Even the kilts have been left at home this time.
Twenty-eight years after a bleached-blonde Ally McCoist and an aviator-wearing Colin Hendry danced around the Stade de France ahead of their World Cup opener against Brazil, Scotland have got serious as they make their long-awaited return to the big time.
In a remarkable twist of fate, Scotland will face two of the same group opponents as they did in 1998 across the Pond this summer, but that is where the similarities end, as Steve Clarke and the Tartan Army look to do something they have never done in their history.
While breaking their World Cup finals qualification hoodoo is a mighty monkey off their backs, Clarke and his men want more, given they have reached three of the last four majors under his tutelage.
The expanded format made qualification easier, while also giving more opportunities to go that step further and reach those previously elusive knockout rounds.
“I have done seven of these as a commentator,” former Scotland international Pat Nevin tells The i Paper. “The first was in 1998. I thought ‘oh, this will be good, we’ll enjoy doing this every four years.’ And all these years later, finally, Scotland are here.
“I’m therefore looking forward to this tournament slightly differently. If we win the first game, beat Haiti, and maybe score a few goals, that’s probably enough. As long as you’re not daft and get hammered against Morocco or Brazil. So three or four points might be enough to get you through. And for Scotland, that would mean more than the world.”
Is Clarke out of his depth on the world stage?
Clarke’s major tournament record leaves much to be desired (Photo: Getty)Clarke is seven years into the job, but the jury is still out on the manager.
Three tournaments in four, while only just missing out on the last World Cup, is an impressive return. But in those showpiece events, Scotland have not won a single game, going home every time with the meekest of whimpers.
Naysayers suggest Clarke is too loyal to particular players and lacks the tactical masterplan on the biggest stage. Those who know him best don’t share the sentiment.
“It is hard to criticise when he has brought so much success,” Motherwell full-back Stephen O’Donnell, who played for Clarke at Kilmarnock and Scotland at Euro 2020, tells The i Paper.
“The loyalty he has is towards players who have performed for him consistently. I don’t really see how criticism can be put to him for that, given the success. When you look at the squad, have we had good squads? Yes. World-beating squads? No. So there has to be some tactical astuteness.
“He built a belief that we could qualify for these tournaments from very early on. You see that in the amazing nights in Serbia (in 2020) and then against Denmark, who are a top side with tournament experience. Those nights come about as a result of having belief. He does it by touching on the emotions of what it would mean for a country like Scotland. He draws on your families, being away from them, so make it all worth it.”
Clarke’s CV speaks for itself, when you consider the calibre of coach he has worked with.
“He’s not flamboyant, so it doesn’t light the fire of a lot of people,” Nevin adds. “As a football person, he’s exactly the sort of person I’d like to work under. He is clearly incredibly knowledgeable and very, very good tactically.
“You have to remember his background. You don’t get to work with José Mourinho, Ruud Gulitt, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Bobby Robson, absolutely phenomenal people in football, without being something. They all loved him. They all thought he was a fantastic coach.
“But tell me who, on social media, other than David Attenborough, that’s kind of just generally loved. So that’s the deal.”
Inside Scotland’s 2026 masterplan
Kieran Tierney (pictured) and Robertson’s link up on the left will be crucial to Scotland’s hopes (Photo: Getty)Another winless summer would only give those doubters fuel for the fire. Despite penning a long-term deal that would see him through to the next World Cup, three defeats could still signal the end.
His squad selection suggests a formation switch is upon us, to a 3-5-2 system that has brought about great success in the past. In the main, for one particular combination.
“A classic one people forget with Clarke is that he had to find a way to get Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson into the team together,” Nevin adds. “Because they are two of our best players. Nobody thought he could, given they play in the same position, but he did.
“He changed it to a 3-5-2. One left centre-back, one left wing-back. And Scotland, for a period under them, those two were absolutely unstoppable on the left-hand side.
“And there’s been other things like the Scott McTominay one. Man United had him for years and didn’t quite figure out whether he was a number eight or 10. Well, Clarke did. So much so that Napoli take him on and he has two staggering years in Naples. He’s a God-like figure there.”
Scotland cannot rely on McTominay overhead kicks this summer. It appears that 3-5-2 could again be Clarke’s weapon of choice. It caters for Robertson to get forward while not leaving them over exposed, with the cavalry option of an underlapping Tierney to pose even more threat.
That added defensive cover can free up their two leading lights in midfield, John McGinn and McTominay, too. Which is important, given their options further upfield, as is often been the case with Scotland, are limited.
Fletcher the Clarke curveball?
Tyler Fletcher, son of Man Utd and Scotland legend Darren Fletcher, is part of the squad (Photo: Getty)The squad selection was very anti-Thomas Tuchel, with few surprises.
Billy Gilmour’s heartbreaking withdrawal through injury, however, has got people talking over the border. It was assumed Lennon Miller, a regular in Clarke squads and someone who only just missed out on a World Cup spot, would come in.
Instead, the unproven Tyler Fletcher is the replacement. Son of Scotland and Manchester United great Darren Fletcher, the 19-year-old impressed in a recent friendly against Curaçao.
In training, McGinn was said to have been wowed by the youngster’s ability. He may just be there to make up the numbers, but several insiders believe Fletcher has gone over Miller to bring an additional X-Factor.
The question is, is the teenager, whose twin brother also plays for United and, bizarrely, represents England at youth level, ready for such a pressurised environment?
“Think about how many tournaments he’s played in, how many finals he’s played, how many pressured situations that he’s been through in his journey, I know that number to be quite large,” head of United’s academy, Stephen Torpey, telld The i Paper.
“As a young person, going through the academy system in England and succeeding at many levels, you get drip-fed huge moments from being very young. At a U10 tournament, when you get to the final against Europe’s elite, you might feel a similar kind of pressure. Now it’s just on a different scale but he’s older and wiser. He’s been in preparation for this moment.
“Training with Manchester United’s first team every day for the last six months, the intensity of that training, you could argue is more than playing in certain leagues.”
Whoever it is who steps up, there has never been a greater opportunity for Scotland to really do something for the Tartan Army to cherish on the global stage.
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