7 ISSUES MANAGER NEEDS TO TACKLE
1 — ESTABLISH WHO IS STAYING ON
THE end of any campaign is always a time for reflection for the 30-plus contingent. Celtic skipper Scott Brown (right) appeared unsure of his own mind last week, while West Brom’s Darren Fletcher has spent far too much of recent matches on the bench to be satisfied. Confirmation that Strachan is staying on might edge both towards continuing but each has to make up their own mind.
2 — WHO IS NOW READY TO MAKE THE STEP UP?
RICKY SBRAGIA’S Under-21s have taken just one point from their last two matches and no one is currently battering down the door to full international recognition. That said, a lot can happen in a year. Strachan will hope Ryan Christie, Ryan Gauld, Sam Nicholson and John McGinn in particular continue developing before the road to Russia begins.
3 - THE BACKROOM STAFF
AT THE outset of the Euro 2016 campaign, Mark McGhee, Strachan’s No 2, was without a club while Stuart McCall, his first-team coach, was manager of Motherwell. That situation has now been reversed, so it could mean a job swap. Might McCall now be asked to step up his workload and scour the country for players the way McGhee used to?
4 — SEEK MORE HIDDEN GEMS
TWO of the main pluses from Strachan’s time in charge have been the emergences of Ikechi Anya and Matt Ritchie. Despite being born in Scotland, Anya had other international possibilities while Gosportborn Ritchie was eligible for England. Uncovering further talents through good old-fashioned homework — using the grandparent rule if need be — would be most welcome.
5 — SET ABOUT TOUGHENING UP THE GLASS JAW
RUSSELL MARTIN is an accomplished defender for Norwich. Grant Hanley is among Blackburn’s better defenders. Strachan has clearly decided to hang his hat on the pair for the international scene but there’s just no glossing over the fact it’s the most vulnerable part of the team. A solution simply has to be found to strengthen this area over the next 11 months.
6 — START PLANNING
ENGLAND, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta will doubtless change their personnel greatly over the coming year but that’s not to say the scouting can’t start now. England and Slovakia will be in France while Slovenia will hope to join them via the play-offs. We should know our World Cup opponents inside out by the time hostilities begin.
7 — TEE UP MATCHES WITH WORTHWHILE OPPONENTS
THERE is absolutely nothing to be gained from taking a hurried friendly next month and probably little to be gained by scheduling one for the end of the domestic season. It’s imperative that arrangements are made with nations who will provide worthwhile run-outs before we travel to Malta in early September.