MO RECALLS WHEN SCOTS WERE SPOILED FOR SCORERS
KENNY DALGLISH, Ally McCoist, Brian McClair, John Robertson, Eric Black, Alan McInally and Maurice Johnston.
Each a proven Scottish goalscorer with one thing in common — their exclusion from the Scotland World Cup squad that travelled to Mexico in 1986.
Johnston scored twice in a 3-1 qualifying win over Spain at Hampden — let that sink in for a second — and failed to make the cut after Alex Ferguson took exception to an off-field incident in Australia where the team had travelled for a play-off tie.
When Dalglish pulled out injured there was much debate over the choice of Steve Archibald as his replacement. Why, after all, should a player operating at a little-known Spanish club named Barcelona walk into the squad?
As he prepares for next weekend’s win-or-bust World Cup qualifier against Slovenia, Gordon Strachan is struggling to identify a forward who is playing regular club football, far less consistently finding the net.
Johnston knows it is invidious to compare the current generation with those at Ferguson’s disposal 31 years ago but acknowledges that if any of the aforementioned names were available they would go straight into the current team.
‘We had so many top strikers in the late 1980s,’ said Johnston. ‘Graeme Sharp, Charlie Nicholas, Paul Sturrock, Frank McAvennie and Steve Archibald all went to Mexico and a few of us were left behind.
‘It’s a hard job for Gordon, not having the strikers the country once did. There is nobody of the calibre of Ally McCoist, Frank, myself, Brian McClair or wee John Robertson at Hearts.’
Curiously, Ferguson was unable to blend an effective pairing from the selected five and Scotland’s solitary goal at the tournament was scored by none other than Strachan himself, his strike from midfield against West Germany providing one of the tournament’s memorable images as he made a show of failing to mount an advertising board in celebration.
At the time, Strachan was operating for Manchester United but the level at which Scotland’s best players operate has dipped significantly. Before facing Slovenia, Scotland will warm up with a friendly against Canada and Strachan has picked five strikers — Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths plus four from the second tier of English football.
Chris Martin and Steven Naismith have been subdued for Fulham and Norwich respectively, while Steven Fletcher is being kept out of the Sheffield Wednesday team by Jordan Rhodes, who has been recalled despite barely featuring across Strachan’s four-year reign.
Griffiths got the nod to start in the previous qualifier against England at Wembley but has been out of the Celtic team this year and the subject of a thinly veiled warning from club manager Brendan Rodgers regarding his fitness. Nevertheless, Johnston (pictured with Dalglish) believes the 26-year-old, yet to score for his country in nine appearances, represents the best available option. ‘Leigh Griffiths is a good player but he is in and out of the Celtic team, so it’s hard for Gordon to keep picking him,’ he said. ‘But we need something different. ‘If it’s a lone striker and we are looking for goals, he is the one who can bang them in if given a chance. ‘This is a must-win game for Scotland. We need three points to get back in touch with Slovenia.’
Griffiths’ Celtic team-mate Scott Brown has had his commitment questioned where Scotland are concerned, retiring at the end of the Euro 2016 campaign only to be talked into returning for Wembley.
Brown is back in the squad for the games against Canada and Slovenia, and Johnston believes he should be an automatic selection.
‘The way I’m seeing Scott Brown preform, he should be playing for Scotland,’ added the 53-year-old.
‘I thought he was different class in the midfield against Rangers last weekend. He bossed the game.
‘He’s a different player under Brendan Rodgers. He’s getting around the field a lot more. He looks a lot fitter.’
l Maurice Johnston was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is a proud sponsor of the Scotland national team.