Tierney the man for all positions as Reid reflects on defence
KIERAN TIERNEY’S presence in the Scotland squad this week for the first time since Steve Clarke was appointed 15 months ago has created a conundrum which the manager’s predecessors both wrestled with; how do you fit him and Andy Robertson into the starting line-up?
Arsenal left-back Tierney has won the FA Cup and Community Shield since the football shutdown was ended in England back in June – his countryman and Liverpool counterpart Robertson has lifted the Premier League.
Both men have to be in Clarke’s XI in the Nations League match against Israel at Hampden on Friday night. But where? Do you play Tierney at right-back and Robertson in his favoured berth like Gordon Strachan? Do you switch to a back three and play the former as a centre-half and the latter as a wing-back like Alex McLeish? Or do you do something different altogether? There is no perfect solution.
Scotland coach Steven Reid – the former Republic of Ireland internationalist who is, like Clarke, well placed to address the selection headache as a one-time full-back himself – was giving nothing away about their intentions after the first training session of the week at Oriam yesterday.
“Obviously Kieran has played numerous positions going back some time now,” he said. “Obviously at Arsenal in more recent times he has been playing in that left-sided centre-back role, left wing-back and has also played right-back some of the time.
“It is just about assessing first and foremost the best team to challenge the weaknesses of the opposition and then go from there. Both are top-class players and playing at top clubs. It was obviously interesting watching them both playing at the weekend at the Shield [Arsenal won on penalties at Wembley].”
But Reid is simply pleased to have both men available despite the dilemma and feels the former Celtic defender will be able to bring his winning mentality to the camp as well as his ability and experience after a summer of success down south.
“It is the first time I have worked with Kieran,” he said. “He has not been involved with a squad since I have been here and it has been great to actually see him out on the grass and see what a winner he is as well.
“Right away you pick up on his work ethic, his attitude to training. He does not like losing any type of little game even in training – that’s the type of attitude you want in and around the squad. That winning mentality. Those two games at Wembley that he’s played in, he’s starting to get the silverware in England as well.”
Reid was delighted to return to the training pitch yesterday for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak back in March. He is now hopeful Scotland can give a nation slowly coming out of lockdown a lift in the coming weeks with some decent performances and good results. Not least in the Euro 2020 play-offs.
“It definitely would lighten the mood,” he said. “If we look back a few months ago this training camp and the big games we have coming up must have seemed like a million miles away. It was probably the last thing on people’s minds.
“Everyone has had their own difficulties and issues this year — not just on a football pitch but with people’s heath. But hopefully we can give everyone a lift. It’s going to be a shame the fans are not allowed in, but we know that the country is going to be behind the players.”