Ben Doak. Credit: Imago Images
Scotland secured a landmark 1-0 victory over Haiti in Boston, their first World Cup win in 36 years, with John McGinn’s goal proving decisive.
The result puts Scotland in a strong position within Group C, with crucial fixtures against Morocco and Brazil still to come.
Ben Gannon-Doak was widely regarded as one of Scotland’s standout performers despite the team’s overall underwhelming display against Haiti.
The young attacker had an early effort saved, set up Scott McTominay for a strike that came back off the post, and delivered the cross that led to McGinn’s winning goal.
Despite that contribution, Scotland manager Steve Clarke’s post-match comments about Gannon-Doak left journalists puzzled and searching for meaning.
Journalist Keith Jackson flagged Clarke’s response as notably curious during the latest Hotline LIVE episode, broadcast live from Boston.
“My worry is that Steve Clarke gave a very curious answer when asked about Gannon-Doak’s performance,” Jackson said, setting the tone for a broader discussion about the manager’s intentions.
Clarke had been asked whether he was delighted with the contributions of both Lewis Ferguson and Gannon-Doak, to which his response conspicuously singled out only one of the two players.
“The answer was ‘well you’re right about Lewis Ferguson, he was exceptional’ and the inference from that is that you’re absolutely wrong about Gannon-Doak,” Jackson noted.
Clarke went further, suggesting Gannon-Doak had struggled against his opposing full back, with the defender having “played very well against him” throughout the contest.
Jackson questioned whether Clarke’s comments were tactical mind games designed to extract more from the player ahead of Scotland’s next Group C fixture against Morocco.
“Is he trying to get something extra out of Ben Gannon-Doak in the next game? Is he not happy with him?” Jackson asked during the broadcast.
One theory raised was that Clarke may have felt Gannon-Doak failed to offer sufficient defensive cover, particularly to Aaron Hickey, who was left exposed at times in the first half.
“If he’s not doing that, then Steve Clarke won’t be slow in telling him,” Jackson said, pointing to the manager’s well-known directness with his players.
Jackson also noted that Andy Robertson made similar remarks in the mixed zone after the game, hinting that senior players may be delivering the same message to the young attacker.
“I wonder if the older players are going ‘wee man, we love you but you’re going to have to start doing your work for the team before you start doing your work for yourself,'” Jackson speculated.
Whether Clarke’s comments reflect genuine dissatisfaction or calculated man-management, Scotland will be counting on Gannon-Doak’s attacking threat as the tournament pressure intensifies.
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