FOR many years now, for decades in fact, the Scotland manager has only really had one problem when he came to select a goalkeeper.
Choosing which proven performer with vast top level experience to start has been his dilemma; Jim Leighton, Andy Goram, Neil Sullivan, Craig Gordon, Allan McGregor and David Marshall were all exceptional footballers who always represented their country with distinction.
Steve Clarke, though, will have an entirely different quandry when the national team play their opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain at Hampden this March.
Who can make the step up to international football and help Scotland get their bid to reach the finals in Germany next year off to a successful start?
Gordon being ruled out for the remainder of the season by the horrendous double leg break which he suffered in the cinch Premiership match against Dundee United at Tannadice on Christmas Eve has left a vacancy. However, there is no obvious replacement.
Zander Clark of Hearts and Liam Kelly of Motherwell are both playing regularly for their clubs and have been involved in the set-up before. But neither of them has ever been capped. Are they good enough to be thrust in to such important fixtures?
Jon McLaughlin has made two appearances in the past – he featured in the first-half of a friendly against Mexico in Mexico City in 2018 and a Euro 2020 qualifier against San Marino in Glasgow the following year.
The 35-year-old has, however, played just twice for Rangers since the back-to-back 4-0 defeats which the Ibrox club suffered against Celtic and Ajax in September.
His club mate Robby McCrorie has been drafted in to the senior set-up by Clarke this term and managed to pick up a booking in the Nations League match against Ukraine in September despite not getting on the park.
But the 24-year-old is currently Michael Beale’s third choice behind McGregor and McLaughlin and has not played competitively since keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 triumph over Celtic in August last year.
So who does Clarke turn to? Who can help Scotland get off to a strong start in Group A, finish in the top two in their section and reach their second consecutive European Championship finals without needing to go through the play-offs? He has a big call to make.
Billy Thomson, the former St Mirren, Dundee United, Motherwell, Rangers and Scotland goalkeeper who has worked with Clarke as goalkeeping coach at both Kilmarnock and Scotland in the past, has no concerns about the situation.
He knows each contender for the goalkeeper berth well and feels they all have, despite their lack of experience, both the confidence and quality required to take over from Gordon and shine.
He is certain, too, that his old team mate and colleague will be able to integrate either Clark, Kelly or McLaughlin in to his starting line-up and ensure that his side continue to perform as well as they did in their Nations League matches against Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland last year.
“When I was involved with Scotland in Steve’s first game against Cyprus back in 2019, Liam came in,” he said. “You could tell he was a little bit nervous. But he was excellent. He has done very well since then, both at QPR and Motherwell.
“Liam has a hell of a kick on him. He is very, very good with the ball at his feet. He is accurate. He is brave as well, has no qualms about putting his head in where it hurts if it is required of him. He wouldn’t let anybody down.
“I have known Zander since he was about 16. He was a young kid at St Johnstone when I was at Rangers. They trained at Stirling and we went there to train sometimes as well. I had a good look at what they were doing. It was clear to see, despite his age, that he had great potential.
“I saw him in a lot of under-21 games and obviously first team matches after that and got to know both him and his game. He has done brilliantly and is now playing for Hearts, the third placed team in the Premiership.
“Craig is an exceptional goalkeeper and it is a horrible thing which has happened to him. I am sure that Zander feels for him as much as anybody. No goalkeeper wants to get their chance through somebody’s injury.
“But Zander is No 1 now. He had an excellent game in the Edinburgh derby. If he can play consistently well for Hearts between now and the first qualifiers it will help him. If he can rack up a number of games before Scotland meet up it will work in his favour.
“Zander will come for cross, his distribution is really good, he is cool under pressure. Most goalkeepers nowadays have to be composed because they have to be good with the ball at their feet. They perhaps have to take more chances, like passing it on the 18 yard box or taking it back into their box, than they did in the past. But Zander can certainly do that.”
Thomson is a long-term admirer of McLaughlin, the former Bradford City, Burton Albion, Hearts and Sunderland player, as well. He refused to rule out his chances of replacing Gordon in the Scotland side even though McGregor is currently being preferred to him at Rangers.
“Both Liam and Zander are playing week in, week out,” he said. “I think Steve would prefer is the keeper who comes in to replace Craig is playing every week.
“I have known Jon since he was at Hearts. He had a real purple patch when he was at Tynecastle, was excellent for them. He has got a real calmness about him. He always attempts to come for crosses, he is an outstanding kicker of a ball and his anticipation is very good as well.
“He came in for a little bit of stick for some of his performances when he got a run in the team earlier this season. But prior to that his record was really good. He had five shutouts in seven games.
“It was unfortunate that he got injured and lost his place this season. But that can happen with goalkeepers. You are on top of your game, everything is going well, then you make a couple of mistakes in high-profile games. That can affect you. But I still believe he is a very good goalkeeper.
“Goalkeepers can come in and get up to speed quickly. I did it a few times myself. It is different to an outfield player in my opinion. They can take time to get their match fitness and sharpness up. But knowing Stevie, I think he will go for ones who are playing regularly.”
Clarke had dealt with the loss of key players before important Scotland games on several occasions during his three year tenure and managed to bring the very best out of whoever has been drafted in.
Declan Gallagher is probably the best example of that. The then Motherwell centre half was probably his outstanding player in the Euro 2020 play-off final win over Serbia over in Belgrade in 2020.
Thomson, who won seven caps for his country when the legendary Jock Stein was in charge during the 1980s, thinks the former Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool assistant will have no issues replacing Gordon come March.
“Stevie is probably the best manager I have ever worked with,” he said. “He is absolutely superb. He has a calm demeanour and that rubs off on his players.
“I lost count of the number of times at Kilmarnock that he would come in at half-time and remain completely composed even though the team was losing 1-0 or 2-0. He would sit for a few minutes, make notes and then go in to the dressing room and say his piece.
“I only ever heard him raise his voice once in all my time working with him and that was during a game at Ibrox. Honestly, he was incredible. The number of times the team turned things around in the second-half and either drew or won the game was frightening.
“When I went in to the Scotland set-up he did exactly the same thing. The team was drawing 0-0 with Cyprus at half-time in his first match. But he was calm, said what he had to say and the team went out and won 2-1.”
Thomson added: “The three goalkeepers who are in contention are good enough. Stevie will certainly make sure whoever comes in does well. He is not the kind of coach who will go overboard. He just walks about training, watches what is going on and maybe has a quiet word in somebody’s ear. It is effective.
“He doesn’t go in and bawl and shout and rant and rave. It is night and day to the Jim McLean approach I can tell you! If you are a player in his squad he gives you a confidence and a calmness. Whoever takes over from Craig in goal will take that from him.”
