Georgia on a training base in Antalya would have been considered pretentious. In the big tournaments that passed without the Scottish participation, frugality was essential.
Demonstrable success means that the current Scotland Manager, Steve Clarke, has his payers where he wants them. When Clarke wanted a five-star hotel base in Glasgow, the Scottish Football Association agreed.
The stopover in Turkey This week had been booked for a long time, as Thursday’s game in Tbilisi could be important, but there was never any prospect of a change of plans after Scotland sealed their place at Euro last month. Successive qualifications for the European Championship have increased the coffers of the Scottish federation. Clarke’s work on the field distracts the attention of low-key goalkeepers from national sports. So if the manager says to skip …
Clarke is approaching that double header-Norway are in Glasgow on Sunday-with a lot to consider. Scotland have secured a place in Germany Next summer, but Clarke seems to be aware of the harmfuls of walking on water. The defeat against France in Lille was hardly disastrous, but it was the third In a row for the Scots. The losing race sits uncomfortably on the manager.
After that, Clarke will lead his team to the top of the Nations League; it’s an infuriating prospect given the dominance of France and England (yes, they were relegated from Group A, but the point stands) against Scotland. Due to their own strong performances, Clarke’s men are faced with the dilemma of how to take the next step.
The manager’s biggest victory was to emphasize the ability of the collective. There is no other way to explain Scotland, which emerged from a section where Erling Haaland’s Norway was left behind. The team, which picked up a valuable victory against Spain earlier this year, had Lyndon Dykes of Queens Park Rangers at centre-forward.
Scotland have talent, especially at the back and in midfield, but there is always a differentiator not found in the final third. Privately, Clarke must know that it will be a problem if the stakes are raised. Its resource pool remains small. The injuries to Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney illustrate this very much. The absence of Angus Gunn leaves the Scots clearly short in the goalkeeping area. A Patchwork team will complete the qualification.
Scotland is an attractive offer. Clarke is confident enough in his environment not to savagely pursue players who could qualify for his team via bloodlines just because they see Scotland as a viable international platform. Archie Gray and Tino Livramento have been mentioned in recent days.
