OVERTAKING the number of games which the legendary Jock Stein and Andy Roxburgh took charge of as Scotland manager and edging a little closer to the record total set by Craig Brown was the furthest thing from Steve Clarke’s thoughts yesterday.
“I didn’t even know,” said Clarke when he was informed that he would eclipse his predecessors Stein and Roxburgh at his pre-match press conference at Hampden ahead of the Nations League match with Portugal this evening.
With a game against Roberto Martinez’s formidable side - which is likely to feature the global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at some stage in proceedings - looming and a four match winless run to try and bring to an end he could be forgiven for having other matters on his mind.
When pressed, however, he confessed that his longevity in his pressurised position, which he took up after Alex McLeish stood down back in 2019, did give him a certain amount of personal satisfaction.
“It obviously makes me proud to be mentioned in the same breath as people like Mr Stein and Mr Roxburgh, who still sends me the occasional email just to keep in touch,” he said as he prepared to take charge of his 62nd Scotland game.
“Listen, it's really good. It shows you that the players have been fantastic for us over the last five and a half years of my reign as head coach. I'd like to add a few more to the number, if I could.”
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The man who has resurrected his country’s fortunes during his tenure and who led the national team through to both the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals, would also like to emulate feats which Stein, Roxburgh and Brown all pulled off during their lengthy reigns.
“I want to go to the World Cup,” he said. “I believe this squad of players are good enough to go to the World Cup in America in 2026. That's all I'm focused on. I don’t need any extra motivation. I want to see out my contract.”
The qualifying campaign for those finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States will get underway next year and Clarke is keen for Scotland to have some momentum behind them and be in a positive frame of mind when it does so.
He knows that defeating or drawing with League A Group 1 leaders Portugal – who thrashed Poland 3-1 away in Warsaw on Saturday night to maintain their 100 per cent record in the competition – at Hampden tonight and avoiding becoming the first Scotland manager to lose five consecutive matches will be challenging.
“We can compete,” he said. “We showed that in Lisbon. With the backing of the home support here, hopefully we can find another level that gets us the positive result that we all want.”
Celtic winger James Forrest had his name added to an extensive injury list yesterday and returned to his club. He was replaced by Connor Barron of Rangers. Can Clarke halt a nine match winless run in competitive matches that stretches way back to September last year with such a threadbare squad?
Can he lift the spirits of Andy Robertson and his team mates, who were devastated when the equaliser they netted in the fourth minute of injury-time was chalked off after a lengthy VAR check on Saturday night, and ensure they perform from kick-off?
“Obviously, like always, we were disappointed with the result against Croatia,” he said. “But there is a process that you have to go through when you're playing at the top table against top teams. Maybe the results are not going to go for you, but you have to believe in what we're doing. When I look at the players on the pitch, then I believe in what we're doing.
“The players are good, ready to go again. There's absolutely no issue whatsoever with that (their morale). Like I said before, the players understand where we are in the process, they understand what they have to do to get results. As far as I can see, and hopefully as far as everyone else can see, they're all on board with it.
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“It was really simple (picking them up). They do believe in themselves. They understand that we're playing difficult opponents. They understand also that the squad could be stronger. Everyone knows that. All these things are there to be seen.
“But I don't speak about it too much because I feel it's disrespectful to the boys that are in the squad. We have to concentrate on who we have here. We know we have to be very good at everything we do in the game. Hopefully we can get the result that might just change the whole mood about the place.”
Clarke added: “The crowd have got a part to play. The crowd also have to believe in their team and their players. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't believe in this group of players. We've got two players that are inside the top 10 cap appearances (Craig Gordon and Andy Robertson) for the country.
“After 20 years in the international wilderness, this group of players have been to two major tournaments. They've got promotion to this top level of the Nations League. So I don't understand why people would be doubting about this group of players. It's a tough moment. There's no doubt about it. But we believe in ourselves.”
“That's a really good question,” he said. “It's very difficult to get the balance right between throwing players in to an international game when maybe they haven't felt that level.
“We will assess that with my coaches tonight and we'll see if there are areas of the team that we can freshen without putting any players under too much pressure to come into a match of this magnitude. I have to get the balance right.”
Scotland will have to get everything right tonight and hope that Portugal and CR7 are not quite at their brilliant best to make the Tartan Army and Hampen roar.
