said: "The message to the fans is thank-you for what they’ve done and what they’ve given us for the last however many years. It’s been amazing. They were with us all the way on Friday. It was amazing walking out. I got goosebumps when I heard them singing for us. We owe them a performance over the next two games and give back what they’ve given to us.

"It’s hard to say if the occasion played a part in the performance. We knew we’d be involved in the opening game for a long time, so we prepared for it. It might have but I think the boys gave everything in training and prepared so well. Everything we did had 100 per cent focus on it. They are just a world class team. That can happen."

He's not wrong. There's solid logic in the straightforward argument that the Germans are streets ahead in talent, had home backing, turned up on the day and Switzerland and Hungary will be a different story.

It will be up to the experienced players in the dressing room to underline this narrative and stress that nothing is done yet. With players from clubs like Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool on the pitch, there is elite quality there for Steve Clarke to harness. 

"The most important thing is that nothing is done yet," Tierney said. "These two games are massive. We know what we need to do and we’ve got the quality to do it. It’s just about going out on the pitch and showing it. There’s no doubt we have the characters to ensure this doesn’t linger. Everyone in there has had ups and downs in their careers. It’s about how you bounce back. We have a lot of leaders in there, people who have been through a lot. For sure, we’ll ice everyone up. We’ve got each other’s back and we’ll be ready for the next game."