“I DON'T like it Carruthers, it's far too quiet.” That clichéd old line from countless 'Ripping Yarns' comes to mind at this time of “phoney war” between the end of the qualifying tournament and next week's draw for Euro '24 proper. Mind you the likes of Wales, who have to navigate back-to-back home games against Finland, and the winner of the tie between Polandf and Estonia in March, still have something to play for. But, for the still on Cloud Nine Tartan Army, they're channelling their inner David Coleman; it's a case of: “Who cares.”
We now know, we are in Pot Three for the full draw, which means, we will not be facing Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Czech Republic – given our history, we've dodged a bullet or two there. However, while we play “what if” and look at who we might still be drawn against, let's be honest, we still face a tough battle if Stevie Clarke and his squad are to do what no previous Scotland squad has ever done, and get through to the nitty-gritty knock-out stages of a major tournament.
To re-cap: They may be different competitions, but, the reality around qualification for either The FIFA World Cup or The UEFA European Championships is – there is little or no difference. In both competitions, we qualify against our peers from FIFA's European Confederation.
Our qualification for next year's big show in Germany is only the fourth time in 15 attempts (26.6% success) that we have qualified for the final of the Euros.
Our record in the World Cup, in spite of our long absence from the finals is better. We have qualified for the finals in 9 of the 19 tournaments we have contested (47.6% success). Overall, over both events, we have contested 34 qualifying campaigns (38.2% success).
Stevie Clarke has guided us to qualification in two of the three campaigns which he has overseen. He has also taken us from Tier C to Tier A of the new UEFA Nations League. He has been, by any measure, a successful Scotland boss – now he has to break through that glass ceiling into th knock-out stages in Germany.
Clarke is now 60 years of age. He hung-up his boots in 1998, before several members of his current Scotland squad were even born. He is now something of a “Silverback” in club management terms. He is probably living proof of the belief that international management is: “an old man's game.”
I suspect the SFA is relatively safe from the threat of a big-money bid for Clarke's services from a well-funded English Premiership or championship club. This should mean an easier build-up towards Germany, but, you can never say never.
Of more concern is that old cliché: “form is transient, class is eternal.” We may not have, at the moment in the national squad, an iconic Baxter, Dalglish, Law type “World-class talent” but we have several good to very-good players. The worry is, nearly every one of our players is with a big club, with big squads, and not many are in the “picked every week” tier of players.
Thus, we have to be concerned about all of the squad getting sufficient games to keep them near the top of their game come next summer, while perhaps being worried that some might be over-worked and go to Germany with near-empty tanks.
I still maintain, the “Disaster for Scotland” that was our 1978 campaign in Argentine, was not all down to Ally MacLeod failing because he failed to prepare. Yes, Ally made mistakes, but, several of our squad went there with near-empty tanks, while I have always felt their fall-out with Tommy Docherty at their club took the edge off the game of Bruce Rioch and Don Masson, two men who had been the lynchpins of our midfield in the two seasons before those finals.
The clubs don't give a fig about Scotland in Germany next year – indeed, the big English clubs don't give a fig either about that nation's ambitions in the same tournament. Their attitude is: “We are the players' main pay masters and if we want our pound of flesh between now and June – we will have it.”
I sometimes wonder if Clarke ever feels jealous of opposite number Gregor Townsend, Scottish Rugby's international Head Coach. Townsend found himself in the position of having his most-experienced scrum-half, British Lion Ali Price, slip to third in the pecking order at his club, Glasgow Warriors.
No problem to
Townsend; he had a word with the High Heid Yins at Murrayfield and
hey presto – because the SRU owns Price's club Glasgow Warriors
and BKT United Rugby Championship rivals Edinburgh –
Price suddenly found himself driving along the M8 on a
season-long loan to the capital outfit. Also, Townsend can have the home-based players rested, if they are showing signs of going off the bio.
Should a similar fall-out of favour at his club afflict one of our key men, unfortunately Clarke simply has to accept it as a football fact of life and work round the problem.
SATURDAY will be a big day for the clubs still involved in the Third Round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup. Victory and a place in the Fourth Round will see the victorious clubs' directors dreaming of a big money tie against one of the 12 Premiere Division clubs, who come into the competition at this stage.
In particular, they will be praying for an away draw at one of two clubs – who I cannot name, because one regular reader of this blog reckons, every post is about them!!!
To the minnows still involved – former Junior sides such as current Scottish Junior Cup holders Cumnock Juniors – the chance of a plum draw could make a huge difference to their finances, while others, such as the Championship sides still involved, can see a draw against a top-flight side that is struggling could ignite a good run in the new year.
Missing from the list of involved clubs, however, is the name of Auchinleck Talbot. The 'Bot are rebuilding this season and their form in the West of Scotland League has been a bit up and down, so, they are missing-out this year, but, crucially, still involved in the Junior Cup.
Any way, reason for mentioning Talbot – I want to run this truly impressive aerial shot of the village of Auchinleck, while a floolit game is ongoing at Beechwood Park.
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