Euro 2024: Don't worry, Scotland won't get too carried away with Steve Clarke at the helm – Scotsman comment

Some may allow themselves to get carried away after 2-0 defeat of Georgia but not Scotland men's national team manager Steve Clarke

Undefeated. Conquerors of Cyprus, Spain, Norway and Georgia. Scotland might as well book their flights to the Euro 2024 championships in Germany right now… or should they? It is hard not to get carried away. And there will be those who say: “Why shouldn’t we? Why can’t we be confident, even arrogant?”

However, those old enough to remember the last time Scotland was caught up in such a mood – 1978, when Ally’s Army travelled to Argentina confident of World Cup glory – will advise caution. The victories over Spain and Norway could be described as shocks, defeats to both in the second round of games would not be. Throw in a stumble away to Georgia and an unlucky draw in Cyprus, and the current glorious wave of optimism could descend into head-in-hands despair.

But fear not. In Steve Clarke, Scotland has a manager so level-headed and whose feet are so securely planted on terra firma that he could be used to calibrate Nasa’s most sophisticated astronomical instruments. He will keep his charges grounded even if the rest of us start floating prematurely towards footballing heaven.