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Managers making critical comment towards supporters is rarely a movie that ends well, no matter the validity of the complaint. As soon as Steve Clarke admitted to being surprised and disappointed by the boos which met confirmation of Scotland’s defeat against Japan on Saturday, a strange relationship between coach and country had been emphasised.
The meeting with Côte d’Ivoire in Liverpool, on face value a box-ticking exercise, carries huge meaning for Scotland. The euphoria of qualifying for the World Cup will vanish if the Tartan Army are burdened by the fear of what may take place when it kicks off. Clarke used pre-match media duties to play down discord when the issue clearly lingers.
“Some people go to football to boo,” he said. “Other people can think what they want. For us it wasn’t a big issue.”
Clarke finds himself at a crossroads in respect of his career and status. It feels unfair that a manager who has guided a previously irrelevant footballing nation to three tournaments, including a first World Cup in 28 years, is not revered by fans. The explanation for that is twofold.
Scottish punters were angered by the nature of performances at Euro 2020 and, especially, 2024. There is also an undeniable element of familiarity breeding contempt given Clarke has been in position for seven years and 75 games. The football punter of 2026 craves change, typically only for the sake of it. Clarke may give the impression he cares little about public sentiment but football managers want to be appreciated.
Clarke’s shyness is often mistaken for conceit. Those who decry his selection and tactical approach overstate the ability of Scotland’s players. Japan became the latest nation to expose glaring technical shortcomings during their 1-0 win. Supporters are, however, also within their rights to grumble. That Scotland’s followers care rather than adopt shoulder-shrugging is a positive.
The Scottish Football Association is in an awkward situation regarding Clarke’s future. The manager made plain his unrest over the lack of a new contract offer when announcing his squad for the March friendlies. Clarke’s deal ends when Scotland exit the World Cup. This is one genie that cannot be placed back in a bottle, despite attempts to do so. The SFA should have agreed a path forward with Clarke, even privately, immediately after qualification. The governing body clearly sat under the misguided belief he was relaxed about his position.
Clarke can legitimately point out his paymasters know enough about his work to decide whether they want him to remain. There is no obvious list of alternatives for this role. Yet dishing out a deal before the World Cup is dangerous. Should Scotland flop in the US – history suggests this is perfectly feasible – the association would be berated if Clarke’s terms had been extended. Clarke is savvy enough to have worked out it will be far more difficult for Scotland not to qualify for Euro 2028 than feature in that tournament. Some form of compromise will be needed in the coming weeks to prevent this from being a distraction in the US.
Scotland arrived at the last European Championship in poor form and never regained their groove. Côte d’Ivoire – who trounced South Korea 4-0 at the weekend – hardly look like favourable opposition. Curaçao and Venezuela await before Scotland take on Haiti in Boston on 13 June. “What matters is getting to tournaments and competing better in tournaments,” said John McGinn.
“Do you go into any game to lose or draw? You go in to win but the priority here is getting minutes into the legs of boys not playing at club level and unfortunately we have a few of them. We need the opportunity to tinker a little bit. I’d happily lose friendlies for 10 years to make each major tournament.”
Clarke could have boosted the public mood and his statistics by picking soft friendly opposition. “When you challenge players, they know the levels they have to reach,” he said.
“The more you do, the better you are, the more people expect from you. I’d rather have it that way than people not too bothered about whether you do well or not.”
Clarke will utilise Fifa’s opportunity to name 55 players in an original World Cup squad at the start of May. The group will be cut to 26. It is fair to ask where on earth the manager may source an additional 29 names. “I’m definitely No 55,” Clarke said with a smile.
Levity, self-deprecation. The Ayrshireman does a decent line in both. It seems a pity that someone who has contributed so much is not the recipient of the warmth he merits. Whether that enters the thought process of the SFA board remains to be seen.
