Brown and Fletcher sign up to Scotland’s new era

In a perfect world, Gordon Strachan would have been at Hampden yesterday, reeling off a familiar list of names prior to an eagerly-awaited World Cup play-off.

As the Scottish Football Association can attest, little works out as planned. A new era got off to a false start yesterday when the SFA’S official Twitter feed omitted Scott Brown’s name from Malky Mackay’s first squad and referred to Aberdeen midfielder Graeme Shinnie as “Andrew”, his brother who is at Luton Town.

Brown is very much in the squad – for now anyway. The 32-year-old Celtic skipper has signed up for the trip to Aberdeen, where Scotland will play Dick Advocaat’s Netherlands, their fellow World Cup outcasts.

Mackay has been handed the reins on a one-game basis but has sought to leave his own imprint. He has included eight uncapped players, including Jason Cummings, Ryan Christie and Paul Hanlon. This number might have been greater had the Under-21s not been playing two qualifiers against Latvia and Ukraine next week.

As performance director, Mackay is especially alert to the needs of Scot Gemmill, the Under-21 coach. Otherwise promising centre-halves John Souttar, Scott Mckenna and Ross Mccrorie could also have been promoted to the full squad.

However, Mackay is also aware of the need to be ultra-competitive. Next Thursday’s assignment offers the chance to complete a calendar year unbeaten. While Mackay didn’t say so himself, it also represents a very public interview for the permanent post of manager. It wouldn’t be helpful for the interim manager’s credibility to be on the end of a comprehensive defeat.

“I’m not taking this lightly,” said Mackay. “I absolutely know what I’ve taken on. When I was asked to take it, I knew it wasn’t Luxembourg we were taking on. I do understand that, when you step out there, you are putting your head above the parapet against a top nation.

“I get what we’re doing here, honestly,” he added. “Seven or eight of that squad are still stalwarts who have played a lot of football between them. ‘Friendly’ is just a word at the topofthepage.everyone from myself to the backroom staff and the team will want to beat Holland.”

But it is impossible not to detect a sense of ennui. Some regulars asked not to be considered, still scunnered, among other things, by the manner in which Scotland’s bid to reach Russia ended earlier this month.

“I’ve managed to get round all of them,” said Mackay. “There’s a few that I’ve spoken to who asked for a break but no-one said they’d like to retire. A few have domestic reasons and I understand that. I’ve got around as many as I can and there’s a respect needed in terms of that.” Surprisingly, two who had been expected to bow out have not done so. Brown and Darren Fletcher will join up with the squad in Edinburgh on Sunday.

“I’m not sure if Scott Brown or Darren Fletcher make themselves available for their country there would be too many people who wouldn’t want them there,” noted Mackay.

The crucial detail is they declared themselves available. Mackay made a point of contacting them both. Only the latter he knows well – Fletcher played when Mackay won the first of his five Scotland caps against Denmark in 2004.

“We had a good conversation on the phone,” he said, with reference to Fletcher. “He’s someone I know well but we had a specific conversation about this game, about coming

MALKY MACKAY back and being involved again, which he is absolutely willing to do.

“Beyond that, a bit like Scott, it’s purely up to him. He will have a look probably at the end of the season at what he’s going to do. But that’s not something we discussed.”

Many expected Brown to announce his international retirement once again following the departure of Strachan, his mentor. But Mackay got the answer he was looking for during an hour’s conversation on the phone. “I spoke to Brendan [Rodgers] first, so Scott knew I was calling,” he said. “We discussed the squad and where he was himself.” Regarding Brown’s plans in the long term, Mackay stressed the next campaign does not start until September, so the midfielder has the luxury of time in which to ponder his international future.

Alongwithbrown,mackaywassaddened to see Strachan leave. “It wasn’t a good day for a lot of the staff,” he said. “I can’t say I was happy about it

“When I was asked, I knew it wasn’t Luxembourg we were playing. I know that, when you step out there, you are putting your head above the parapet against a top nation”