JOHN’S MY GO TO GUY.. HE’LL GO ANYWHERE FOR US
Scotland gaffer Clarke salutes talisman McGinn for his versatile role
If the pubs were open it would be a lively debate among Scotland supporters over a few pints.
Where is John McGinn’s best position for the national team?
With eight goals in 30 games for his country, it seems obvious to some punters that he should be deployed in an advanced midfield role.
But McGinn’s gaffer at Aston Villa, Dean Smith, has used him more as a deep-lying sitter in the Premier League this term.
And against Austria in Scotland’s opening World Cup qualifier, Steve Clarke did likewise. It was only late in the game, when McGinn was pushed further up the pitch, that he scored a brilliant overhead kick to earn the Scots a 2-2 draw. So where does he start in Israel tonight? The debate could rage all day amongst the Tartan Army.
But Clarke reckons we should just enjoy McGinn for what he is. An all-action, box-tobox midfielder who’d probably play in goals for his country if asked. The 26-year-old is fast becoming a national hero. And his manager says he can operate anywhere on the pitch, such is his quality. Clarke said: “It’s too easy just to say John should play further forward because he scored the other night. His performance when he was playing deeper was also good, for the team. He gives you that solidity ini midfield.
“He’s been playing deeper for most of this season with Aston Villa. They’ve changed their formation a little and John’s dropped back into central midfield. “We have players, like Stuart Armstrong, who give us something different in that position further forward. “Those are good choices for a head coach to have to make.
“What makes John so special? Maybe it’s the way we set up, the way we play. He gets licence to go forward even from that deeper midfield position. “We don’t put the reins on John. He’s an attacking midfielder and hash an eye for goal.
“He’s already scored eight times for his country, with 30 caps. He’s still relatively young so can look forward to a few more goals.
“Hopefully he’ll get at least one more on Sunday. I don’t do social mediam but our guys at the SFA keep me up to date and there seems to be a decent level of positivity around the national team just now.
“John’s part of that. All we can do is keep producing performances. They showed the other night how committed they are to the country. They showed last November they refused to be beaten in the play-offs to qualify for the Euros.
“So they’ve shown their commitment as a squad of players and we have to keep that going.”
McGinn’s wonder goal secured a deserved point in midweek after Clarke’s team had started nervously against the Austrians.
It was as if the players took a while to realise they were good enough to compete.
When they started to play, with Premier League stars McGinn, Scott McTominay, Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney leading the way, Scotland looked a threat.
Having a lack of belief against teams like Austria is understandable after years of failure.
But after qualifying for the Euros, as well as the pool of talent we now have at our disposal, Clarke says they DO have the confidence to go to somewhere like Israel and win.
He said: “I like to think we have that belief. We speak about it, we’re working to get more international experience into the squad.
“Some of them are now approaching 20-odd to 30 caps. Robbo now has 40-odd.
“We’re starting to build up good experience so that when we go to these places we should know what to expect.
“We certainly know what to expect from the Israelis. We know the task in hand. Israel gets talked down a lot because they’re a pot four team. But they’re a good team, we know that.
“There’s not a lot between us but this time we have to make sure the small margins come down on our side.”
So after playing each other so often – this will be our fourth meeting since September – does the manager have anything up his sleeve to get us the result we need?
In November, after qualifying for the Euros, we lost 1- 0 to a Manor Solomon strike.
Clarke said: “It’s not about trying to surprise them. They’ll be able to second guess what we’re going to do in the same way we’ll second guess them. It’s about those small margins. All the games so far have been tight.
“The margins went against us last time – we conceded the goal when we were well on top in the game. After a couple of scares in the second half we put them under a lot of pressure.
“But we became a little bit frantic. You have to learn as a squad to stay calm, like we did against Austria on Thursday, and find a way back into the game if it’s going against you.”
Around 5000 home fans will be in the Bloomfield Stadium tonight and Clarke hopes that will benefit his side.
He added: “It will be nice that there will be a crowd in so there will be an atmosphere.
“That might give us a little boost as well because the players have been playing in empty stadiums. Having that atmosphere might work in our favour.”