Steve Clarke insists Scotland are aiming to WIN their Euro 2024 qualifying group – despite squaring up with super power Spain and super hero Erling Haaland.
The national side were handed a tough section in yesterday’s draw in Frankfurt with the Spanish coming out from the top group of seeds and Man City goal machine Haaland’ s Norway pulled from the hat from pot three. International bogeymen Georgia and Cyprus make up the five team shootout looking to land the two automatic spots for Germany in 2024.
Scotland are already guaranteed a play-off place due to Clarke’ s men’s Nations League exploits. The national boss insisted he wasn’t interested in using it after sealing the deal against Ukraine two weeks ago. But now Clarke is determined to go even further – by winning Group A. Clarke said: “We have to target top spot in the group. If you come up just short then you’ll finish second.
“We have the safety net of the play-off but that won’t be in our mind.
“We want to qualify as of right. We’ve had enough of those play-offs.
“Let’s just try and qualify directly. That would be much better. It’s a tough competitive group and I’d imagine teams will drop points along the way.
“It’s about winning games that you have to win.”
Scotland’s section could have been kinder, with the likes of Poland and Switzerland among the top seeds and Armenia and Albania in the third group. Georgia and Cyprus are also some of the stronger nations in the fourth and fifth sections in the draw.
Clarke’s first game in charge of Scotland was a nervy late win against Cyprus in 2019 – while Georgia have torpedoed two Euro campaigns in the last 15 years. Alex McLeish’s side slipped up in 2007 after two wins against France while Gordon Strachan ’s Euro 2016 hopes were all but sunk with another shock defeat in Tbilisi.
Clarke refused to complain though and backed his high-flying Scots to put up a big fight. He said: “It’ll be a competitive group. Tough games. But games we’ll look forward to.
We’ve got recent history against Cyprus. My first game as head coach was against Cyprus.
“We know them quite well and I know their coach Temuri Ketsbaia. I worked with him briefly at Newcastle so we know a little bit what to expect there.
“Not for me personally but Scotland has got some strange memories, some bad memories, from Georgia so it’s a chance to put that right.
“Norway – we know the threats they’ve got and it’s a tough game. Obviously Spain as the pot one team are tough opponents.
“But we think we’re improving, we think we’re getting better so let’s see what the games bring.
“It could have been an easier draw but in a strange way that probably suits us. The Scottish mentality is always to try and do well against teams we’re not expected to do well against. I’m reasonably happy with the draw.”
Clarke insisted he has good reason to be confident after Scotland’s superb success in the Nations League. The Scots came through a gruelling double header with Ukraine with Ireland in between with two wins and a battling draw to finish top of the section, gain promotion to Nations League elite level as well as banking the Euro 2024 play-off safety net.
Scotland have lined up a friendly in Turkey in November before the World Cup but the next campaign will kick-off in March and the manager believes his squad have shown they have strength in depth and tons of character.
He said: “I think that’s what’s most satisfying. Getting over the disappointing summer was key and the boys were determined to show it was a one off. It was disappointing for everyone but it was a new challenge and now we can look ahead with a lot of optimism for the future.”
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