Stevo knows that whatever you want to call your subs, Shankland is a matchwinner who needs to be on the pitch for the big moments.
In the dressing rooms I grew up in, we’d talk about sitting deep and winning the second balls. Now it’s all about the low blocks and transitions. Even substitutes have had a rebrand. Eddie Jones, the old England rugby boss, used to call them finishers. It was his way of trying to soothe the frustration of players he was dropping from his line-up by making out they still had a role to play in the crucial final moments.
And you know what? As much as you knew it was flannel, half the time it worked. You’d sprint on to the park determined to answer that call. Lawrence Shankland won’t need much encouragement to do a job for Scotland regardless of whether he’s a starter or a “finisher”. Either way, I believe he can play a huge role. If it was down to me I’d be going with the Hearts skipper from the kick-off against Germany on Friday night.
Ultimately, though, I always believe strikers are judged on their ability to put the ball in the net. We may only get one or two looks at the German goal so who would you want standing there as a loose ball breaks? One man who won’t be involved is Craig Gordon after he was left out of the squad. It must have been a horrible call for the manager to make and there’s no doubt it will sting for Craig given all the hard work he has put in trying to battle back to full fitness and reclaim his No.1 spot for both Hearts and Scotland.
Scotland Football Team Germany Football Team Euro 2024 Steve Clarke Craig Gordon Ryan Stevenson
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