UEFA Nations League

[monks data]

Nations League | League A

Oct 15, 2024 at 7.45pm UK

Hampden Park

Scotland
0 - 0
Portugal

McTominay (27')

Jota (18'), Palhinha (50'), Dias (83'), Silva (90+5')

Steve Clarke future: 'Pep Guardiola could not do a better job as Scotland manager' - Nevin

By Jonathan O'Shea

Published: October 16 2024 | 08:06

Last updated: October 16 2024 | 13:58

'Not even Guardiola could do better!' - Ex-Scotland star defends Steve Clarke

Ex-Scotland star Pat Nevin tells Sports Mole that Steve Clarke should stay in charge despite his team's Nations League woes and long winless run.

Former Scotland star Pat Nevin has told Sports Mole that even Pep Guardiola could not do a better job as national team boss than the incumbent Steve Clarke, who led his side to a 0-0 UEFA Nations League draw with Portugal on Tuesday.

Scotland kept the League A Group 1 leaders goalless at Hampden Park, picking up their first point from four matches at Europe's top level.

Not only do they remain at risk of heading straight back down to League B when the group phase concludes next month, but Clarke's side are still awaiting their first competitive win this year.

Despite sitting bottom of their Nations League group, which also features Poland and Croatia, Nevin told Sports Mole that Clarke remains the best man for the job, claiming even Manchester City's much-feted manager would not a major impact if appointed instead.

"I think we've got a group of players there that if you change a manager and bring in anybody, be it Pep Guardiola, will he be able to do much better? Not really, no," Nevin said.

"What's important is - do the team believe in (Clarke)? Are they still working hard for him? Are they improving in certain areas? Which I think they are."

Steve Clarke has "credit in the bank"

"There is one big stat that blows all the other stats miles out of the water for me: two of the last three major competitions, Scotland have qualified for them. That did not happen since 1998, since the last century. That beats everything," Nevin told Sports Mole.

"Because - to paraphrase Bill Clinton - 'it's the economy, stupid'. In other words, you look at what the SFA want, they want to be in the Euros and World Cups. Stevie Clarke has done that better than anyone else."

Having taken Scotland to consecutive European Championship finals, Clarke has stated a desire to lead his nation out at the 2026 World Cup, for which qualifying begins next year.

However, some members of the Tartan Army are concerned their team's winless run will cost them a higher seeding when UEFA make the group draw, mounting pressure on Clarke and his coaching staff.

"It gets complicated because if we do finish bottom, we drop down the pots and that's the danger," Nevin told Sports Mole.

"[But Clarke has got some credit in the bank. So even though some of that group of players are getting a wee bit older and they're not going to last forever, he's done a good job for us and deserves a little bit of time."

Portugal's Vitinha shoots at goal against Scotland on October 15, 2024 © Imago

Scottish Football Association should keep faith with Clarke

Ex-Chelsea winger and 28-cap Scotland international Nevin believes that the Scottish Football Association should ignore any clamour to make a managerial change ahead of the upcoming qualifiers, despite some fans losing faith in Clarke.

"Just before the game against Poland, at the start of this campaign, a lot of the general public had thought, nah, this is time. It's too long now. We don't look as if we're going to be competitive any more. And I was saying, I think it's fine," Nevin told Sports Mole.

"And I was the only one. And at 2-0 down at half time, I was beginning to look as if I was out on a limb there. But you have to understand what you can see beneath it, you know? The stats and figures, they don't play well with the fans. And rightly so.

"I will not complain at one fan for saying they should have a new manager. That's fine. But having been in a position of choosing managers before, the people who are choosing managers have to have a wider picture."

After his playing career, which also took in spells at Everton and Tranmere Rovers, Nevin became chief executive of Motherwell and suggests that patience is a virtue at boardroom level.

"(The SFA) have to have a longer view. They have to be able to see, is it in place that we're as good as we can be at the moment, considering injuries, considering the people that are not playing anymore? And I think we are. I think Scotland are fine.

"But will that pressure build? Yeah, absolutely. And I suspect it will build for another few games because we've got another two games left in this Nations League. It's all about the qualification for the World Cup."

Scotland will welcome 2023 finalists Croatia to Glasgow for their fifth League A fixture in mid-November, knowing that a win will keep their relegation fate within their own hands; however, defeat could see them demoted.

Pat Nevin was talking to Sports Mole on behalf of sports betting site BetVictor.