The tactical switch that helped Scotland erase Euro 2024 pain ahead of World Cup bid

The national side defeated Poland 2-1 in their final Nations League match at the National Stadium in Warsaw on Monday night to leapfrog their opponents into third place in the Group A1 table and secure a relegation play-off spot.

Progress to the quarter-finals may have eluded Andy Robertson, who netted the winner in the third minute of injury-time on the occasion of his 80th cap, and his team mates as Croatia drew 1-1 with Portugal in Split and finished a point ahead of them in the section.

However, the dramatic triumph was further evidence that Scotland have put their early exit from the Euros in Germany this summer firmly behind them. They drew 0-0 with Portugal at Hampden last month and beat Croatia 1-0 at home on Friday night to end a 10 match winless run in competitive fixtures.

Motherwell right-back O’Donnell, who won 26 international caps between 2018 and 2022 and started in all three group games at Euro 2020, celebrated along with the Tartan Army as Clarke’s men avoided dropping out of the top tier of the Nations League in dramatic fashion.

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He believes there have been several reasons for the country’s revival – not least the performances of young Middlesbrough winger Ben Doak out wide.    

But the 32-year-old is also convinced that switching from a three man to a four man rearguard has been key. Clarke has almost always played with wing-backs when Arsenal full-back Tierney and Liverpool defender Robertson have both been in the squad. His former player, though, would like to see him persevere with the set-up he has used this season going forward. 

“Anthony Ralston was pitched into the Euros at right wing-back this summer after Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson were ruled out by injury despite not playing as many minutes as he would have liked at club level,” he said. “He was under a lot of scrutiny.

“But he’s done brilliant in the Nations League games. I think the change to the system has helped him and the team. He has been playing at right-back not wing-back this season. Everybody will try to tell you that you are just a couple of yards further forward at wing-back, but it’s not as easy as that.

(Image: Alan Harvey – SNS Group / SFA) “This squad’s starting to develop an ability to adapt and maybe play different shapes against different teams. The players are good enough, they’re intelligent enough. I feel the manager could return to the back three if he wanted to or thought that he needed to. It certainly worked well in Euro 2024 qualifying.

“But I’d like to see a back four in World Cup qualifying. Personally, I prefer a back four albeit, even though I’ve played in a back five for a long time now. I don’t care that much personally to be honest, but I do think a back four I think gives the Scotland side a nice balance.

“Could Andy and Kieran play in a back four together? Look, I think they could. I played with them in a back four against Israel in a World Cup qualifier in Tel Aviv back in 2021. It was Andrew, Kieran, Grant [Hanley] and myself and we drew that match 1-1. 

“When Kieran gets back fit, regardless of what the manager decides to do, it gives him good problems. The team has looked good in every game of the Nations League, even the matches they lost. The performances, against top opposition, have been decent and all the games have been tight. That was something that was a bit frustrating in the summer, that the performances weren’t as good as they could have been.”

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Speaking as he promoted the SFA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards, O’Donnell added: “Regardless of what pot we are in for World Cup qualifying, we should be confident of competing with all the teams in our group and of beating the teams below us.

“Obviously, we will look to fight for first and second place. It’s quite far away to be talking about how the players will feel. There could be new players coming in. But the manager always has his team ready and they will have taken huge confidence from the Nations League. Hopefully we’ll come out strong when the World Cup qualifiers start.”

(Image: PA Wire) O’Donnell expects right-backs Anthony Ralston and Nicky Devlin of Aberdeen, who came on against Poland on Monday night to win his second cap, to be in the Scotland squad when they get their bid to reach the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2026 underway next year.

But he would not be surprised if his old Motherwell team mate Max Johnston, who won the league and cup double in Austria with Sturm Graz last season and has played for them in the Champions League twice this term, is involved as well. 

“One of Steve’s special traits is loyalty,” he said. “But I don’t think it blinds him too much because, when the time is right, he takes you out if you’re not getting enough game time at your club or you have a dip in form and brings someone new in.

“Max has been called into the squad this season. I played with him and know he has great attributes. If anyone Scottish is playing in the Champions League then obviously they should be in the equation, should be in the conversation.

“But that’s where you need to trust the management team. Other than the fact they don’t pick me anymore, I do. I trust the management team that they see everything. Look at the boys who are over in America. The general public don’t see much of them, but the coaches do their due diligence.

“Max has got a great future. I saw him play at right back for the under-21s this season and think he’s got a lot of attributes that could be great for Scotland. I like him a lot. But I trust Tony and Nicky as well. As I say, Steve is loyal. That is why there is such a club spirt in the Scotland camp.”

Motherwell and Scotland defender Stephen O’Donnell was promoting the SFA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards. The awards, which are now in their 20th years, recognise and celebrate the work of grassroots football heroes who support their communities.