THE strides forward that Scotland have made during the four years or so that Steve Clarke has been their manager will be apparent when the opening Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus kicks off at Hampden early this afternoon.
In Clarke’s first game in charge – a Euro 2020 match against, ironically enough, the same opponents back in 2019 – there were only 31,277 fans inside the national stadium to cheer the national team to a narrow 2-1 triumph.
The Group A encounter today, though, is a sell-out. Having famous old arena packed full will help Andy Robertson and his team mates get their bid to reach the finals in Germany next summer off to a positive start no end.
But Clarke, who yesterday signed a two year extension to his contract with the SFA, has seen evidence, both on and off the training pitch, of how much Scotland have progressed during the build-up to the Cyprus match in recent days.
He has sensed a togetherness in his squad – something he has strived hard to create since taking charge - and is optimistic that Scotland can win their opening European Championship qualifier for the first time since 2006 as a result of that close bond that now exists.
“We give them the leisure time that they need,” he said. “It is important for me not to be hanging over them and saying: ‘You should be in your room!’ You try to find that balance between being professional and being ready for the game.
“They enjoy each other’s company and enjoy coming. One of my favourite places to watch the group is in the dining room because you see who’s sitting with who.
“It’s not always the same five together and another six that you’ve left out of the team sitting there saying: ‘The manager doesn’t know what he’s doing!’ You don’t have that. You look and they are changing all the time.
“They are sitting with different people and having the same conversations. That table is laughing and suddenly that table is joining in. So you see that camaraderie among them. It’s something that we try to encourage.”
Clarke added: “But the biggest thing in any professional sport is winning. If you are winning, everybody feels that little bit better. We’ve had a couple of good sequences, nine unbeaten, six unbeaten. Currently, we are five unbeaten in competitive matches. So you try to build that. We have to keep winning.
“I have said consistently that if Scotland are successful on the pitch and the Tartan Army can see a team that is organised and talented and prepared to do well for the country then they will be there to back us.
“That has proven to be true. Because now we can sell out home games. I think that’s five consecutive sell-outs in a row now. That shows you where we are. And it shows you how much the supporters enjoy watching this team. It’s our job to make sure that continues.”
Scotland assistant manager John Carver caused controversy earlier this week when he described the pitches at Oriam – the £33m performance centre outside Edinburgh where the national team used to be based before internationals - as “a health hazard”.
Clarke was at pains to point out that he had enjoyed working at the venue yesterday. However, he admitted the move to Lesser Hampden this week had been one which had met with the approval of his players.
“A lot of them are used to the best,” he said. “They are playing at the top level with English clubs and the facilities in the English Premier League are all top notch.
“It’s important when they come away with us that we get them to as close as that as possible. So the facility at Lesser is good. We try to improve all the time. Hopefully when the lads come they think: ‘Yeah, they do like us, they want us to be better’. We’re trying to push all the time to get better and better.
“If that means different facilities at different times then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll keep looking to improve on and off the pitch. If we can do that, hopefully we can continue to qualify for tournaments.”
Clarke will be without his first choice goalkeeper Craig Gordon for this double header against Cyprus and Spain as a result of the double leg break the Hearts captain suffered back in December. But he has no fears about the key position after watching Angus Gunn, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly in training this week.
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing the three boys work this week because they’ve all tried ever so hard to impress,” he said. “They’ve all been really good in training. It’s a proper tough decision.
“I thought at the start of the week it would be a tough decision. It’s even tougher now. They’ve been great. But that’s what you want. You want competition for places. They all want to be No 1 for Scotland. So we miss Craig but it’s a big chance for somebody.”
Asked who would get the nod, Clarke said: “I’m going to sleep on it.” However, it will be a major surprise if Gunn, who has been outstanding for Norwich City in the English Championship this term, is not chosen to make his debut for his adopted homeland.”
The visitors today are a lowly 110th in the FIFA World Rankings. But Clarke knows Temuri Ketsbaia, the Georgian who he worked with during his time at Newcastle, has made a huge difference to Cyprus during the short spell he has been their manager.
“He’s a good guy, a good character and his teams are good,” he said. “His team will be organised. They have a couple of quick ones. They normally play two up and go for counter-attacks. They beat Israel away in their last friendly. They have improved a little bit under him.”
The same can be said of Scotland since Steve Clarke was appointed. They should, with a 50,000-strong crowd roaring them on from the stands, get their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign underway with a victory if they perform to the best of their abilities.
