This is about reaching finals, not my reputation – Mcleish
● Scots manager unfazed by poor start to reign
Alex Mcleish has shelved any concerns about the short-term damage to his own reputation as Scotland manager in the effort to get the nation to the finals of a major tournament again.
The 1-0 defeat to Mexico in Estadio Azteca in the early hours of Sunday morning was Mcleish’s third loss in four games since returning as manager for a second spell. Scotland have scored only once in this time and returned from the Americas with another two defeats after starting their controversial summer tour with a 2-0 loss against Peru in Lima. A demanding-looking friendly against Belgium now lies on the horizon before competitive games resume against Israel and Albania in the Nations League. Scotland also play Portugal in a friendly in October.
According to Mcleish personal vanity cannot come into it as he contemplates the fall-out out from a tour that was written off as a worthless exercise by many.
“No doubt there will be some people still not happy,” said Mcleish. “I don’t like defeats. It would be great if we took something out of one of the games.
“We could have taken something out of both games. But, in saying that, I am not worried about myself having a great game record, it is about getting this county to a major finals.”
Mcleish’s first spell as manager saw him lose only three times in total in ten games. His record of seven victories in that period, including against France in the Parc des Princes, meant he had the best win ratio of any other Scotland manager.
Mcleish remains adamant the tour has been instructive and stressed every player has enhanced their reputation in his eyes. Multiple call-offs bedevilled his preparations after he had already struck an agreement with Celtic not to include the majority of their Scotland international players in the squad. Stuart Armstrong and Lewis Morgan were the only Parkhead players named in the original squad and Armstrong withdrew soon after the Scottish Cup final due to injury, as did five others.
Mcleish, who blooded nine debutants in total and used every player in the 21-man squad, defended the tour and said he would return to South America again. It is the first time Scotland have played on the continent since the World Cup finals in 1978.
“If we were going to a World Cup and maybe it was being played in, say, the US – and they are bidding with Canada and Mexico for 2026 – then we would have to think about coming and playing a couple of games in South America, with the heat and getting used to altitude.
“By and large you would maybe prepare more at home. But I got nothing but positivity from this group of players.”
Alex Mcleish has confirmed Scotland stalwarts such as Darren Fletcher, James Morrison and James Mcarthur still have a part to play at international level but is planning to remain loyal to those he feels have enhanced their reputation on Scotland’s summer tour.
The controversial trip drew to an end fixture-wise in Estadio Azteca in the early hours of Sunday morning when an inexperienced Scotland team stood up to the stiff challenge of facing Mexico in their own fortress.
Mcleish could not conceal his pride in his makeshift side managing to restrict Mexico to just one goal in the 1-0 defeat.
“It was amazing for them to come to the Azteca and stand up to it,” said Mcleish. “Those who have never played at this level can’t have any idea what it’s like. That is a big, big credit to these guys to come into this pitch and stand tall and proud and do their careers no harm at all.”
So often such tours as these after long, hard seasons have been breeding grounds for misbehaviour, often alcohol-related. The tricky conditions, certainly in Mexico City where high altitude was combined with a fuggy heat, demanded a high level of professionalism.
“The way some of them lasted the 90 minutes was testimony to the preparation,” he said, with reference to the Azteca outing, where Scotland endured some fraught moments. “The sports science team were fantastic and if the players can keep going in that direction with their straitlaced professionalism then who knows what they can do?”
Scott Mckenna, the 21-yearold Aberdeen defender, was only told on the morning of the match he was being named captain, despite his own skipper at Pittodrie, Graeme Shinnie, starting alongside him at left-back.
“He (Mckenna) was burst at the end,” said Mcleish. “I was kicking every ball with the guys. I was shouting, trying to shout across the park, which was impossible in a stadium like this.
“I saw Scott’s face and he looked at me, and I was praying that there wouldn’t be another player trying a wee one-two against him or someone getting in behind him because he was out on his feet. He gave so much.”
Mckenna was one of only two players – Kilmarnock full-back Stephen O’donnell was the other – who played every minute of the tour. Mcleish stayed true to his promise to give everyone in the 21-man travelling party some playing time. He blooded nine debutants in total, including seven in the opening 2-0 defeat to Peru in Lima. He has now used 32 players in his first four games since returning for a second spell as manager. The likes of Fletcher, Morrison and Mcarthur have still to play for him. Mcleish is writing no-one off as thoughts turn to the resumption of competitive fixtures in the Autumn but he says he has been given plenty to ponder on the long flight home.
“I wouldn’t say that they have no chance of playing,” he said, with reference to those older, more established players who have been conspicuous by their absence from his plans to date.
“I have been in dialogue with Mcarthur over the last four months or so. Mcarthur is an integral part of the Scottish national team, he’s a great player, a Premier League player and he is playing at the top level.
“At Crystal Palace at the end of the season Mcarthur was instrumental. But we had an agreement that he was playing with some pain and he wanted to get through that. Mcarthur is very big in my thoughts. Fletch, Morrison…i am not ruling anybody out. I told Fletch that.”
It isn’t only those who impressed Mcleish on and off the pitch on the tour who will be entering his thoughts for the games to come against Albania and Israel in the Nations League. He has also been keeping tabs on the Scotland Under-21s’ progression at the Toulon tournament. He mentioned Everton teenager Fraser Hornby, who many are hoping can be the potential answer to Scotland’s long-standing striker problems – they mustered just two shots on target v Peru and Mexico.
Mcleish also praised 16-yearold Billy Gilmour and Oliver Burke, who scored the Under21s’ goals in Saturday’s 2-1 win over South Korea. The manager watched the game in his hotel before travelling the short distance – in Mexico City terms at least – to Estadio Azteca.
It’sstillfartooearlyforgilmour but Mcleish will come under inevitable pressure to turn to Burke. The manager sounded cautious. “He did well, great goal, I saw it. Cracking. There’s other aspects to the game and I think Oli kind of lost his way a wee bit. But that performance in Toulon is going to enhance the big fella’s confidence. Of course, we would love pace like that as part of the Scotland project. But there are other things other than pace. We will see if he has improved on these things.”
This “Scotland project” remains very much a work in progress. It’s not quite revolution but neither is it evolution. Mcleish is being forced to change things quicker than even he would have preferred.
He expressed the hope before departure that “a couple of gems” might emerge from the trip. It’s still far too early to make any pronouncements about the international prospects of the likes of Lewis Morgan, Stephen O’donnell and Chris Cadden, but they can reflect on worthwhile tours. Morgan, in particular, looks bright.
Hibs full-back Lewis Stevenson and Shinnie were another two singled out by Mcleish. But he stressed all had left the tour having burnished their reputations in his eyes.
“Therewerenonegativeendorphins or whatever you want to call it,” said Mcleish. “The players were very professional and they played a couple of good games, guys who may not previously have been on the radar to play for the national team. Every last one of them has enhanced their reputation I feel.”