Anglo-Aussie double act might just be the way forward for Scots
ASCOTSMAN, an Englishman and an Australian walk into a team room just before the start of the Euro 2020 finals.
It’s not a joke. But, if Steve Clarke’s decision to go with Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes sees the national team score goals aplenty at our first major tournament appearance since 1998, we’ll all be laughing.
Long gone are the days when narrow definitions of nationality mattered very much to even the swivel-eyed loon element of the Tartan Army.
While many of us will harbour some concerns about the squad named for the trio of World Cup qualifiers just around the corner, most will welcome Adams as a potential solution to a crisis at the top end of the team.
Oh, and if he has a cousin who plays centre-half at a decent level, tell him to get in touch.
Look, it’s understandable that some are less than comfortable with Adams only deciding to pledge his loyalty to Scotland now we’ve qualified for the European Championship.
Clarke yesterday sought to explain the former England Under-20 striker’s initial reluctance by insisting he was now a more mature figure than the young man who was previously wary of rushing his fences.
Nobody’s really buying that. Clearly, the standing invitation from the SFA became a much more attractive option once David Marshall had turned aside Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penalty on a very special night in Belgrade.
Yet, does that really matter when it comes down to it?
During our years wandering in the international wilderness, the Scotland squad has been a refuge for all sorts of characters.
Some of the least dedicated — the guys who moaned loudest about international duty, pulled out of games with mystery ‘injuries’ or even decided that six more pints in the team hotel wouldn’t do any harm — just happened to be what you’d call full-blown Scots.
Being born and raised in the country doesn’t automatically make someone a patriot, no more than it blesses them with the ability to convert a half-chance in a crowded penalty area.
Nor would anyone seriously question the commitment of players like Scott McTominay or Dykes himself, both of whom took their time — and a bit of persuading — before deciding to throw their lot in with Scotland.
Clarke says he’s offered no guarantees to Adams with regard to selection, while he seems fairly confident that the striker won’t reject further opportunities to do national service once he’s boosted his market value with a role at Hampden and Wembley this summer.
Neither should really be an issue. All that matters is that Adams, who has scored seven goals for Southampton this season, represents an alternative — possibly even an upgrade — in an area of the team where Scotland are hardly overloaded with options.
He’s better than Kevin Nisbet, certainly. If none of us would be particularly happy about seeing Dykes cast aside after his brilliant line-leading appearances to date, Clarke also suggested yesterday that he might pair the QPR forward with the new boy. Which already sounds exciting.
With the opportunities for friendly matches severely limited by the calendar and Covid restrictions, it looks very much as if the next three games represent a sort of final chance for players to cement their places in that Euro 2020 squad.
In which case, we have questions. Several questions.
Three left-backs? And no opportunity to see young rightback Nathan Patterson — widely considered one of the best young prospects in the Scottish game — at least train with the seniors?
Jack Hendry is an interesting selection, not least because we could do with another good defender.
If Jason Kerr’s performances for a team in the bottom half of the Premiership aren’t enough to earn him a call-up, though, it’s hard to explain the continued reliance on Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell.
Sure, both have been good for Scotland. But St Johnstone defender Kerr could have been picked — perhaps in place of thirdchoice left-back Greg Taylor.
And although he gets lumped in with a group of ‘young players’ not quite ready for the international arena, Ryan Gauld is 25 years of age. He’s also scoring and creating goals despite playing for arguably the worst team in Portugal’s top division. And he’s played age-grade international football right up to the Scotland Under-21s.
In Steve we trust, though, right? He’s earned that, at the very least.
And, if Adams proves half the handful that Dykes has been to date, just like the guy from the Gold Coast, he will become a cult hero to Scotland fans.
No joking.