Celtic six a vital addition to our revival, says Caldwell

WHEN Scotland were putrid in pink against Slovakia last October, the only player selected from champions-inwaiting Celtic to start in Trnava was a teenager making his competitive international debut.

Kieran Tierney was thrown in at left-back and, after Leigh Griffiths joined him midway through the second half of the 3-0 drubbing, there came an admission that Scotland were quite literally coming up short.

Gordon Strachan explained that, with height required to defend set-pieces, Steven Fletcher was preferred to lead the attack.

In the 51 games at Euro 2016, there were 19 occasions where the first goal arrived from a free-kick or corner. Almost 30 per cent of the 108 goals at the tournament arose from set-plays, an increase of 21 per cent on the 2012 renewal.

Mercifully, reading greatly into those statistics was thrown out in times of desperate need — UEFA technical observer pamphlets cast aside. Simple solutions were soon at hand for Strachan. The bleeding obvious would do just fine.

Thanks to Celtic running amok in domestic competition and burgling the odd point against high-class continental opposition in Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach, the Scotland manager could select a core of players excelling in tune together on a weekly basis. Former Scotland defender Gary Caldwell, who formed a Parkhead and international alliance with Stephen McManus, believes The Celtic Six — Scott Brown, Stuart Armstorng, Kieran Tierney, Leigh Griffiths, Craig Gordon and James Forrest — have been the key to transforming the World Cup fortunes since the turn of the year. Injuries to Brown and Armstrong have cruelly broken up the group, but Caldwell (below) insists the remaining four — or five if Callum McGregor impresses in training this week — can go on to help his former boss Strachan guide the national team into the play-offs.

Noting that there were eight Barcelona stars in the Spain squad that triumphed in 2010 and seven Bayern Munich players in Joachim Low’s pool of 2014, Caldwell highlights the benefits of giving partnerships successful at club level the platform to shine on the international stage.

He said: ‘Against Slovakia last time, there was still a bit of uncertainty about the squad and the best team, and the Celtic thing hadn’t really taken off.

‘Now that has a huge influence. If you look back at the last two World Cups, a club manager had a huge impact on Spain and Germany winning the World Cup in Pep Guardiola.

‘I think the club dynamic is hugely important. I had this chat when Craig Levein was Scotland manager and I was alongside Christophe Berra at the back. We were conceding goals and just not playing that well.

‘We needed to do a lot more work when we came together. I was coming from Wigan, playing 3-4-3, total football. I was back-foot defending where I was the middle man, I didn’t go and engage. I stepped off because of my lack of pace.

‘Meanwhile, Christophe was at Wolves, playing route-one football for a team of front-foot defenders who came and attacked everything.

‘We then had a week to learn how to play together for Scotland. Do we go my way, do we go his way, do we meet somewhere in the middle?

‘With the Celtic guys now, it’s easier because they know each other’s games so well. When they come to the international squad, it’s a case of the gaffer putting in his stamp on how he wants Scotland to play, so they have to adjust slightly.

‘But they understand each other because they train day in, day out.

‘The last two World Cup winners were full of Bayern Munich players and Barcelona players. That has to have a huge bearing.’

Gary Caldwell was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is a proud sponsor of the Scotland national team.