There is a renewed sense of belief among the Tartan Army that Scotland can go on and qualify for next summer’s World Cup Finals.
After taking four points from the opening two matches away from home against Denmark and Belarus last month, Scotland have made a positive start to the campaign.
Steve Clarke named his latest squad yesterday for the upcoming double-header against Greece and the Belarusians at Hampden next week.
Craig Gordon has been recalled in place of Hearts team-mate Zander Clark, despite the fact he hasn’t played any first-team football in five months.
It means that none of the goalkeepers — including Nottingham Forest’s Angus Gunn and Rangers’ Liam Kelly — are first picks at club level.
Kieran Tierney is back in the mix after dropping out of the last squad and struggling with fitness issues in the early part of the season with Celtic.
Scotland coach Clarke has picked his squad for upcoming games against Greece and Belarus
Scotland opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a creditable draw in Denmark
The Scots took care of business in Belarus with a 2-0 win that put them in a good position
There was no place among the forwards for either Lawrence Shankland or Oliver Burke, despite their good form for Hearts and Union Berlin respectively.
Here, Daily Mail Sport breaks down some of the key talking points from Clarke’s press conference at Hampden yesterday.
What’s the thinking behind bringing Craig Gordon back in?
‘Same as the last time I spoke about the goalkeepers. None of the frontline goalkeepers for me were starting for their clubs.
‘I’ve spoken to the people I need to speak to about Craig. They tell me that he’s really fit, he’s back in training.
Craig Gordon has been recalled despite having not played first-team football for five months
‘He’s the most experienced in terms of caps that I’ve got. So, it just felt the right time to bring him back into the squad.
‘It’s very important that you trust the players and it’s important that the players trust me, and I think I’ve got a good relationship with all my players, but with Craig in particular.’
How close was Lawrence Shankland? He’s been in good form for a Hearts team who are top of the league…
‘Yeah, always close. I obviously know Lawrence very well. I know what he can bring to the squad.
Lawrence Shankland has looked back to his best for Hearts but has been overlooked by Clarke
‘I just felt that the forward players did well in the last camp, did well in the games, and they’ve done well for their clubs in between, so I didn’t see too much reason to change.’
Do you have any fitness concerns about Kieran Tierney? He has been unable to play 90 minutes much this season. Have you spoken to Celtic about it?
‘No. I tend not to contact clubs. I watch them and the minutes that the players are getting.
‘Obviously Kieran is fit, played 90 minutes in a full game against Partick Thistle in the League Cup, which is good. So, no issues.
‘I think for Kieran, obviously he’s on a recovery process, if you like, from having suffered from a lot of long-term injuries. He’s working his way back.
Clarke retains faith in Kieran Tierney despite his apparent fitness struggles at Celtic
‘He was part of the last squad but had to pull out with an injury he picked up in the Old Firm game before the last camp. He’s fit now, he’s back in the squad.’
What about Oli Burke? He scored a hat-trick last week – have you seen much of him in Germany?
‘I think with all these players, people seem to think that because I tend to pick the same players more often than not, people think that I don’t look outside, I don’t look at other options.
‘I’m always looking at other options because you never know when you’re going to get injuries, suspensions and when you’re going to have to call people into your squad.
‘So yeah, I got a lot of text messages when Oli got that hat-trick and it was good to see because obviously he’s a big talent.
Oli Burke has got off to a flying start at new club Union Berlin but hasn’t made the cut this time
‘He was in some of my earlier squads. He’s sort of drifted a little bit over the last five years, but if he can find a home and settle down and play well week in week out, then that will be good for us.’
Andy Robertson has found himself out the team at Liverpool this season. Are you confident he will be ready to go? Does he have a point to prove?
‘Yeah,100 per cent. I had a good chat with Andy last week and I had a good chat with him before the season.
‘Pretty much how it’s panned out is how we discussed it at the time, that [Milos] Kerkez would start in the team, but Andy would find his way into the team. That’s what’s happened.
‘So, we always knew that Andy would get lots of minutes. On the plus side for us, if he’s getting good minutes for Liverpool, but not getting all the minutes, it means that he comes into the Scotland camps probably a little bit fresher than he was in in recent years, which can only be good for us.
Scotland skipper Andy Robertson is no longer a guaranteed weekly starter at Liverpool
‘I think you’ve always got that as a player, you’ve always got a point to prove to your club manager, your international manager, to all the pundits or you guys or all the fans, you’ve always got a point to prove every time you go to the pitch.
‘When you’re captain your country, you’ve probably got a little bit more of a point to prove.’
What about Grant Hanley? Takes a lot of stick at times but he has done well for you and looks like he’s enjoying a fresh start at Hibs…
‘I’ve always liked Grant. I know what he brings, I know how good a defender he is, I know how good he is within the squad.
‘I’m sure the people at Hibs are finding out what a good guy he is to have in the dressing room and what a good guy he is to have on the pitch.
Grant Hanley has been a major presence at the back for Hibs since his move north of the border
‘In terms of his performances for Hibs, no surprise to me. Do I understand the fans? Not always! Certainly not in that [criticism Hanley often gets].
‘I’ve got a certain bit of experience in the game over a number of years, and I think you recognise what players bring to you and sometimes it’s not obvious to people outside your group or your camp or your club or whatever you are.
‘Sometimes you get the steady players that play week in, week out for your club or for your international squad that don’t grab the headlines, but as a manager or a coach, you always appreciate what they bring to the group. And Grant would certainly be in that category.’
Ben Gannon-Doak has been a revelation for Scotland but it’s been a bit stop-start at club level since moving to Bournemouth. What are your thoughts?
‘Yeah, you would [prefer him to be playing more regularly]. But you’ve also got to understand that he’s a young player who’s made a big move.
Ben Gannon Doak hasn’t had a great deal of football at Bournemouth but will be key for Scots
‘He’s going to a club that have started the season well without Ben in the team. So, he’s going to have to be patient.
‘He’s going to have to, when he gets his minutes on the pitch, he’s going to have to show what he can do.’
What are your thoughts on Greece and the upcoming double-header as a whole? Can you learn anything from the 3-0 defeat to them at Hampden earlier this year?
‘I was surprised at the goals we gave away. I thought that was very unlike us and I’m sure we can address the deficiencies from that game defensively.
‘Did Greece surprise me? No, because I know they’re a good side. What did surprise me was the fact that they lost so heavily away to Denmark a few weeks ago. That probably surprised a few people. They’ve got a point to prove as well coming into this game.
Konstantinos Karetsas celebrates after scoring the second of Greece’s three goals at Hampden
‘We know each other well from the two games in March. We obviously went to Greece and won, they came here and won. It ended up a comfortable night for them, but there were moments in the first half where we showed what we can do against them.
‘If we get the in-possession side of our game correct, but marry that up with our defensive shape and how we defend, then I’m sure we’ll be a much better team this time.
‘Like I say, Greece now come here, they’re under pressure to get two big results. They play ourselves away and Denmark away. So, it’s a big month for the Greeks as well as everybody else in the section.’
