Why Steve Clarke won't repeat 4-4-2 experiment in World Cup qualifying
Having been a member of a few potent strike partnerships during his own playing days, the former Kilmarnock and Rangers player very much approved when the national team lined up in an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation against Liechtenstein in the Rheinpark Stadium in Vaduz.
Nor was Boyd, who is as well known these days for being a forthright and knowledgeable pundit for Sky Sports as he is for his heroics in the final third during his previous existence, surprised when Che Adams scored a hat-trick and George Hirst netted his first goal for his country during an emphatic and badly-needed 4-0 triumph.
However, the man who found the target on seven occasions during his 18 cap international career suspects it will not be an experiment that will, despite its resounding success this week, be repeated once the World Cup qualifying campaign gets underway in September. Even against Group C minnows Belarus.
Read more:
The Ayrshireman can understand exactly why members of the Tartan Army have grown frustrated at the failure of a Scotland striker - of Adams, Tommy Conway, Lyndon Dykes, Hirst, Lawrence Shankland and James Wilson - to score during the past 12 months.
Adams' early opener on Monday evening was the first time in 367 days, in 12 games, in 1,116 minutes, that a player who was leading the line for the national team had found the target.
His effort ended a drought which stretched back to the goal which Shankland pitched in with against Finland in the second half of the Euro 2024 warm-up friendly at Hampden on Friday, June 7, last year.
But for Boyd, who took part in a McDonald's Fun Football session for local youngsters at Hampden on Monday afternoon before watching the second June friendly at home on television, centre forwards scoring goals has become of far less importance in the modern game.
He doesn't think the failures in the Nations League play-off against Greece in March and the June friendly against Iceland last Friday night can be attributed to the Scotland attackers' lack of ruthlessness.
(Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) 'The issue is that we grew up in an era when there was always two strikers and those two players usually got you the goals,' he said. 'But I think we've been quite fortunate that we have a number of players behind a striker who have been able to deliver for Scotland.
'The role of a striker has changed over the years, there's no getting away from it. But that lone striker role that we deploy quite a bit allows us to get players from the middle of the pitch forward and they have contributed to Scotland in a big way over a period of time.
'To be honest, I think that's just where the world of football is right now. Look at Mo Salah at Liverpool, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue at Paris Saint-Germain and Lamine Yamal at Barcelona. They're all big players who score goals for their clubs but they're all wingers.
'If you take the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski out of the equation, there's not an awful lot of old-fashioned No 9s any more. Football has changed, it's evolved.'
Boyd believes that Clarke, who he worked under towards the end of his playing days at Kilmarnock, would be savaged by Scotland supporters if he played two strikers in important fixtures, in the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers, because it would mean that he would have to drop one of his best midfielders.
Read more:
'What Steve needs to do is get the best out of the boys that he's got,' he said. 'Sometimes it is best to play with one up front and have the players that we've got behind him get the goals. That is the way it works.
'If Steve was to put in another striker and drop one of our star midfielders, drop John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Lewis Ferguson or Billy Gilmour, he's going to get criticised for that.
'Our strikers have got strengths in their game, there's no doubt about that. But there's not really an out-and-out goal scorer among them. If a team is a jigsaw and you're trying to put it all together, you need to realise where we're really strong and that is behind the striker with our midfielders.
'Throughout the Steve Clarke era, those players, those big players like John McGinn, Ryan Christie, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour, have almost always produced when it has mattered most.'
Boyd, though, is hopeful that we have, even in this era of false No 9s, shadow strikers and twin No 10s, not seen the end of the 4-4-2 formation. He will not be at all surprised if it is in vogue once again in the not too distant future.
(Image: SNS Group / SFA) 'Will it come back?' he said. 'Will we see two strikers up front again? You know, the big guy and the small guy? Do you know what? We just might.
'In football, everybody likes to try to reinvent the wheel. But nine times out of ten the game will revert back to what it was before. I for one hope that is the case. I would like to see Steve get two strikers on the pitch and create opportunities for them to score goals. But I do think we will go back to one up front when World Cup qualifying comes around.'
That campaign will come a little too quickly for the boys and girls who took part in the McDonald's Fun Football sessions at Hampden on Monday – but Boyd is hopeful the long-standing initiative will produce a few more players like Che Adams, George Hirst and Lawrence Shankland for Scotland in the years to come.
'Programmes like McDonald's Fun Football are important for communities across Scotland,' he said. 'They give children a safe, positive place to just play the game and have fun.
'McDonald's are offering more free sessions this summer across Scotland and it's brilliant to see. I wish I had this when I was a youngster, I would've loved it. I'd encourage every parent to not miss out and to get their child signed up to their nearest free session.'
Kris Boyd was celebrating the latest free wave of McDonald's Fun Football sessions this Summer, available to all children aged 5-11 across the UK. You can sign up now for your nearest free session at mcdonalds.co.uk/football
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Iconic 94-year-old football stadium looks unrecognisable as building site after work begins on £86million renovation
Some big-name artists have performed at magnificent arena FIOR BLIMEY Iconic 94-year-old football stadium looks unrecognisable as building site after work begins on £86million renovation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FIORENTINA'S iconic stadium looks unrecognisable after building work began on a stunning £86million renovation. The Stadio Artemio Franchi is one of the most famous arenas in Italy after being constructed in 1931 — making it 94 years old. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Fiorentina's Stadio Artemio Franchi looks unrecognisable amid building work Credit: X 4 A stunning £86million renovation project is underway at the iconic arena Credit: X Located in Florence, it holds 47,282 fans and once saw a record 58,271 pack in for Fiorentina's 3-0 win over Inter Milan in November 1985. But after going several previous renovations in 1990 and 2013, the Artemio Franchi is once again under the knife for a brand new reconstruction. Work started last year on an £86m plan to rebuild several stands while modernising existing infrastructure. It's expected to be completed in the summer of 2026. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD CUP First look at all 15 futuristic World Cup 2034 stadiums And with the Serie A season at an end, contractors have been able to finally raise scaffolding all over the stadium, just weeks after a raging fire blazed through Fiorentina's training ground. The lengthy work means any future home matches will be played with a reduced capacity, with Fiorentina chiefs having already secured a reduction in rent. Club president Rocco Commisso is hopeful that all work will be completed by the deadline, saying: 'For the good of Fiorentina, we must work together and do everything possibly to complete the renovation quickly. 'A partially functioning stadium makes no sense.' BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Fiorentina finished sixth in Serie A this season, securing another year in the Conference League. The Italians have already lost two finals of the relatively-new competition to West Ham and Olympiacos. Cesc Fabregas' Como told to make new stadium smaller amid fears stunning lakeside views could disappear 4 The Artemio Franchi is 94 years old and has held games for two World Cups in Italy Credit: Getty 4 Several massive musicians have held concerts there too Credit: Getty While this term they were KO'd in the semis by Real Betis, who went on to lose the final 4-1 to Chelsea. Their Artemio Franchi arena has played host to some memorable events, including the 1934 and 1990 World Cups. It's also hosted Italy's national football and rugby teams while also playing host to a number of non-sporting events. David Bowie, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen are among the superstars to have played there. While in 1954, local legend claims that UFOs travelling at high speed stopped directly over the stadium during a reserve game before coating the Artemio Franchi in a 'silvery glitter.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Nicolas Kuhn watches dithering RB Leipzig go tame as transfer truth comes to boil over Celtic star
The former Germany youth international is in demand this summer RB Leipzig's pursuit of Celtic star Nicolas Kuhn is set to be turned down a notch - according to a report. Despite dropping off in the second half of last season, the German winger finished the campaign with an impressive 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 matches in all competitions. Last week, it was reported that the former Bayern Munich kid is a summer target for Bundesliga side Leipzig, who missed out on European football altogether next season with a disappointing seventh place finish in Germany's top tier. Kuhn has also been touted for a big money switch to Newcastle but Hoops hero and Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton has warned that the wide man is not ready for the step-up and needs another year until his belt at Parkhead first. However, a move from Leipzig for Kuhn - or any player for that matter - will reportedly be on hold until a decision on just who will be in the dugout at the Red Bull Arena next season is made. Die Roten Bullen have been without a permanent boss since March 30 when Marco Rose got the boot after a very underwhelming showing on home soil and in Europe. Former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain number two Zsolt Low was appointed as interim manager for the remainder of the campaign but is not expected to be in contention to land the job on a permanent basis. And while Ole Werner - who stepped down from Werder Bremen last month after leading them to a eight place finish in the Bundesliga - is the favourite to replace Low, German outlet Merkur state that getting the managerial situation sorted will take preference over improving the squad. Leipzig have already snapped up the signing of talented Dutch youngster OH Leuven ahead of the new season but that deal was completed back in April. The report also states that a potential swoop for Valencia's Spain U21 star Cristhian Mosquera has also cooled until a new man in the hot seat is in place. They claim that Mosquera has gone as far as giving Leizpig a verbal agreement that he wants to move to Germany but won't officially put pen to paper until he knows just who he will be playing under. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Gareth Southgate REJECTED for Poland job as chief reveals reason why
Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been turned away in his bid to return to international football management – with Poland rejecting his offer to become their new head coach. Southgate led the Three Lions to two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final during his eight years at the helm, stepping down last summer after Euro 2024 final heartbreak against Spain. The 54-year-old insisted last year he was in 'no rush' to return to management but Polish daily newspaper Przeglad Sportowy this week claimed Southgate submitted an application to take the reins at Poland. In an interview with the same publication, the president of the Polish Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, has confirmed the former defender was interested in the role. But with 'no guarantee of success' in employing a foreign coach, Southgate's application was rejected. 'We have received an offer to hire him, but we must remember one basic thing: no foreign coach will give us a guarantee that we will qualify for the World Cup,' Kulesza said. 'If he gave us such a guarantee, I would hire him immediately.' Kulesza pointed to the example of Fernando Santos' recent reign in charge as Poland boss to support his reasoning for not considering Southgate. Santos managed his home country Portugal for eight years following a stellar career at club level across Europe. But his disastrous spell in charge of Poland lasted less than 10 months, criticised for poor performances and not attending Polish league matches. 'Fernando Santos is a perfect example,' Kulesza said. 'A successful coach, a big name, everyone applauded, and the verification was surprising and painful for all of us.' Poland are instead hoping to appoint Maciej Skorża. The experienced coach is in charge of Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds who are currently competing in the Club World Cup in the United States. Poland are looking for a new head coach after the sudden resignation of Michal Probierz last week. His decision came after Robert Lewandowski, the country's record goalscorer, said he would not play for his country while Probierz is in charge. More Trending Southgate meanwhile was briefly linked with the Manchester United job last year but indicated last October he would take at least a year out of the game. 'I won't coach in the next year for sure, I'm certain of that,' Southgate said in October. 'I need to give myself time to make good decisions. When you come out of a really big role you need to give your body time, you need to give your mind time. 'I'm enjoying my life, so there's no rush. I'm fortunate that there are lots of opportunities presenting themselves.' MORE: Premier League club favourites to sign Jack Grealish as Manchester City set asking price MORE: England and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard backed for Premier League job MORE: Kyle Walker agrees to join Premier League club ahead of Manchester City exit
