Clarke's reluctance to afford opportunities to fresh Scotland faces isn't just an in-game issue
If that's the pace of change we're looking at with Scotland, then Steve Clarke could find himself in endangered territory before long. He included some fresh faces in the Nations League squad to face Poland, but in what has been a theme of Clarke's tenure, kept them on the bench whist sticking with what he knows in the starting XI.
It was 2-0 before half-time and the argument for the same old approach just wasn't there as our most winnable fixture of this Nations League campaign on paper was proving anything but. Improvement did come swiftly after the break as a welcome second goal in Dark Blue from Billy Gilmour reduced the deficit before Scott McTominay levelled.
Doak won't fix all of Scotland's problems, but he does at least bring a freshness and attacking intent. He needs minutes to prove he can do it at international level - as do all the new call ups - and there appears little value in waiting for so long to unleash him. Clarke maybe feels he can't take risks given the wretched run of form. However, he seems pretty confident he's the man to lead the next attempt at qualifying for a World Cup despite the struggles over the past year or so. Whether we make it to USA, Canada and Mexico or not, it will likely be his final campaign.
Tartan Army Steve Clarke Ben Doak Ryan Gauld Anthony Ralston Scott Mctominay Billy Gilmour Nations League World Cup
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