WE CAN CREATE HISTORY
Clarke urging his Scots to seize their golden chance to qualify
IN the days when qualification for tournaments seemed only moderately more challenging than breathing fresh air, it felt like everyone in Scotland was a winner. Steve Clarke would respectfully beg to differ.
A highly accomplished full-back with both St Mirren and Chelsea, the sum total of his full international honours was six caps — none of which came his way at a major finals.
If that paltry return was more of a reflection on the embarrassment of riches this nation enjoyed in all positions during Clarke’s peak playing years, he would not be human if he still didn’t feel somewhat short-changed.
Some 26 years on from what proved to be the last time he would play at that level, the wound evidently still smarts a little.
For the players at Clarke’s disposal against Israel next week, among other things, this is a chance to ensure they carry no such burden.
‘this is an opportunity for them to write a little bit of history,’ said Clarke. ‘to write themselves into history and create history for Scottish football.
‘It would be a great achievement and we are all aware of how much it means to everybody.
‘the players are especially aware because they all want to be involved in a major finals as all these guys play at the top level.
‘I played at the top level but I didn’t get the chance to represent my country at a major finals, so if I could do it as a manager it would be great.
‘But it’s the same for the players. they know every tournament that passes us by without qualification is one tournament closer to the end of their careers.
‘So we have a good squad, at a good age and we’re starting to pick up a lot of experience and international caps. But it does get to the stage where you have to say: “Come on, it’s time to qualify!”. hopefully this will be it.’
When Israel were preparing to come to a capacity hampden in March, Clarke’s main concern was keeping the minds of his players in the here and now.
Back then, the visitors — bluntly — were seen as no more than a nuisance ahead of an expected date with Serbia or most likely Norway.
If last month’s score draw with Israel at hampden achieved anything, then, it was to underline the danger in assuming anything ahead of this rescheduled match.
No more than a decent side, Israel left hampden worthy of an opening Nations League point due to a lacklustre, disjointed Scotland performance.
Anything close to a repeat next thursday and that down payment on the charter for Oslo or Belgrade will not be required.
‘I expect the performance levels will be higher because we went into the last camp with a lot of players who hadn’t even started the season,’ added Clarke.
‘everyone is now up and running, they’ve had lots of training sessions and lots of matches, so I’ll be expecting us to have a better performance in the three matches coming up.’
the naming of a 26-man squad for a schedule also encompassing Nations League matches with Slovakia and the Czech Republic over a seven-day period should make preserving the bio-secure bubble easier in the event of call-offs, while affording the manager more permutations.
Ryan Porteous was the name jumping off the squad sheet yesterday, the hibernian defender deservedly stepping up from the Under-21s for the first time in almost a year after a fine start to the domestic campaign.
If it would naturally be a big ask to throw the 21-year-old in for his full debut in such a seismic match, Clarke wouldn’t have to spend too long persuading the nation of its merits.
Nominally a central midfielder with Manchester United, Scott Mctominay looked ill at ease playing on the right of a back three in each of the last two matches.
Although defensive of how the player performed, Clarke accepts the situation was far from ideal.
‘If you look at the XI, there weren’t too many square pegs. the one everyone is trying to put it on is Scott Mctominay, which I accept,’ he reflected.
‘But it wasn’t a square peg. It was probably an oval peg. It wasn’t so far off the mark.
‘If you analyse his performances over the two games, they were actually okay.
‘the criticism that came his way was a little unfair. he acquitted himself well and I know he can play that position. the more he plays it, the better he’ll get.
‘But everyone else who played in that formation has played there before.
‘For a year I was being asked how to get Kieran tierney and Andy Robertson into the same team. Well, that is one solution because Kieran plays left of a back three for Arsenal and Andy plays like a wing-back for Liverpool.
‘So it’s a formation and system that suits them both very well.’
If there remains an element of mystery about the shape of the team and which players will start, the squad at least has become more settled.
Although he didn’t actually play, Porteous was first called up for the double-header with Cyprus and Kazakhstan last November. there is now a distinct air of continuity about the party.
‘I wouldn’t go as far as calling them the “chosen group” but it’s also nice to bring up one or two of the youngsters like Robby McCrorie in the last camp and young Ryan Porteous this time,’ said Clarke.
‘It’s nice to add one or two to your core group and try to blood them into the squad for the future.
‘the squad is evolving and the experience they are picking up as they go along is really important.
‘You can see I’ve tried to keep a consistency in selection in the squad. For this one, 13 of our players will be involved in club games on the Sunday which means we don’t have a lot of preparation time.
‘But because we’ve been together in a number of camps with the same players — not one of them hasn’t been with us before — they understand the ideas and the principles of what we are trying to do and they understand what it takes to win international matches. And that’s what we have to do on thursday.’