LORD OF THE RINGS...
Clarke’s novel dilemma as stars juggle Scots duty with weddings
THERE are many disruptive factors that international managers simply have to accept as being part of the gig. Injuries, illness and suspensions to players, they can do little about. The occasional case of the reluctant conscript can be dealt with on its merits.
The requirement to release players to participate in nuptials is not normally a matter for consideration but, then again, neither is the prospect of playing four — hopefully five — international games at the end of a domestic campaign.
Steve Clarke, naturally, wouldn’t name names or talk specific numbers yesterday. But it can be safely assumed that some of his 28-man squad made wedding commitments without first consulting the football calendar. Others have evidently been blindsided by the Ukraine play-off being rescheduled for June 1.
In the interest of keeping the peace, the Scotland manager will give special dispensations to whoever needs them. The hope is that the Tartan Army’s love affair with his side will endure when the World Cup in Qatar comes around at the end of this year.
‘I think the group is big enough,’ said Clarke. ‘There are 28 there and I’ve tried to cover all eventualities.
‘There are other factors in it. There could be four games or five. Because you have to book your wedding so far in advance one or two of the lads — in fact more than one or two — didn’t know there were going to be play-off games in June or whatever, and didn’t know the window was going to stretch.
‘So there are one or two who have little issues with leaving the camp for a day to go to a wedding and then come back in. There is that sort of thing that you don’t really think about too much. But the size of the squad is fine to cover it all.
‘I’m not going to name and shame the ones who are going to weddings. Some have got to go to a wedding because they are the best man and some have to go to their own wedding. Andy’s (Robertson) in fact is just after the camp, which is sensible planning by the captain.’
The bulk of the squad will meet up on Saturday, with Scott McKenna and Robertson joining them soon after. McKenna has the small matter of Nottingham Forest’s play-off final with Huddersfield at Wembley on Sunday to attend to first.
The previous evening, the Scotland skipper will try to win his second Champions League by defeating Real Madrid in Paris.
Recalling the screamer Robertson scored against Cyprus one week after conquering Europe by defeating Tottenham in 2019, Clarke harbours no fears about an excessive workload.
‘The lads who play at the top clubs understand what is required mentally and physically to go from big game to big game,’ he added.
‘Andy has been involved in every game with the Liverpool lads to the death — every tournament, cup final, big league games.
‘They understand the level required and how to get up mentally and physically for their next game.
‘Hopefully he comes in with a smile on his face and they have another Champions League in the bag. That would certainly aid his recovery for our game.’
The cases of Robertson and McKenna are in sharp contrast to the contingent of English Championship players who played the last games of the regular season on May 7.
The mini training camp the SFA staged at St Andrews last week was not big in terms of attendees but was essential in terms of ensuring that no ring rust sets in.
‘It’s to just keep them ticking over,’ said Clarke. ‘It was very important but there were only three people there.
‘Lyndon Dykes, Ryan Christie and Jacob Brown needed it — three boys out of the English Championship who’d been off for two weeks.’
Given the hectic schedule, it would have come as little surprise had Clarke opted to name an even bigger party.
Adamant that he doesn’t have a stand-by list, the manager feels confident he has enough players to cope with every eventuality.
‘There is no point, really. It’s too difficult,’ he added. ‘That’s why the squad is 24 outfield players and four goalkeepers.
‘I picked David Marshall because although he hasn’t played for a few weeks, he is ready to play. I also think his experience of the play-off situation in Serbia will be invaluable coming into this camp.’
Fresh from scoring in the Scottish Cup final, Rangers’ winger Scott Wright was close to a first call-up but can console himself with the knowledge that it appears to be in the post.
‘There are more boys in your thoughts who you don’t pick,’ said Clarke. ‘You eventually have to pick a squad. I brought Ross Stewart into the last squad as a forward, had a good look at him and it would have been unfair only to pick him for one camp.
‘He scored for Sunderland at Wembley on Saturday, so he will turn up in a good place. He’s got a better understanding now of what we want from our forwards.
‘Scott has got into the Rangers team and done well this season but I don’t think it was a squad to experiment too much.’ Given the last defeat was away to Denmark on September 1, there is surely much to be said for that approach.
‘We have a good squad and we’re in a good moment,’ said Clarke.
‘Since the Euros last summer the team has improved. We’re on an eight-game unbeaten run and we’ve got to keep it going for two more games, hopefully five more.
‘We want to go as long as possible unbeaten. The squad’s in a good place, that’s why it’s easy to keep the continuity of the group and not to pick other players.’
Through no fault of their own, Scotland will take the field next Wednesday as the team the rest of the world will want to see fail.
Clarke fully understands the sentiment but feels his players will simply shut out the external noise.
‘It’s not going to affect the game, how they play or how we play,’ he said. ‘We just crack on. It’s a game of football.
‘Everyone across Europe has shown a lot of solidarity with Ukraine. We had the game against Poland where we raised a good amount of money for them.
‘We know the situation in their country is horrendous. But it’s a game of football. They want to win, we want to win. They are a good team, technically and tactically. They play on the front foot and will come to Hampden to beat us. I think it will be a good game.’