World Cup 2026: Scotland boss Steve Clarke dealing with 5 choice questions forward of marketing campaign

Suitcases are packed, ESTAs are accepted and a petition to legalise haggis in the US is gathering momentum.

There’s just one factor left for the Tartan Military to organise earlier than making the hop throughout the pond – their most well-liked beginning XI for the opening match towards Haiti on June 14.

5-and-a-half-million backseat drivers are making ready to supply Scotland boss Steve Clarke unsolicited recommendation on the way to set his workforce up and might be prepared to passionately defend their very own foolproof successful formulation ought to any colleague, member of the family, pal or nationwide workforce head coach dare to counsel an offensive different.

Following Billy Gilmour’s tournament-ending knee harm sustained in Scotland’s last send-off match towards Curacao, there are most likely solely 5 people wherein the nation would unanimously agree are nailed-on starters for the group opener: Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Scott McTominay (Napoli) and Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth).

McTominay, Robertson and McGinn began all six video games in qualifying; Gannon-Doak began the ultimate 5 after approaching instead within the opening match away to Denmark; and Hickey was solely neglected of the beginning XI for the 2 matches towards backside seeds Belarus to handle his minutes as he battled harm.

As Clarke prepares to select Scotland’s first World Cup workforce in 28 years, listed below are the 5 choice questions dealing with the Scotland boss.

Again 4 or again 5?

Clarke ditched his beloved again 5 instantly after Scotland’s anticlimactic Euro 2024 exit and hasn’t appeared again since.

4-2-3-1 grew to become the go-to form as his facet averted automated relegation from Nations League A earlier than topping their World Cup qualifying group for the primary time in 44 years.

So certainly he’ll persist with the again 4? Most likely, however perhaps not.

Maybe Clarke’s chosen formation might be dictated by personnel and never desire. That is as a result of, as soon as once more, we discover ourselves dealing with the decade-long Robertson-Tierney dilemma at left again.

For years Scotland looked for an answer to permit two of their finest gamers to coexist earlier than Clarke discovered a approach for them to enhance each other at left centre-back and left wing-back as a part of a 5-3-2, and latterly, 5-4-1.

Nonetheless, when Kieran Tierney confronted an prolonged interval on the sidelines because of a hamstring harm sustained at Euro 2024, Scotland lacked the bandwidth to proceed with the again 5 with out its key element.

Now that Tierney is again match and firing following a title-winning season at Celtic – wherein he scored six targets and contributed 12 assists – the Scotland boss could also be tempted to discover a beginning berth for the person who scored the decisive third objective towards Denmark in November.

He racked up 53 membership appearances this marketing campaign, 17 greater than captain Robertson in his farewell season at Liverpool.

Who performs in objective?

Scotland’s goalkeeping trio of Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Craig Gordon (Hearts) and Liam Kelly (Rangers) have made a puny tally of seven senior membership appearances between them this season.

It is truthful to imagine Kelly is Clarke’s third alternative. He is earned simply two caps for his nation, each in friendlies the place the minutes have been shared with different back-up choices, so it is primarily a toss-up between Gordon and Gunn.

Gordon is 43 years of age and made his nationwide workforce debut earlier than team-mates Gannon-Doak, Findlay Curtis and Tyler Fletcher have been even born.

He is been out with a shoulder harm since February and has solely performed thrice for Hearts this season, but when there was ever a person for the large event, it is him.

Regardless of not having performed a minute of aggressive soccer in six months, Gordon was a relaxing presence between the sticks for Scotland’s last two decisive group video games in qualifying and even pulled off a match-winning wonder-save for Hearts towards Dundee in January when deputising for Alexander Schwolow.

Two years on from lacking out on Euro 2024 and taking part in what was presupposed to be his farewell sport towards Finland at Hampden, Gordon may develop into the second-oldest participant to play at a World Cup finals.

Nonetheless, Gunn was Clarke’s No 1 on the final main event two years in the past in Germany, and in qualifying earlier than harm.

He is racked up 21 caps in three years since switching allegiance from England however has solely managed one substitute look for Nottingham Forest this marketing campaign.

Whoever finally ends up taking part in goes to be rusty…

Who begins up entrance?

Lawrence Shankland (Rangers), Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton), George Hirst (Ipswich) and Ross Stewart (Southampton) – these are the 5 males vying to guide the road for Scotland on the World Cup.

If we assume Clarke sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation utilized in qualifying, that leaves only one beginning berth accessible.

Shankland, who has signed for Rangers, has been exhibiting the perfect type of the lot. He notched a brace towards Curacao and netted 20 membership targets in all competitions this time period as Hearts fell agonisingly wanting a historic first Scottish top-flight title in 66 years.

Nonetheless, Shankland has by no means been a favorite of Clarke’s – his sole aggressive begin in a Scotland jersey got here towards San Marino seven years in the past. Even after being named Participant of the Yr by PFA Scotland and the Scottish Soccer Writers’ Affiliation in 2024, Shankland managed simply 21 minutes of gametime on the Euros.

His supervisor rewards loyalty and rightly so; it is labored effectively for him in his seven years in cost.

Adams and Dykes have amassed virtually a century of caps between them, scoring 21 targets within the course of.

It is hardly a outstanding return, however each have been so vital to Scotland’s success for his or her work out of possession, and within the build-up, whether or not that be by means of Adams’ hold-up play or Dykes’ aerial qualities.

Nonetheless, they’ve the poorest objective return of the 5 choices. Adams scored seven occasions for Torino this season whereas Dykes managed 5 for Birmingham and Charlton within the English Championship.

In the identical division, Ipswich’s Hirst and Southampton’s Stewart every acquired 11 targets however are far much less skilled at worldwide stage, with eight and two caps respectively.

How does Clarke strike the proper stability in midfield?

Scotland are blessed with a plethora of expertise in the course of the park however Clarke has struggled to discover a constant pair of pivots, holding midfielders, sixes, sitters, or no matter you need to name them.

I can hear you shouting Scott McTominay and John McGinn, arguably Scotland’s two finest gamers, however they each primarily play extra superior roles for membership and nation.

Napoli’s McTominay is generally used as a No 10 and has solely began in a deeper midfield function as soon as within the final 20 worldwide matches.

Aston Villa captain McGinn is normally deployed off the left for Scotland – his final begin in central midfield was virtually two years in the past in a pleasant towards Gibraltar.

That leaves a struggle between Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Kenny McLean (Norwich) and Tyler Fletcher (Manchester United) for these two deep midfield spots.

Stability right here is the important thing for Clarke; he is chosen two right-footed gamers (Fletcher and Ferguson) and two left-footed gamers (Christie and McLean).

I will not get too technical however that is no coincidence.

Ferguson and Fletcher are possible combating for one jersey whereas Christie and McLean are combating for the opposite.

The proof actually factors to that anyway. Within the final 22 worldwide matches, Clarke has solely gone with two midfielders that use the identical foot 4 occasions, and two of these video games have been friendlies.

There are some decipherable tendencies which could possibly assist us hypothesise as to which gamers he makes use of and when.

With Gilmour dominated out by means of harm, that would open the door for Ferguson to begin towards Haiti, a fixture which stylistically can be extra suited to the Bologna midfielder.

That is assuming Clarke fingers 19-year-old Fletcher his first worldwide begin within the opening sport of a World Cup.

On the opposite facet, Christie seemed to be the popular candidate to McLean for the large video games in qualifying towards Greece and Denmark.

Can Clarke discover a strong partnership in central defence?

Since any variation of a back-five formation would possible embody Tierney at left centre-back, there are two spots up for grabs within the coronary heart of defence, regardless of form.

Clarke has picked 5 skilled pure centre-backs to take to the USA: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Jack Hendry (Al Ettifaq), John Souttar (Rangers) and Dominic Hyam (Wrexham).

However none of them are assured starters; Scotland have modified their centre-back pairing in every of their previous 10 video games.

McKenna, at 29, is the youngest of that quintet and has simply eclipsed the 50-cap milestone that has seen him inducted into the Worldwide Roll of Honour.

Solely 13 folks have performed extra occasions for Scotland than the ever-present Hanley, who has battled by means of health points to nail down a beginning spot at Hibernian in his first season in Scotland.

Hendry virtually performed each minute for Al Ettifaq within the Saudi Professional League this 12 months and Souttar was an everyday for Rangers – even sporting the armband in captain James Tavernier’s absence – earlier than shedding his place within the facet to Nasser Djiga for the ultimate two months.

Hyam was maybe a shock inclusion within the squad given his lack of caps (one on the time of his call-up), however he made 44 appearances within the English Championship this season for each Blackburn and Wrexham as he skippered the Welsh outfit to the brink of the play-offs.

Equally to the midfield conundrum, it seems Clarke doesn’t but know who his finest again two are.