Stark’s boys man enough for task ahead
Bounce match with veterans the perfect tune-up for key qualifier
IT WAS the ultimate men-againstboys fixture in Largs earlier this week, but Billy Stark was delighted to disprove the notion that you win nothing with kids. Anxious that his Scotland Under-21 players do not enter next Thursday’s crucial European Championship qualifier with their Bulgarian counterparts lacking match sharpness, due to some unkind fixture scheduling, Stark took it upon himself to arrange a bounce game in Inverclyde.
The opposition team had his Scotland Under-21 reserve Jordan Archer of Tottenham in goal, but the rest of them were veteran pros to a man, each of them taking time out from studying for their A Licence coaching qualification to test the young pretenders.
Stark counted seven former full internationals among a side that was beaten 1-0 by the Under-21s line-up, Dundee United midfielder Stuart Armstrong netting the winner late on as fatigue began to tell in the senior ranks.
The timing of the fixture next Thursday in Lovech was of Bulgaria’s choosing and Stark is critical of it, believing it gives the opposition, whose own league season only concluded last midweek, too much of an advantage.
‘It was in my mind to try to get a game against a club side as preparation, but they’ve all broken up and there was nobody about,’ said Stark. ‘I spoke to Donald Park and he had a lot of current players doing the A Licence course in Inverclyde, and we thought we’d get a game set up which was a great exercise for them, too.
‘They used it as analysis for the rest of the coaches, somebody took the team and it was a great exercise. It was last Monday afternoon.
‘Duncan Ferguson didn’t play, which I was a bit thankful for. He’s a good lad, he was in the same hotel as us, he’s very friendly, but they still had a number of international players.
‘We gave them Jordan Archer in goal, but they had Lee McCulloch, Gavin Rae, Alan Archibald, Callum Davidson, Gary Teale, Lee Johnson, Barry Robson and John Rankin, while Steven Thompson and Mark Burchill were up front.
‘It was a terrific game with a good tempo. We were playing against guys with a real pride. No matter what environment they play in, whenever the game kicks off, they will want to win.
‘We won 1-0. Stuart Armstrong scored in the last 10 minutes after they had changed one or two. They lost their legs a bit late in the game, but a draw would have been a fair result.
‘May 31 is a difficult date. If I’m truthful, it’s not a date you want to play on. The Bulgarians at the dates meeting wanted it. We didn’t, but you don’t always get your own way.
‘Tom Cairney’s last league game at Hull was back on April 28. The Bulgarians claim their league campaign is the same as ours, but their last league game was last Wednesday evening — that’s a week before the game in Lovech, which is ideal for them.’
Stark saw Johnny Russell become the latest of his Under-21 internationals to be promoted by Craig Levein, but will still use the Dundee United forward on his return from the United States trip.
Russell is poised to collect his ninth Scotland Under-21 cap on Thursday, but is still awaiting his first goal, a surprising statistic given his prolific form at Tannadice — and one Stark wants removing.
‘I’ve had Johnny for four years now, if you include the Under-19s set-up, but he’s not scored for me at this level yet,’ said Stark.
‘I don’t recall him missing that many chances. If Johnny was here, he would say: “He keeps playing me wide”. I do think he is a better front player, but Jordan Rhodes has done exceptionally well up top with wide players in support.
‘We use him off the right because that’s how we want to play.
‘Johnny is going to be on a high having been away with the big team. I know him well. It will be a quick turnaround for him but, if anyone can cope with that, it’s him.
‘It will be on his mind that he hasn’t scored for us because goalscorers definitely think that way. He’ll be desperate to score for us and there is certainly no better time than over there.’
Stark can often find himself in an agony-uncle role when his young charges join up for internationals with club grievances fresh in their minds, the latest being David Wotherspoon of Hibernian.
The midfielder failed to even find a place on the bench for the allEdinburgh Scottish Cup Final defeat to Hearts at Hampden and Stark’s role now will be to help him deal with that hurt.
‘You always have those sort of club issues when you get an international squad together,’ said Stark. ‘In the full squad in the main, players are regulars at the club, but it’s not always the same for us.
‘David has been a good performer for us. He was a bit unfortunate not to be stripped for the cup final. He was surprised and disappointed, but that’s football. David is a very solid individual who doesn’t get too high or too low, but he’s human and obviously that was a dunt for him.
‘We feel we have to take something from the Bulgaria game. We’ll be solid, but we won’t play for a draw. With the players we’ve got, we’re capable of winning.’