WE WILL NEED COMPOSURE
score just once in three matches against the Czechs, England and Croatia and, hot on the heels of a 2-0 defeat in Denmark last week, the manager admits his star men could be struggling with the pressure of taking big chances at crucial moments.
But he has called on them to rediscover their composure tonight in Vienna as a place in Qatar 2022 goes on the line against the second seeds.
Asked if he has been implementing any specialist finishing drills in training ahead of the crunch showdown, Clarke said: “You work on it. But obviously shooting in training is different from shooting in games.
“Getting a chance in the game, with the pressure of the situation when it’s 0-0, probably makes you tighten up.
“If you’re winning the game 3-0 you probably relax and stroke the ball into the bottom corner.
“But you’re also asking the wrong guy! I was rubbish at finishing. I had 421 games for Chelsea and only scored 10 goals. That works out at one goal every 42.1 games. It’s not a great ratio!
“Listen, for the players it’s just something that probably comes with the pressure of the games. We have to learn how to handle that pressure a little bit better and stay relaxed on the last touch.
“That’s all it is. Just stay relaxed. We’ll try to be calm. But when the games are tight and it’s 1-0 last home it’s more difficult.
“If we’d got a second goal against Moldova we’d have ended up getting three. We’d have been more relaxed and not so tight.
“It’s probably more in the mind than actually in the technique.”
Scotland’s boss had been braced for a mustwin match tonight until the Austrians went down to a 5-2 thrashing in Israel on Saturday night, a result which he now feels has changed the picture considerably.
He added: “The result the other night in Israel has probably changed the dynamic of the group again.
“It was always going to be an important game for us because Austria are the second seeds and we drew at home with them. It was always an important match in the group.
“No matter what the result is against Austria, when we play Israel that will be an important game in the group.
“If you get three points in that one then going away to the Faroes and Moldova are important games in the group. Every game is important now.”
Asked if one point might be enough, Clarke said: “I don’t know. I don’t know in the context of the group or of the game. Maybe we’ll play fantastic and draw and we’re disappointed. Or maybe we don’t play so well and nick a draw and we’re happy.”
Clarke, though, was hit with another three late withdrawals yesterday when Nathan Patterson, Ryan Fraser and Kenny McLean all pulled out through injury. The manager drafted in Hibs right-back Paul McGinn as emergency back-up.
It’s believed Celtic’s Anthony Ralston has been rendered unavailable for selection on medical grounds and Sheffield Wednesday’s Liam Palmer – who was axed from Clarke’s squad for the Euros – turned down an SOS for family reasons.