Steve Clarke backs McTominay amid World Cup challenge
Steve Clarke has backed Scott McTominay to rediscover his best form against Morocco and insisted Scotland’s leading man can still become their World Cup talisman despite an underwhelming display against Haiti, reports BritPanorama.
The Napoli midfielder struggled to impose himself as Scotland laboured to a narrow 1-0 victory in their opening Group C match, with Clarke’s side forced to dig deep to secure three valuable points.
A victory over Morocco in Boston on Friday night would leave Scotland on the brink of reaching the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time in their history, while even a draw could prove enough to keep them firmly on course.
McTominay, 29, arrived at the tournament in sparkling form but looked short of his usual intensity against Haiti after suffering from illness in the build-up to the game.
Clarke believes the criticism aimed at his star midfielder has been harsh and pointed to Haiti’s tactical discipline as a key reason for Scotland’s struggles. “I think the Haiti game was a struggle for a lot of the players, not just Scott,” Clarke said. “I thought Haiti controlled our midfield very well. So you have to give credit to them. Sometimes you don’t get the chance to bring your attributes to the game because of what the opposition do. I think that might have been the case.”
“Scott’s in a good place and ready to go again,” Clarke added, acknowledging McTominay’s importance to the national team while stressing that Scotland have several experienced players capable of stepping up on the biggest stage. “Scott has been one of our key players,” he said, mentioning players like John McGinn, Grant Hanley, and Kenny McLean as vital members of a well-rounded squad.
Clarke emphasized that while McTominay may get a lot of headlines, support from team-mates is essential for him to shine. “If he can be that talisman tomorrow, then that’d be great,” he noted.
Regarding tactical plans, Clarke refused to disclose whether he would continue with the 4-4-2 formation used against Haiti, despite having worked on it extensively leading up to the tournament. “It’s worked well for us, but every system that we’ve ever played, we’ve put a lot of work into them too,” he stated. “I’ve shown over my time as head coach that we can do different systems. That’s something that you’ll have to wait and see, as always.”
He anticipates a sterner test from Morocco, who impressed in their draw with Brazil. Clarke noted, “It’s going to be very difficult and obviously a big challenge for us. We expect Morocco probably to have more of the ball than us, more possession. What we have to make sure is that when we have the ball, we can be a big threat to Morocco.”
Scotland conclude their group-stage campaign against Brazil next week, but Clarke insists his players are focused solely on the immediate challenge. “The next game for sure, Morocco are going to be the most difficult because that’s the next game,” he said. “Both teams are inside the top 10 in the world so we know for us, two big challenges.”
In the world of football, where burdens of expectation sit heavy on the shoulders of rising stars, Clarke’s faith in McTominay serves as a reminder that even in a squad teeming with talent, individual brilliance often hinges on collective effort.
