It is evident that the international team is improving while their record is deteriorating.
What do we think of this football team from Scotland? Play badly; for example, they lose badly to Germany in the summer. They lose despite playing well, as they have for extended periods of their League A (mis)adventures in the Nations League.
It’s a bad habit to develop. Which leads us to still another query: what do we think of Steve Clarke, the manager overseeing this peculiar and unheard-of period in the Scottish national football team’s history? It is he who bears the responsibility. He is the one who has stated that he doesn’t care about numbers, which is fortunate for him because, on the surface, they don’t make for particularly interesting reading right now.
More than ever, being a supporter of Scotland is an odd existence. Scotland isn’t winning, therefore it’s definitely not about singing while you’re winning. They haven’t won anywhere since a trite 2-0 victory over Gibraltar in the Algarve in May, so forget about the Balkans, where Clarke’s team suffered their most recent valiant loss, this time against Croatia. And even that win-win victory prevented another seven-game losing streak.
Even though the current run is growing longer and the challenges aren’t getting any easier with Portugal waiting at Hampden on Tuesday night, Clarke’s team has managed to find some sort of equilibrium, which makes it extremely difficult to reflect on where Scotland is right now.
If current results are any indication, the 4-2-3-1 formation that was implemented after Euros seems to be working. The system appears to be sound despite all the personnel changes, and any judgement must take into account Scotland’s terrible injury situation.
It’s unclear what will happen when Kieran Tierney returns, and Clarke will be hoping that it’s still his issue to deal with. But right now, Scotland has a base to work from thanks to four at the back, Billy Gilmour, who was outstanding on Saturday, and Kenny McLean, who is getting a fresh lease on life and is getting close to earning his 50th cap.
There will be no television coverage of Clarke’s silent revolution in Scotland. As of right now, the Portugal match will only be streamed on YouTube, much like the Croatia match. It’s unfortunate for Clarke since these signs of recovery, maybe best exemplified by the quick 18-year-old Ben Doak’s impressive full debut, may give him some leeway during this “horrible” time, as the manager puts it.
It’s difficult for him to convince others that it could be time for him to leave, if it’s not already too late, if not everyone is watching. It makes sense that these detractors will cite results and argue that it cannot continue. Reading the comments beneath different posts on the SFA’s Scotland national team feed on X is all that is required. One logical statement from the SFA after the 2-1 loss in Zagreb was, “Tonight wasn’t ours but we look ahead to Tuesday,” but the reactions were unsurprisingly mixed. One of the kinder remarks was, “It hasn’t been our night in about two years now, when is it coming?” Many others chose to use only two words: Out, Clarke.
That won’t happen before the year is up, and it most likely won’t happen as long as Scotland has any chance of qualifying for the World Cup. Regarding looking to the future, goalie Craig Gordon’s international career is an interesting matter to think about at the other end of the spectrum from Doak. Having performed flawlessly on Saturday, the 41-year-old has made a strong case to be regarded as Scotland’s first choice number one.
He had no chance with the goals and made some nice saves; the second, eventually crucial goal came off the rebound following one of his good saves. Scotland’s fortunes must quickly turn around, as Clarke emphasised afterwards.
Maybe it will be on Tuesday, when Gordon will earn his 77th cap, moving him up to the level of Alex McLeish and above Paul McStay. Then, who knows? He will be aiming for Darren Fletcher’s 80 caps, and possibly even Jim Leighton’s 91. Gordon will give Clarke a choice if he performs well this week, but Angus Gunn should be healthy by the time of the upcoming doubleheader against Croatia and Poland. In what was the Rangers defender’s first international start in more than two years, the manager pointed out that Gordon, Doak, and John Souttar had taken full advantage of their opportunity against Croatia.
“Craig stepped up,” he stated instead. “Craig, it was typical. Dependable and trustworthy, as you claim. He did a good job playing. John Souttar did a fantastic job. It was pleasant to observe.
“I talked about it last night. It’s wonderful to see these lads, Craig, John, and Ben (Doak), seize opportunities when they present themselves.
Before deciding whether to start Doak again on Tuesday, Clarke and his coaches will evaluate his response to playing 76 minutes against Croatia with advice from the medical staff. He should undoubtedly do so if he is capable of doing so, even though Ryan Gauld, who replaced the adolescent, claimed to be in the starting lineup with his energetic cameo. Scotland will be hoping for a break against Ronaldo and company, regardless of who plays. They are deserving.
As of right moment, everyone praises Clarke’s unending miracles. Should this trend continue to deteriorate, there will surely be an hour of reckoning. That doesn’t seem imminent yet, though, given everything and the fact that Hampden is nearly sold out for Portugal’s visit.
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