Back in 2021, Scotland were braced for their first taste of major-tournament football in a quarter of a century. Fuelled by a 1977 disco hit and led by a coach who knew how to squeeze every ounce of talent out of the group, excitement across the country was palpable.
But Euro 2020 simply did not scratch the itch. Not only were the results disappointing, with a scarcely watchable 0-0 draw with England the highlight, Covid restrictions meant that a sizeable portion of those who wanted to attend the games at Hampden Park and Wembley were unable to do so.
Thankfully, after missing out on a spot at the 2022 World Cup, the Tartan Army will be out in force this summer, having breezed through Euro 2024 qualifying. After that excellent campaign, hopes were sky high as they target a first-ever progression to the knockout stages in a major tournament. However, Clarke must have smashed a few mirrors and walked under some ladders after qualification was confirmed, with Scotland enduring a seemingly never-ending stream of bad luck over the past few months.
Their injury list is of the biggest concern. Serie A Midfielder of the Year Lewis Ferguson is not available after a standout campaign with Bologna, while Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey’s absences create an issue at right-back. Lyndon Dykes might have started up front too, but he’s injured, while potential wildcard Ben Doak has been forced to withdraw as well.
Their recent form has also been concerning, too. Since seeing off Cyprus in their fifth qualifying game, Clarke’s side have won just one of their subsequent nine matches, with that victory coming against 203rd-ranked Gibraltar. This must come with the caveat that England, France and Spain were among their opponents during this period, though they have also lost to Northern Ireland and, most recently, failed to beat Finland in their final warm-up game.
Despite this, if Scotland taught us anything during their road to the finals, it’s to expect the unexpected. Here, then, are a few reasons why the Tartan Army might finally be roaring out of the group stages this summer:
Getty ImagesOutstanding qualification campaign
Their recent dip in form should not detract from how Scotland booked their place in this summer’s tournament. Kicking-off with a routine victory against Cyprus, the fire was lit in their following game against Spain. Clarke’s charges were not given a hope of taking anything from La Roja, but spurred on by a raucous, sell-out crowd at Hampden Park, they managed to secure a 2-0 win.
It was nothing short of a generational result for Scottish football, with Scott McTominay netting both goals. They managed to ruffle a few feathers along the way too, with Spain captain Rodri blowing his lid after the game. “For me, it’s a bit rubbish because it’s always wasting time. They provoke you. They always fall. This is for me not football. The referee has to take part of this and he says nothing.”
The atmosphere that night was feverish and Scotland drew on a similar energy out in Oslo the following game, when Clarke’s side battled back from 1-0 down to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory over Norway
Ex-Chelsea and Scotland icon Pat Nevin was there and recalled to GOAL, via NewBettingSites.uk: “To this day, I’m looking back at my Scotland-watching career, I don’t know if I’ve been more excited. We’re 1-0 down and I’m thinking: ‘Stevie, go for it’. And he wasn’t letting the lads off the leash. They took Erling Haaland off and then he let them go. There’s a moment in Braveheart when they get the poles up and they’re going: ‘HOOOLLLDDD, HOOOLLLDD’. We were a bit like that. It was genius moment.”
After those three victories, Scotland were suddenly in the driving seat, and back-to-back wins over Georgia and Cyprus all but confirmed a top-two finish. They eventually came second, after losing to Spain in the return fixture, but the confidence this campaign will have given the squad is hard to overstate.
At the beginning of qualification, the best fans might have hoped for was progression through the play-offs. Instead, they saw off a host of top European sides to make it through automatically. It proves this Scotland team is built differently to those who have faltered before.
Incredible midfield
Throughout this run, Scotland’s midfield were vital. It’s clearly the area of the pitch where they’re strongest, with the middle of the park packed with seasoned Premier League talent.
Brighton’s Billy Gilmour, still only 22, is the technician of the group, with Scotland set to benefit from his development under Roberto De Zerbi. John McGinn, meanwhile, has had perhaps his best-ever club season coming into the tournament, helping Aston Villa secure Champions League football. The midfielder scarcely missed a game for Unai Emery’s team and often plays a more advanced role for his country, chipping in with goals and assists.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor is another more-than-solid hand, while Ryan Christie – who’s come on leaps and bounds at Bournemouth – might not even make it into the starting XI. Scotland’s midfield unit is full of industry, creativity and spirit, and their efforts will be pivotal to any success the team as a whole has at the tournament.
Don’t worry about goals
And we haven’t even mentioned Scotland’s midfield wildcard either. McTominay has not always been fully trusted or appreciated at Manchester United, but at international level he has the license to do as he pleases. He’s repaid that faith placed in him in spades over the past year or so.
McTominay finished the qualification campaign with an outstanding seven goals, but his influence in this team extends far beyond finishing. The 27-year-old takes the term ‘box-to-box midfielder’ to a new level whenever he pulls on a Scotland shirt. Clarke trusts him to pop up wherever he’s needed, and he’ll often be found arriving at the edge of the box to finish off a cutback. There are a few doubts over Scotland up front, particularly after Dykes’ injury, but if McTominay can maintain this scoring touch, Scotland should have enough to win games.
They’ve got a surprise package to bring off the bench, too. Lawrence Shankland is not a well-known name outside of the Scottish Premiership, but his goal record speaks for itself. The Hearts man has plundered 42 league strikes over the past two seasons, forcing his way into international contention in the process. So while Che Adams will most likely start, Shankland is a fantastic option to bring on and impact proceedings.
“He’s been fabulous,” Nevin told GOAL. “He’s one of these guys who’s a slightly late developer. But he was always a goal-scorer and now he’s rounding his game a bit more. His hold-up play is getting better. His links are better than they used to be. But he’s still a goal-scorer. Left foot, right foot, header – it doesn’t matter. I don’t think he’ll start the first game, but when he gets his opportunity, it could be that he’s the one who raises a few eyebrows.”
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Outstanding left side
And it’s not just in midfield that Scotland can boast genuine, top-class talent. For a while, having two excellent left-backs in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney felt like a bit of a curse for Scotland, considering how light they were in other areas of the field.
After previous managers struggled for a compromise, Clarke has long since found a solution, with Tierney forming part of his back three and Robertson acting as a flying wing-back. The pair’s attributes meld together perfectly, as Robertson carries the ball from deep like few others at the tournament, while Tierney’s penchant for line-splitting passes also helps Scotland get up the field quickly.
Speaking to The Athletic recently, the latter said: “I love that left centre-back position and I love playing with [Robertson]. We’ve got that connection where we know where we’re going to be and if one goes, the other knows to stay. We’ll interchange or find each other with a long pass. That comes from playing with each other a lot.”
Seasoned manager
Clarke’s ability to find a solution to the biggest question mark hanging over Scotland’s team selection is just one example of the fine job he’s done since taking over from Alex McLeish in 2019. A student of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, who once praised his “footballing brain”, the ex-West Brom boss is pragmatic and insists his team is well organised.
And, for the most part, they have been exactly that during his time in charge. The players are fond of his, too, which suggests that despite his reputation as a coach-first manager, he’s communication skills are strong. He and the squad also have the benefit of tournament experience behind them now, something Clarke himself noted in a recent interview with The Guardian.
“We weren’t used to tournament football; three games in 10 days felt a struggle for us. Croatia [in the final group game] were good, we got back in the game to make it 1-1, John [McGinn] still beats himself up for missing a chance to put us in front. [Luka] Modric does what he does and that game runs away from us,” he said.
Clarke will be hoping to draw on that experience as Scotland have been handed a pretty tough group. After kicking the tournament off against hosts Germany on Friday, they’ll need to contend with an experienced Switzerland and a resurgent Hungary.
Clarke feels four points will be enough. Is that really an insurmountable task for this group? Probably not, especially with their experienced coach pulling the strings.
The Tartan Army
Of course, Scotland’s chances of reaching this points target will also be helped by the passionate away following who will flock to Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart for their three group games. After the Euro 2020 disappointment at Hampden, the travelling Tartan Army will be making up for lost time this summer, flocking to Germany in their droves to power their team onto victory.
Chelsea star Erin Cuthbert will be among them, posting a hilarious photo of her packing in the week, with her suitcase soley containing four vintage Scotland shirts and two six-packs of Irn Bru. Few countries in the tournament will be backed quite so vociferously.
Those travelling have experienced heartbreak so many times before, but perhaps more so than three years ago, the prevailing feeling is one of hope. Yes, there have been setbacks over the past few months, but this is a special team with a spirit that’s hard to break. They just might make a bit of history this summer.
