Alan McInally: Steve Clarke deserves more time as Scotland manager | OneFootball

Steve Clarke should get more time as Scotland boss

I don't even think Steve Clarke's position as Scotland manager should be debatable. He should be given time to reassess after the Euros and he will want to do that, because that's the kind of guy Steve is. And also his next squad will be important to make sure we get positive results.

I would imagine there'd be a lot of teams interested in Steve if he wasn't the Scotland manager. But I think he's going to continue as the Scotland manager. And with a bit of luck, he's going to be the manager in two years' time when Mexico, the USA and Canada host the World Cup. I would be happy with that.

I don't see a reason for us to change the manager. When do clubs and countries change their manager after they have been successful?

We weren't successful in a Euro 2024 group that we thought we could get out of. But for 24 years, before Clarke took charge, we qualified for nothing. Clarke came in, moulded this group into something of an international team and qualified for the last two Euros.

People have very short memories, we beat Spain, we went to Norway and got a result. We qualified with two games to go.

We hold our hands up and say we didn't play well enough at the Euros, we didn't play well enough against Germany, we didn't beat Switzerland and we couldn't score against Hungary. Okay, absolutely. But if you think that's a reason to get rid of Clarke, I don't agree with you.

I don't think for one minute that Steve Clarke thinks: "That's as much as I can get out of the Scotland squad." We qualify for a tournament and then we're not good enough to do anything else? I don't believe that for a minute and I don't think Steve believes that. He must be bursting out for the next tournament, for the next Scotland game.

Robertson is only Scotland captain because he plays for Liverpool

I wouldn't have minded Scott McTominay or John McGinn becoming Scotland captain. Steve Clarke has gone for 'Robbo' for the simple reason that he plays for Liverpool. He's had an unbelievably good three or four years and he knows him and the lads look up to players like that. And he has a little bit more seniority than McGinn and McTominay.

That's why he's the captain and I don't have a problem with that. But I think if you said to Robertson, look, I'm going to give it to McTominay or McGinn, I think Robertson would think: "We're a team here. It's not all about me. It's not who's the captain."

Will Angus Gunn replace Joe Hart at Celtic?

Angus Gunn to Celtic? Maybe, maybe, because Joe's retired now.

I don't think Gunn played well against Germany. I really don't. I think he picked up though and I think he recovered against Switzerland and Hungary, for sure. But I thought he was at fault for the first goal against Germany and I thought he could have done better in a couple of instances.

As a goalkeeper, you have to be powerful and strong and you also have to be reliable for the guys in front of you. Outfield players need to know that they've got someone behind them who's rock steady and consistently good.

Will Celtic sign Gunn? I don't know if he's got a connection with Celtic. At the moment, he's probably happy where he is, at Norwich City, where his dad was, of course.