Watt comes in for Griffiths as four withdraw
Strachan forced to tweak Scots squad ahead of Malta
NO-ONE said it would be easy. But last night even Gordon Strachan would have struggled to be at his philosophical best when the lights went out on a few of his bright ideas ahead of the opening 2018 World Cup group qualifier against Malta.
Strachan, attempting to be the first Scotland coach since Craig Brown, nearly two decades ago, to steer his nation to the finals of a major tournament, found himself making unwanted tweaks to his squad after four players – midfielders James McArthur of Crystal Palace and Fulham’s Kevin McDonald, along with the Celtic duo of Kieran Tierney and Leigh Griffiths – withdrew from the game at the Ta’Qali Stadium.
Rangers captain Lee Wallace received an invite to meet up with Strachan’s happy band, a direct swap for his Old Firm counterpart Tierney. Meanwhile striker Tony Watt, on loan at Hearts from Charlton Athletic, was also given the chance to join the travelling party, as deputy for the man who may finally have been given the chance to lead the attack for Scotland.
Griffiths, by popular opinion, had more than earned his chance to be the number one No.9 for Scotland on the George Cross island with his often free-scoring exploits for Celtic. However, a hamstring injury, that first flared up during the home leg of the Champions League qualifier against Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and restricted him to an hour against Aberdeen and 55 minutes in Israel, has finally beaten him.
In his own words, Griffiths wasn’t wanting “to let anybody down” against the Maltese. The chances are he would have kept that promise, if fit, or more the case, if chosen.
Strachan rarely – better make that never – bows to public pressure. Steven Fletcher has been Strachan’s go-to man, the single prong in the manager’s 4-2-3-1 default formation.
His record is decent by recent standards, albeit with the bar set extremely low. Eight goals in 28 starts, a goal every three-and-a-bit games. However, a wee asterisk should accompany Fletcher’s interthan Griffiths has managed to bag so far for Scotland; his next goal would be his first, though nil in seven owes much to his brief and sporadic introductions by his national team boss.
Many were thinking the roaring start the Celtic frontman had made to the season, with seven goals so far including one at the weekend against Aberdeen, might just have pushed him centre stage in Malta for Scotland.
And Strachan should show an element of disappointment when he meets the media as Scotland begin their build-up to Sunday’s opener. Griffiths has to, surely, have been in his plans. But then we are second guessing.
Fletcher now looks a stick-on to start against the world’s 176thranked team, as the replacement for the crocked Griffiths – who will be trying his utmost to be fit to face Rangers on Saturday week – is Tony Watt.
A former Celtic striker himself, Watt – scorer of that famous goal against Barcelona in 2012 – promoted himself up the order ahead of absentee Ross McCormack (and, actually, you’d struggling to find another) with his last-gasp winner for Hearts against Partick Thistle last weekend.
But call them what you will; hitmen, marksmen, poachers, Scotland don’t have many of note waiting in the wings. Twenty-twoyear-old Watt has just one cap to boast of, against Czech Republic last March. And no, he doesn’t have any international goals either.
The other replacement called in thus far, is Rangers skipper and left-back Lee Wallace. He won the last of his eight caps as a second-half substitute in a goalless friendly draw against USA at Hampden Park in November, three years ago. He was in the squad for the friendlies against Italy and France at the end of last season but withdrew.
His eventual inclusion this time brings the Ibrox compliment up to two, the other being winger Barrie McKay, though the 29-year-old former Hearts defender is unlikely to be a starter, with Hull City’s Andy Robertson likely to be Strachan’s preferred starter.