We’d back boss on call-offs, vows Petrie
ROD PETRIE last night insisted the SFA will throw its weight behind Steve Clarke should the Scotland boss decide to get tough with clubs over the withdrawal of key international players.
Clarke’s preparations for yesterday’s Euro 2020 qualifying win in Cyprus were plagued by a number of notable call-offs, with captain Andy Robertson of Liverpool, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser joining Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney on the unavailable list.
Thus far, Scotland have resisted invoking FIFA’s five-day rule that would prevent players turning out for their clubs in the aftermath of an international call-off.
However, with Scotland’s hopes of qualifying for a first major tournament hingeing on the Euro 2020 play-off matches next March, SFA president Petrie insists the association will consider all options to help Clarke’s cause.
‘The most important person in all this is Steve,’ said Petrie. ‘Players play for the manager, so the relationship between the players and the country is down to the
manager. I am very happy to support Steve in terms of how he wants to manage the relationship with players and the clubs who release them.
‘This is not a new issue. Players get injuries which can affect their availability and I don’t think you should be accusing anybody of not wanting to play for their country.
‘The most important thing will be to sit down with
Steve at the right time and understand what he wants to do because it is important for the Association to support him in any way it can to try and get the best possible team on the pitch.
‘If he feels there is a way of managing it better or doing something we haven’t been doing we are very open to supporting him in that.’
The absence of Tierney from the squad for a double-header that will conclude with Tuesday’s visit of Kazakhstan has been especially contentious.
The defender spent the summer recuperating from a hernia problem and has been eased into action by Arsenal since transferring from Celtic for £25million.
Despite featuring seven times for the Gunners first team, his club asked that he not be selected in order to deal with, in Clarke’s words, an ‘ongoing issue’.
Petrie insists there is nothing untoward in the full-back’s absence but hinted that he expects the 23-year-old to be on board for the crunch play-off matches next spring.
He continued: ‘It is very easy from the outside to make assumptions and come to judgements but the most important things is that there is communication, there is dialogue.
‘These things don’t come out of thin air. Obviously there was a discussion with Arsenal about Tierney.
‘He is not here, he is not available but hopefully the way he is being managed will mean he will be strong for us when we really need him for the battle.’