DANNY STEWART
Can strikers find their boogie in time for the Euros?
Like the discovery of photos from a forgotten party, this week’s announcement of Scotland’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers should prompt a wee smile.
It is four months since Steve Clarke’s men brought jubilation to the nation by clinching a place at the Euros.
The end of a 22-year wait to get back to a major Finals was the cause of wild celebrations – in Serbia, where the players had held on to their nerve to win a penalty shoot-out at the end of their play-off against the hosts, and back home.
Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, originally the theme tune of Andy Considine’s stag do, became the track of choice for the players’ joyous dressing-room party.
In the days that followed, it was everywhere you turned, an earworm song that people found themselves humming along to, whether they liked it or not.
Clarke, while the very picture of
The draw, held as a virtual event in Switzerland, further fired fans’ dreams
contentment, did not allow himself to completely wallow in the moment.
It was, he insisted, vital the group now use the momentum gained as a springboard to also get to the World Cup Finals.
The notion of our appearances at the game’s showpieces being like buses – you wait ages and then two come along at once – was initially comical.
Surely, we couldn’t be that greedy? There was logic behind it, however. These were players who have shown they have what it takes, individually and collectively, to face tough situations and come through them as winners.
Reproduce the same belief in the World Cup qualifiers, and why shouldn’t we keep winning?
The draw, held as a virtual event in Switzerland three weeks later, further fired fans’ dreams.
Scotland landed Denmark, Austria, Israel, the Faroe Islands and Moldova in a very winnable-looking group.
While Denmark (12) and Austria (23) enjoy higher FIFA Rankings than the 48th place Clarke’s side occupy, neither are powerhouses of the game.
Israel (87) are very much a known proposition, and the Faroes (107) and Moldova (177) both have form for sabotaging the country, but really should not present a problem.
Unfortunately, there is a but – and isn’t there always when it comes to the fortunes of our national team?
When he reveals the list of men who will be trusted to take on Austria at Hampden on March 25, Israel away three days later and the Faroes back in Glasgow another three days after that, the national coach is certain to face questions about the form of his strikers.
Lyndon Dykes, the great discovery of 2020, has not scored since November, and his last goal from open play was for Scotland in the Slovakia match in October.
He is not always getting starts for his club, QPR. When they played Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night, he was on the substitutes’ bench, though he did get a run out.
At Sheffield United, Oli Mcburnie has yet to find the back of the net in 2021.
While Scotland fans will rightly hail the composure he showed to net in the penalty shoot-out, he has already had his problems scoring goals while wearing the dark blue jersey. Then there is Leigh Griffiths. Since taking caretaker charge of Celtic, John Kennedy has started two strikers in combination with Odsonne Edouard – Patryk Klimala and Albian Ajeti.
Given how well the partnership between the Frenchman and the Scot was functioning at the end of last year, that has to be a serious concern.
As much as he is the best finisher at Clarke’s disposal, if Griffiths is not fit and producing, then he will not be involved for his country.
Or if he is, it will only be on the periphery.
Don’t forget either that Griffiths’ Celtic team-mate James Forrest, scorer of a startling tally of five goals in the two Nations League wins over Albania and Israel that helped deliver the play-off opportunity, is only just now coming back from long-term injury. Of course, there are positives too. Scott Mctominay has been flying at Manchester United, where he has been scoring spectacular goals.
Stuart Armstrong has been in good form for Southampton, and Ryan Fraser is fit and firing again for Newcastle United.
The suspicion remains that goals will be a problem in the games ahead.
And, like the photos of parties gone by, the squad list will be a reminder of good times, which doesn’t reveal the hangover that followed.