Steve Clarke explains key Scotland squad decisions as new boy introduced and omission of quartet laid bare

Cieran Slicker is one of three keepers in the squad. | SNS Group

An international year that started with so much promise, and excitement, will reach a conclusion later this month with Scotland in danger of being relegated.

It’s been an undeniably fraught 12 months. Some might consider Steve Clarke to be fortunate to be sitting where he was at Hampden on Monday as he announced his latest squad for the final two games of 2024, against Croatia and Poland in Group A1 of the Nations League. 

They are the last two chances to gain a first competitive victory of the calendar year. The last time Scotland registered zero wins in such a time frame was 2012, and Craig Levein paid the price by losing his job.

Clarke is back on firmer ground. The fact that naming his latest squad felt like such a straightforward assignment was reflective of the job he’s done in recent weeks to turn things around. Or at least stop things from spiralling. Four largely commendable performances against Poland, Portugal (twice) and Croatia might only have yielded one point. However, they have significantly reduced the heat hitherto building around the manager.

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has named his squad for this month's Nations League matches. | SNS Group

The tension was palpable when he entered the same auditorium in August, prior to games against Poland and Portugal. It was the first opportunity to engage the manager in a post-mortem following the events at Euro 2024, with Scotland’s involvement in the tournament having ended as many as 65 days earlier. Some felt Clarke owed the nation an apology. Whether he did or not, it wasn’t offered. And here we are.

The traumatic 1-0 defeat to Hungary that sealed the Scots’ fate is now over 130 days ago. The healing is well under way. The fact the major squad talking point was the inclusion of third-choice goalkeeper Cieran Slicker perhaps said everything about the sense of calm that has settled over Scotland. Of course, that might be interpreted by some as apathy.

Still, the Ipswich Town goalkeeper’s name appearing in the otherwise familiar-looking squad felt notable, if only for prompting a discussion about whether a player has ever been called up by Scotland before without playing a single minute of senior football. Well, it’s happened now. The Oldham-born Slicker has played 17 times for the Under-21s, most recently in June. But he has yet to make his senior debut having come through the ranks at Manchester City. He joined Ipswich two summers ago and was back up for a spell to first-choice former St Mirren ‘keeper Vaclav Hladky last season.

Hladky has since left for Burnley but while Slicker started off the season on the bench for Ipswich's Premier League return against Liverpool, this place has now gone to former No 1 Christian Walton. New signing Arijanet Muric is in possession of the gloves as it stands.

Slicker, 22, benefits from Jon McCracken's ill-timed period of shaky form for Dundee. McCracken has dropped out after being called up two squads ago.

“I think it's just a chance for us to look at Cieran up close and personal in the camp,” explained Clarke. “I've been rotating the goalkeepers a little bit through the squad so that we can look at different people. Cieran's now out of the under-21 group, so it's a chance for myself and my coaches to have a look at him.”

Cieran Slicker is one of three keepers in the squad. | SNS Group

Hearts 'keeper Craig Gordon continues as the undisputed No 1 and will, fitness permitting, win caps number 78 and 79 of an extraordinary career. It will leave him just an appearance short of Darren Fletcher's total of 80 caps. 

A combined total of 73 caps return in the shape of defenders Scott McKenna and Jack Hendry. The latter is named in the squad for the first time since since the Euros having recovered from injury. The Al-Ettifaq defender was one of the few players to gain pass marks in Germany. As Clarke noted, it’s pleasing to have “regular” players starting to come back. The last two squads have been heavily disrupted due to injury. 

The manager might still be required to dig deeper into his resources again depending on what happens in the coming days, with many players set to play twice for their clubs before the squad begins gathering in Glasgow next week.

One is already doubtful. Che Adams limped out of Torino’s 1-0 home defeat to Fiorentina on Sunday with a thigh injury. “It'll be scanned and assessed by his club, and we'll find out later in the week whether or not he'll join up,” said Clarke. 

He has no plans to call up any replacements if Adams does not make it, which seems the most likely eventuality. “I've got four forwards in the squad, so we're well covered in that department,” said the manager, with reference to Lyndon Dykes, Lawrence Shankland and Tommy Conway, who has returned after injury and is in good form at Middlesbrough.

His midfield looks well stocked, which partly explains why 19-year-old Lennon Miller, who Clarke watched skipper Motherwell in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers, has been left to focus on the under-19s. “He's another one, a young one, that everybody wants to hype and push,” he said. “It's important to let young players grow, so let's just allow Lennon a little bit of time and space to grow up more than well.”

Lewis Ferguson will be given space for a different reason. He has just returned for Bologna after a serious knee injury. “I think when you look at the longer-term injuries, it's better for them to get minutes at their club, build up their robustness,” said Clarke. “For people like Lewis and Kieran (Tierney) and Nathan Patterson, it's better that they get minutes over the winter and hopefully they're all fit and flying come March.”

Lennon Miller should be given space and time, said Clarke. | SNS Group

At the very least, Clarke will hope to be involved in a relegation play-off that month, possibly against England. Remarkably, Scotland could yet finish second in their group, which would mean progress to the quarter-finals and likely have World Cup qualification seeding benefits.

That would provide an enormously welcome upbeat ending to a year when Clarke had hoped to make history by reaching the second stage of a major tournament for the first time. It didn’t quite work out as hoped. The manager can at least take some satisfaction from having steadied the boat, for now.