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Scotland striker Che Adams has spoken candidly about how isolated he felt during Scotland’s disappointing Euro 2024 campaign in Germany.
Playing all three group stage games largely on his own up front, Adams was left to plough a lone furrow with minimal support from his teammates.
Scotland faced Germany, Switzerland and Hungary before going out early, barely troubling their opponents across the entire tournament.
That attacking inefficiency is something manager Steve Clarke has worked hard to address in the buildup to this summer’s World Cup in the United States.
Adams is now set to be joined up front by Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland as Clarke shifts towards a more dynamic two-pronged attacking approach.
The partnership showed genuine promise during last weekend’s 4-0 warm-up victory over Bolivia, with Adams grabbing a double in New Jersey.
Adams said: “It’s good to play with Lawrence. He’s a top player and a top finisher.”
He added: “I think every striker prefers to play alongside another one. It manages the load a bit more and helps the team press a little bit higher up.”
Wide players Ben Doak, Ryan Christie and Findlay Curtis are also expected to provide ammunition in wide areas, just as they did against Bolivia.
Adams was particularly impressed by Doak’s display, saying: “Doaky is just direct and gets in behind. He put the first goal on a plate for me. I’m really happy with his performance and the team’s performance.”
He continued: “He’s a bright, positive player with a big future ahead of him. We just need to put him in the right positions and try to help him.”
Scotland also have the considerable creative and goalscoring threat of Scott McTominay operating in midfield, alongside Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson.
Adams said: “Scott will be key for us. Fergie as well, he’s a great player who helps balance the midfield.”
He added: “After the two years he’s had in Napoli, he’s full of confidence now and everyone knows how much he can help this team.”
The contrast between Scotland’s mood now and their deflated mindset heading into Euro 2024 is striking, with Adams pointing to a genuine shift in collective confidence.
Adams said: “Hopefully this tournament is coming at the perfect time for us. But it’s up to us to do the magic on the pitch.”
He was equally firm about squad unity, saying: “Everyone is together, more than ever. And that’s credit to the boys, the staff and the gaffer.”
Scotland open their World Cup Group C campaign against Haiti in Boston this weekend, and despite the Caribbean side’s lowly FIFA ranking, Adams has warned against complacency.
He said: “Haiti is a strong team who have picked up some big results. They lost their last game to two set-pieces so that’s something to keep an eye on.”
Adams, who holds the proud record of Scotland never losing a match in which he scores, remains confident Scotland can make a genuine impression on this tournament.
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