No wonder Steve Clarke is smiling. The Scotland manager has signed a new four-year contract, extending his reign to 11 years, but the decision to finalise the deal before his side have proven they can progress to the knockout stages of a major tournament has raised eyebrows.
Long-term continuity or needless risk?
The summit of Scottish football provides a wonderful environment for those who value long-term career stops. Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the Scottish Professional Football League, arrived in 2009. Ian Maxwell, headhunted from relegation-bound Partick Thistle, has been the Scottish Football Association's chief executive since 2018. Scot Gemmill has managed the under-21 team for a decade despite underwhelming results.
This backdrop either reflects admirable continuity or a system where no one progresses enough to attract bigger opportunities. Against this, Clarke's extension is unsurprising. "It's pretty staggering for anyone to say that giving him a new contract is a gamble," said Maxwell. The Scottish FA's president, Mike Mulraney, added: "I don't need other people to vindicate my decision."
Maxwell and Mulraney praised Clarke before Scotland struggled at Euro 2024. All three were absent without explanation as the nation reacted angrily to the team's tournament exit. The Scottish FA has never appeared independent of Clarke, and the new deal reinforces that impression.
Timing of the contract
If Clarke's qualification record justified a new contract, it should have been signed immediately after the extraordinary victory over Denmark that secured a World Cup berth. Instead, the topic disappeared until Clarke expressed discomfort with his contractual position before March's friendlies.
The 62-year-old initially seemed content to leave after the World Cup, but changed his mind. Cynics suggest Clarke and the FA deduced that qualifying for Euro 2028 – for which Scotland is a host nation – will be easier than featuring in this World Cup. The manager has doubled his salary with bonuses each time Scotland exits a qualifying phase.
Clarke's achievements and challenges
Clarke has been a superb Scotland manager, enhancing standards and attitudes. Three tournament qualifications in four attempts highlight his multi-dimensional coaching. In the past two years, he has been more hands-on in training, with players responding exceptionally well.
Whenever he leaves, finding a coach of similar esteem will be difficult. The narrow-minded obsession with a Scottish manager limits options; Berti Vogts was a long time ago.
World Cup prospects
Scotland's World Cup bid boils down to their opening Group C match. A comprehensive victory against Haiti would likely secure a knockout berth for the first time. Anything less, and the situation becomes grim with Morocco and Brazil ahead. Haiti impressed with a 4-0 win over New Zealand but are ranked outside the world's top 80. Scotland, with five-star facilities and a squad in its prime, has no excuse not to seize this moment.
Scotland are a decent team, not excellent. The next step is Saturday's warm-up against Bolivia in New Jersey. The Denmark victory was rare in its brilliance. Other similar teams – Australia, the USA, Denmark, Algeria – have progressed from groups recently. The Tartan Army should celebrate but not forget the competitive goal: learning from shortcomings in 2021 and 2024.
Youth inclusion
Clarke looked to the future by including Tyler Fletcher in the World Cup squad. The Manchester United midfielder has a higher ceiling than those he replaced. Lennon Miller may feel hard done by, but the Udinese midfielder can appear one-paced in elite company. Fletcher is a player around whom Scotland can build a future team. This was an astute move, as was signing the new contract. No wonder Clarke looks in high spirits.
It would have been wiser for the Scottish FA to wait and see how the World Cup unfolds. A manager's standing is a movable feast, not guaranteed by past achievement. If Scotland faces trauma, the FA officials will be in an invidious position, leaving many to wonder why they flirted with such needless risk.
