For any manager in Scotland, qualifying for consecutive European Championships and losing in the play-offs to avoid missing out on a World Cup is not a bad record. Even if Steve Clarke will not have ignored the Tartan Army’s recent cries of dissatisfaction, he has every right to look back on his five years as national coach with great satisfaction.
The unavoidable conclusion following Scotland’s elimination from Euro 2024 was that they did not perform well in Germany. It was a pathetic elimination, losing 1-0 to Hungary, 1-1 to Switzerland, and 5-1 to the home country. While some fans desire a new manager, others are content with a different approach. In either case, not much is expected to change soon.
Now that Scotland has qualified for both Euro 2020 and 2024, Clarke stands with the most successful coaches in Scotland’s history. Craig Brown, Andy Roxburgh, and Jock Stein all led the nation to two major finals. Nobody has ever made it to three. That might be one of the main reasons the sixty-year-old will continue to work at Hampden Park until the 2026 World Cup.
Hearts head coach Steven Naismith provides a helpful insight into Clarke’s thinking when talking about the consequences from Euro 2024. Naismith, who served as one of the assistant coaches for the national team until the summer of 2023, clarifies Clarke’s long-term perspective. He feels that the idea of quitting the work will not have crossed his thoughts.
“No, I don’t believe that. “Rough emotion is present,” Naismith remarked. “Because we had such high expectations going into the tournament, but build-up games, injuries, and then the fact that we are without a right-back just crushed those hopes.” You get a terrible feeling after the Germany game. After the second game, I had hope because I knew what needed to be done and we could still win. Ultimately, it’s Scotland. The standard response from everyone is, “Okay, let’s tear everything up and move on.”
