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Richard Gordon: Scotland boss Steve Clarke has reignited the passion for the national team

Victory against Spain has left the Tartan Army dreaming of a World Cup return.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke. Image: SNS.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke. Image: SNS.

All too often over the years, being a Scotland fan has, at best, been a testing experience.

At times it has been much worse than that, and there have been occasions where I felt a complete disconnect with the national team.

Between France 98 and Euro 2020, the string of qualification failures was hard to take, and while there were a few close calls and play-off disappointment, for the most part we were out of contention long before the biennial groups drew to a close.

Such was the recurring heartbreak, my old BBC colleague, Chick Young, would regularly bemoan the fact he had not been born Spanish or French. It was a sentiment we could all identify with.

Walter Smith and Alex McLeish, first time round, offered some respite, and there were some hopeful signs under Gordon Strachan, but for too long the Tartan Army suffered as the likes of Berti Vogts, George Burley and Craig Levein all found the national manager’s job too demanding.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke watches his side defeat Spain. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

When McLeish was dismissed after his second spell in charge in 2019, Steve Clarke was the obvious choice, and his progression as Scotland boss culminated in what was the best performance of his reign on Tuesday night.

The team was outstanding against Spain, every player hitting the heights.

After riding out a ten-minute spell in the first half, they allowed the visitors little or no freedom to cause any real concern. Angus Gunn did not have a single save to make from the half-hour mark, comfortably keeping a second straight clean sheet to kick-off his international career; a remarkable statistic against a side still ranked tenth in the world.

Much of that was down to an excellent defensive performance by the trio of Ryan Porteous, Grant Hanley and Kieran Tierney, but they were helped significantly by the rest of the team.

It was, first and foremost, a hard-working display by what is clearly a close-knit group, that in itself another indication of the all-round improvement under Clarke.

It was not just about endeavour though. Having played some attractive football in last weekend’s win over Cyprus, the players stepped up to another level on Tuesday night; it was as complete a showing as I can recall in a long time.

Steve Clarke has enjoyed some notable successes as national team manager. Image: SNS. 

Steve spoke last week about the initial difficulties he found in adjusting to life as an international manager. That was borne out in his first few games in charge, and he experienced painful defeats at the hands of Russia and Belgium, but he began to get his message across, and within 18 months had secured a place at the Euros on that memorable night in Belgrade.

The finals did not go as hoped, and the last World Cup qualifying attempt began disappointingly, but he revived that with six straight wins, and although we lost in the play-offs, Clarke led his side to promotion in the Nations League.

It has been a gradual, but noticeable improvement in his three and a half years, and that was what gave many of us genuine hope for the current campaign.

Both Steve and the players tried to keep a lid on their emotions after seeing off Spain, rightly pointing out there is a long way to go, but it has been an excellent start, and this group has the wherewithal to see it through from here.

Dons right to back Robson

While it took the club a little longer than many of us had anticipated, the Dons made the right call this week when confirming Barry Robson as their new manager, initially until the end of the season.

The delay was clearly down to an exhaustive recruitment process, as outlined by Dave Cormack in the statement which announced Barry’s appointment, but it was no surprise to discover which route they had decided to go down.

Barry Robson, centre, with his backroom staff after being named Premiership manager of the month for March. 

If I’m honest, some of the names being mentioned really worried me, and it is a relief that the chairman ultimately gave Robson what is a well-deserved crack at the job.

There are no guarantees, and the game is littered with examples of caretakers who failed when given a permanent post, but Barry has, as I outlined in last week’s column, many of the attributes required, and will now be given the opportunity to prove that.

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