The sad thing is that in a matter of weeks, this will all have been forgotten. The intensely tribal nature of Scotland’s football domain means that a new domestic campaign will lead to scratching, swearing and howling that will dominate for months on end. Some may argue it will be wise to banish thoughts of Scotland’s participation in this World Cup. It should serve as a much-needed line in the sporting sand.
The psychological, societal and commercial benefits to Scotland have been borne out in recent weeks. Not only has the tournament captured hearts and minds in Scotland, but the Tartan Army has done likewise across the United States.
Scottish people, self-deprecating as standard, should take a morale-boost from football supporters acting as such wonderful ambassadors for their country.
Here lies the great paradox of this World Cup. Scottish fans, superb. The Scottish team? Dismal. They were blunt against Haiti, needlessly cautious against Morocco and a mess when facing Brazil.
Scotland find themselves in purgatory, hanging around in North Carolina as a faint hope of progression to the last 32 lives on, but even those within the camp seem willing to admit their contribution to this tournament deserves nothing more than a flight home. Possession has looked an alien concept to the Scots.
Steve Clarke bears the brunt of criticism. There exists a noisy group who never liked the manager and an increasing number of people feel he has outstayed his welcome, having been in position since 2019. Even by their own low standards of decision-making, the Scottish FA’s move to afford Clarke a four-year contract extension before a ball was kicked in the World Cup was an extraordinary one. He was portrayed as cock-a-hoop when he arrived in the US; no wonder.
Scott McTominay’s performances have been dreadful. Not that he has been asked to explain them, such is his curious absence from routine media duties. John McGinn has failed to bring his Aston Villa level to tournament football once again.
This can hardly be pinned on Clarke. Being kind to both players, perhaps the drop in standard from club level teammates causes them significant difficulties.
Clarke has his own themes to address. That his team scored a single goal against Haiti in game one always looked hazardous. The deployment of Kieran Tierney on the left side of midfield – a switch that came totally out of the blue – for the Morocco fixture did not work. Lawrence Shankland, potent, but not known for his athleticism, was an odd choice as the sole striker in suffocating Miami heat against Brazil.
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That said, Bart Simpson could have played in the position such was the lack of opportunity provided. Clarke’s offhand nature in broadcast interviews does him no credit either.
Scotland, whose players enjoy five-star treatment and are backed by a small army of staff, have been to three tournaments in a row under Clarke and offered next to nothing. Nine games, four goals scored. Before dishing out a contract, the SFA should have pondered accountability.
It must also exist elsewhere. The SFA’s top brass like to be seen when it suits them. Mike Mulraney, the president, had Gianni Infantino for seating company as Brazil dismantled Scotland. Mulraney heads Fifa’s finance committee, meaning criticism of the ludicrous ticket pricing was never likely to emanate from Scotland. Mulraney’s chief executive, Ian Maxwell, was spotted socialising with the players in Glasgow city centre on the night they qualified for the World Cup.
Mulraney, Maxwell and Clarke vanished from public view after Scotland were bundled out of Euro 2024. The same must not be allowed to happen again. Now is a time for leadership. Scotland is staring at a crisis in its national sport, which the governing body has a responsibility to address.
During a post-Brazil press conference when Clarke’s voice at times quivered, he identified the main problem. “When you see the physicality, the power and the technique [of others] you can see that we have to try to do something,” said the manager, having agreed Scottish players are shown up in an environment such as this.
Pom-poms are waved over players who are either one-paced or technically deficient. Clarke knows the alternative, harsh reality.
There must be solutions, radical ones, pursued here. Undermining them is that this is a country where clubs – well, certain ones – call the shots and care little for the advancement of Scottish players. Those clubs should be told, audibly and with evidence, by the SFA that urgent change and collective action is required. Should they disagree, national ridicule would be appropriate.
Homegrown quotas, incentives for fielding young Scots in first teams, a halt to the laughable waving through of governing body endorsements for foreign players requiring work permits or a proper inspection of a summer schedule; nothing should be disregarded. This need exists whether Scotland stagger into the last 32 or not.
Part of Clarke’s remit when signing his new deal involved introducing the next generation. His is a creaking squad that maxed out in reaching the World Cup. It was a 28-year wait to get here. Something similar could genuinely happen again if Scottish football does not pursue massive reform. Nation upon nation has overtaken this one.
