A TESTING TIME FOR STRACHAN
National boss needs Parkhead contingent for June English exam 2
FOR Gordon Strachan, the joy of six could be short-lived. In need of a pill to breathe life into a flagging World Cup qualifying campaign, Scotland’s manager went for broke and popped half a dozen in one go.
Six Celtic players started a tense, yet much improved 1-0 win over Slovenia. For the effects to last beyond one night of Hampden passion, Strachan must now tiptoe through a club-and-country minefield.
The next Group F game is against England on June 10; ten days before Celtic begin pre-season preparations for Champions League qualifiers which now define a season for the club.
Victory over Slovenia illustrated why Strachan would like to have all six against England.
Stuart Armstrong justified his selection with an assist for the winning goal in a debut described by Strachan as the best he had seen from a Scotland player.
‘I always knew Stuart’s running power was good,’ said the manager, ‘but I didn’t know how strong he had become.
‘It is okay to run, but to be strong and run at the same time, that’s what he’s got. That changed from the position he had out there (on the left), which was only about September time really.
‘It has changed his career. It has definitely helped Celtic and it has helped us.’ The choice of Armstrong’s clubmate Kieran Tierney at rightback was more of a risk. A leftback to trade, the Parkhead prospect recently said he had given little or no thought to playing right-back despite a dearth of candidates for the position in the national team.
‘I had it in my mind for ages,’ revealed Strachan. ‘I didn’t want to change because I knew what they (Slovenia) were like on the physical side and how they would attack through the middle.
‘People were thinking that Kech (Ikechi Anya) did well in midweek (in the friendly against Canada), but I had it in my mind for ages to do that with Kieran.’
Tierney’s adaptability is not just a question of talent. A calm temperament and willing attitude has attracted admiring glances from Arsenal and other leading English clubs. Asked how the 19-year-old reacted to being asked to play a completely new position in a World Cup qualifier, Strachan grinned: ‘He said: “No problem”. The boys have been calling him Danny McGrain for the last two days. Listen, he was just superb.
‘You don’t get many going from left to right, but I didn’t think it should be any different, really.
‘There are loads of the guys who have gone to the other side, but when you have got two players like Kieran and Andy Robertson you have to try to play them both. You have to try to get your best players on the pitch.’
In an ideal world, Tierney, Armstrong, Scott Brown, James Forrest, Leigh Griffiths and Craig Gordon would declare themselves ready and willing to face England.
But Brown has already expressed concerns that playing England would lead to precious little rest before the Champions League games. As a former Parkhead manager, Strachan (left) understands the politics of a club-versus-country tug of war better than most.
‘Listen, we will just get over that just now,’ he parried. ‘I thought Scott was back to his best, as well. We could be here all night talking about good players. No, the guys want to play, that’s the thing. If anybody wants to play, it’s not a problem.’ Celtic could be crowned Premiership champions as early as Friday night but a looming Scottish Cup semi-final with Rangers limits the options for Brendan Rodgers to rest them. But it does increase the chances of Griffiths — kept out the team by Moussa Dembele — getting some games. Crashing two first-half chances off the woodwork, the striker would have buried both with his eyes closed last season.
‘What I would like is for players to get a regular game now,’ added Strachan. ‘A real regular game in the up-front area. I think a Griffiths that’s played 10 games scores those chances, I do. I think he does that. We have five strikers and only one of them gets a game.
‘And Jordan (Rhodes) has only been getting that in the last four weeks. Before that, he wasn’t getting a game, either.’
Last season, Griffiths scored 40 goals for his club and couldn’t get a game for Scotland. That he now starts internationals when he can’t start games for his club baffles many, but illustrates the dearth of options available to Strachan. ‘Griff did a lot of good things for us,’ added the Scotland boss.
‘You could see the size of their two centre-halves. He was getting knocked and shoved, but he got back up again. How can you get downhearted by leading the line and leading a performance that is as good as we have seen here for a long? I think he should be very proud of that.’
Prouder, certainly, than those in a half empty Hampden who booed the arrival of goalscorer Chris Martin as a substitute eight minutes from time. ‘I have my own thoughts about that,’ said Strachan, ‘but I will keep them to myself. Chris has joined a great club of top players who have had a wee bit of stick from the fans. But he is a hero in our eyes.’
Finding an official attendance for the game was not easy. Research revealed the crowd to be 20,435. The paltry figure reflected a wider disillusion with the national team. But for Martin’s late goal, Strachan would have faced fresh calls for his head. A tenth straight qualifying campaign would have been over. The Tartan Army would have voted with their feet in remaining dead rubbers. ‘If you aren’t playing well at anything then nobody really wants to go and see you,’ acknowledged Strachan. ‘If you play well, they do. It is understandable.’ England are up next. Like a dress rehearsal for Indyref 2, the empty seats will be full, with apathy exorcised from the premises. A Group F play-off spot still remains a tall order. Yet victory over Slovenia bought Strachan some time. Borrowed or otherwise.