Scotland's key man MUST stand up to salvage Euro 2024 hopes

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke will rely on star performers against Switzerland.

Will the real Scott McTominay please stand up? If the Manchester United midfielder wasn’t the only Scotland player to underperform against Germany last Friday night, the impact of his low-key showing was arguably felt more keenly – simply because he’s become so important to everything Steve Clarke is trying to do.

While it’s understandable that no-one in dark blue brought much in the way of goal threat to a 5-1 thumping by the Euro 2024 hosts, who enjoyed a staggering 72 per cent of possession against the Scots, Manchester United midfielder McTominay’s role in the team is different to most. He’s a disruptor. Someone who carries enormous goal threat, with his seven strikes during qualifying underlining his quality.

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Against a Switzerland side who also like to overload the central midfield area, the key strength of Scotland under Clarke, will he find the space to operate? Most importantly, will the entire team be able to play with the sort of balance needed to make the most of his brilliantly timed runs into the penalty box?

Former Scotland striker Kenny Miller is among the experts to have identified McTominay as key in tonight’s game, telling Paddy Power: “I hope Scott can replicate his form in qualifying at the tournament. He did so well during the campaign.  

 “What Steve Clarke’s done so well is find a system of playing which just suits the players we have at our disposal. Scott had a good season for his club in relation to goalscoring as well. When players get that hunger and feel for goals, his strength is how he arrives in the box, and his timing to make those runs. When he gets there, he’s proved that he’s a really good finisher from the edge of the box.  

 “Steve Clarke’s put him in a system that allows him to get forward and be more adventurous. He’s a player that we’ll need firing and bringing that threat because goalscoring is tough to come by for Scotland at the best of times.” 

McTominay managed to get as many touches of the ball as anyone in the Scotland midfield against Germany. Which doesn’t say much. In possession, Clarke’s men achieved very little.

With Billy Gilmour tipped to return to the centre of the park from the outset tonight, there is an option there for Clarke to push McTominay forward into one of the supporting roles behind a lone striker. While he’d still be expected to do his defensive work, a prerequisite for anyone in this Scotland team, being let off the leash to join John McGinn in a more advanced role might be a masterstroke.

Launching counter-attacks and crashing the penalty box is what McTominay does best. Or, at least, it’s where he’s excelled in helping Scotland reach these finals.

Plenty of factors will go into deciding the outcome of tonight’s Group A fixture, as close to a must-win as you’ll find in a tournament that offers plenty of scope for lucky losers to sneak into the knock-out stages. If Clarke’s men are to bounce back from the misery of their opening clash, McTominay’s threat must be one of those factors.