GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 20: Odsonne Edouard of Celtic celebrates after scoring their sides second goal during the William Hill Scottish Cup final match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park National Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Scotland manager Steve Clarke has publicly defended Scott McTominay following a below-par display in the team’s opening World Cup Group C match against Haiti.
The Napoli midfielder struggled to make his usual impact as Scotland toiled to a slender 1-0 victory at Foxborough Stadium in Boston on Saturday night.
Clarke acknowledged the difficult conditions but was quick to point out that McTominay was not alone in finding the game a tough proposition.
“I think the Haiti game was a struggle for a lot of the players, not just Scott,” Clarke said. “I thought Haiti controlled our midfield very well. So you have to give credit to them.”
Clarke added that the opposition’s approach limited what his players could bring to the contest, noting: “Sometimes you don’t get the chance to bring your attributes to the game because of what the opposition do.”
The 29-year-old had reportedly been struck down by a sickness bug in the build-up to the match, with Clarke having previously insisted he was in perfect physical condition before kick-off.
Despite the underwhelming performance, Clarke was clear that McTominay remains central to Scotland’s hopes, saying simply: “Scott’s in a good place and ready to go again.”
Clarke was also careful to frame the team’s ambitions as a collective effort, pointing to the contributions of players including John McGinn, Grant Hanley, and Kenny McLean as essential to the squad’s strength.
“Scott gets a lot of headlines, but he’s also one of the first to understand that without the help of his teammates, it’s more difficult for him to be that talisman,” Clarke said. “If he can be that talisman tomorrow, then that’d be great.”
Scotland head into Friday night’s clash with Morocco at the same Foxborough stadium knowing a draw would almost certainly secure a historic place in the knockout rounds for the first time.
Morocco arrive as one of the tournament’s most respected sides, having reached the semi-finals at the World Cup four years ago as a surprise package that captured global attention.
Clarke expects Morocco to dominate possession and has urged his side to make the most of their own opportunities when they get the ball, saying: “What we have to make sure is that when we have the ball, we can be a big threat to Morocco.”
One question Clarke left conspicuously unanswered was whether he would retain the 4-4-2 formation he spent weeks building ahead of the tournament or revert to a more defensively secure setup.
There is growing suspicion among observers that Clarke may opt for a tactical change to deal with Morocco’s quality, though the manager refused to confirm or deny any such shift.
“More systems, different personnel for different games. That’s something that you’ll have to wait and see, as always,” he said.
Should Scotland fail to collect a point against Morocco, they would travel to Miami for a final Group C fixture against Brazil, a prospect Clarke acknowledged but declined to dwell on.
“The next game for sure, Morocco are going to be the most difficult because that’s the next game,” he said, firmly keeping his attention on the immediate challenge ahead.
Clarke praised Morocco’s showing in their match against Brazil, noting: “I thought Morocco were excellent in the first half against Brazil. Brazil showed a little bit of experience in the second half in that game to get back in.”
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