
Steve Clarke's Scotland goalkeeper options laid bare as 3 potential solutions for Liechtenstein emerge
The national team are without Craig Gordon, Liam Kelly, Zander Clark, Angus Gunn and Robby McCrorie through injury
Scotland boss Steve Clarke faces a goalkeeping crisis ahead of the trip to Liechtenstein.
The national coach goes into Monday's friendly without five goalkeepers.
Craig Gordon, Liam Kelly and Zander Clark missed this squad through injury and then Angus Gunn and Robby McCrorie were injured in Friday's defeat to Iceland.
Young Cieran Slicker came on and made his international debut, despite only making six club appearances, but struggled badly with Clarke admitting he had to throw him in too early.
Slicker remains in the squad and young Bournemouth keeper Callan McKenna has also been called up.
The former Queen's Park youngster has been training with Clarke's squad all week.
Clarke is still looking to call up another goalkeeper and joked on Friday night that it will depend on who is not on the beach.
Jon McCracken (Dundee)
The Dundee keeper has already been in Scotland squads previously.
The 25-year-old started the season brightly and was named in Clarke's squad for the Nations League double header with Poland and Portugal
He knows what it is all about and wouldn't be fazed. McCracken has had decent Scottish Premiership exposure one the last couple of seasons.
The only issue is McCracken's lack of recent game time in the last couple of months of the season. He finished the season on the bench as Tony Docherty went for Trevor Carson but still made 20 top team appearances.
Nicky Hogarth (Falkirk)
The Falkirk keeper would certainly be full of confidence. The 23-year-old has just come off back-to-back promotions with the Bairns and helped them into the Premiership.
He has been a key for John McGlynn's side and played every league game in their Championship-winning charge.
Hogarth has also had spells at Nottingham Forest and Rangers and has that big time mentality that would be required.
The keeper is a reliable shot stopper. He is back in the country and has never hidden his desire to try and play for his country.
Ross Doohan (Just left Aberdeen)
The keeper has just left Aberdeen and is expected to return to first club Celtic this summer.
The 27-year-old did make 18 appearances for the Dons as he filled in for the injured Dimitar Mitov.
Doohan has the experience of being at Celtic and has had a lot of first-team action at the likes of Ross County, Dundee United, Tranmere, Ayr United, Forest Green Rovers and Pittodrie.
He has also played for Scotland previously at under-21 level.
Doohan is similar to McCracken as he didn't get much first-team football in the final month of the season because of Mitov's return.
Also picked up a Scottish Cup winner's medal and played his part in the opening two rounds.

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Scotsman
18 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Big questions hanging over Steve Clarke and Scotland - and goalkeeper issue is only tip of iceberg
Tartan Army losing faith ahead of World Cup qualification campaign Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... While Scotland's performance against Iceland on Friday is unlikely to ruin anyone's summer - it was a friendly after all - there was much to be concerned about ahead of the World Cup qualifiers kicking off in September. The immediate post-mortem surrounded the performance of rookie goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, who was thrust into a situation he was ill-equipped to handle, but this was not the only factor in the dismal defeat. Far from it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Slicker's personal nightmare - the 22-year-old culpable for all three goals conceded after replacing the injured Angus Gunn inside seven minutes - has masked what was another gruesome Scotland display across all areas of the pitch. I say 'another' because such horror shows are becoming all too frequent for Steve Clarke's side. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke looks downbeat during the 3-1 defeat to Iceland at Hampden on Friday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group In isolation, a 3-1 home loss against the nation sitting 74th in the Fifa rankings is bad enough. But against the backdrop of just one victory in nine Hampden outings - including miserable defeats to Greece, Poland and Northern Ireland - not to mention the lamentable showing at Euro 2024, it is little wonder that the Tartan Army are reaching breaking point. The boos which followed the half-time and full-time whistles on Friday proved as much. As did 20,000 empty seats, although exorbitant ticket prices for a friendly match almost certainly played a role in the reduced attendance. Has Clarke taken Scotland as far as he can? Scotland fans are entitled to expect better from their team. The consequence of such worrying form is that serious questions are again being raised over the direction of travel under Clarke as he enters the seventh, and likely final year of his tenure. The long-serving head coach has brought some great times to Scotland. Qualifying for back-to-back Euros to end a 23-year wait for a major finals will be his proud legacy, regardless of the disappointments he has also endured. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, every manager has a shelf life and it feels like the 61-year-old is approaching the end of his. Some would argue it has already expired. That Clarke has taken Scotland as far as he can and that fresh ideas are required ahead of the 2026 World Cup bid. Scotland's Cieran Slicker at full time after the 3-1 defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Social media has been awash with calls for the manager to be relieved of his duties over the past 48 hours. AI-generated pictures of Ange Postecoglou in a Scotland tie and blazer have also been circulated. The notion of Clarke being replaced by the ex-Tottenham and Celtic boss is a fanciful one. The Scottish FA, rightly or wrongly, will not be minded to deny Clarke the opportunity to see out the final year of his contract in spite of the wavering faith of the Tartan Army. But it is equally unlikely that Clarke will fulfil his dream of leading the nation to next year's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without a marked improvement in performances. Problems all over the pitch Solving the goalkeeper issue is an obvious priority. But providing Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly are fit again by September, then this will likely be resolved on its own, at least in the short term. It felt more like bad luck than bad judgement that Slicker ended up making his international debut having barely made a handful of senior appearances for Ipswich. The former Scotland Under-21 was in the squad to gain experience, rather than minutes on the park. A lesson for Clarke perhaps that he cannot afford to call up players who are not ready and able to play. One can only hope Slicker's career trajectory has not been fatally damaged by this unfortunate episode. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Where Clarke's problems run deeper is in his tactics, team selection and motivating his players. The return to a back five in a home friendly against Iceland felt like a major step back from the progress that had been made across the Nations League campaign where Scotland were a much more progressive and balanced outfit with a back four. The lacklustre and half-hearted efforts of the players at Hampden on Friday suggested they too were not particularly enamoured with being asked to reprise a system that was binned after being so badly exposed at Euro 2024. The infuriating sideways and backwards passing was a throwback to last summer's tournament where Scotland's stunted attack barely registered a shot on goal. This is football with the handbrake on. The persistence with Grant Hanley also continues to cause bemusement and frustration given the 33-year-old's lack of club action. Loyalty is an admirable trait that has served Clarke well, but it can also be a major flaw when younger, match-fit alternatives are consistently overlooked, particularly in a friendly, where Hanley, understandably, appeared laboured. Scott McKenna, after a season in La Liga competing against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, must be wondering what he has done wrong. The apparent obsession over accommodating both Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney in the starting line-up cannot be the sole determining factor when it comes to team set up. It would, though, take a brave call to decide which of the two to leave out, or as has been suggested, push one into left midfield. Scotland's George Hirst (centre) looks dejected after heading over the bar during the defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group Midfield strength must be harnessed Clarke also needs to solve the midfield dilemma over how best to utilise the strongest area of his team. Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn - on paper a midfield that should dictate matches against better teams than Iceland but they were set up in such a way that allowed the opposition to run through them all too easily. With Ryan Christie to come back into the equation, and Lennon Miller emerging as a player of huge promise, Clarke has more than enough quality at his disposal to ensure the Scotland engine room functions properly - which includes freeing up McTominay to play centrally as an attacking force, which he has done to devastating effect with Napoli in Serie A this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is also the striking problem. Clarke gave George Hirst his chance against Iceland and, barring a poor miss with a first-half header, the Ipswich front man gave a decent account of himself, forcing two good saves from goalkeeper Elías Rafn Ólafsson and netting a goal which was ruled out for an offside against McTominay in the build-up. But it was another match which passed by without a Scotland striker hitting the target. It has been a year and counting since Lawrence Shankland headed the opener in the 2-2 draw with Finland. Has any team ever qualified for a World Cup without a striker finding the net? Scotland do have an in-form striker at their disposal. Che Adams bagged 10 goals in his debut season in Serie A with Torino, having netted 19 times for Southampton the previous campaign, yet has managed just one goal for his country - against minnows Gibraltar - in approaching three years. Something has to change with the way Scotland set up to give their starting striker, whoever it may be, more service.


Scotsman
34 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Big questions hanging over Steve Clarke and Scotland - and goalkeeper issue is only part of it
Tartan Army losing faith ahead of World Cup qualification campaign Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... While Scotland's performance against Iceland on Friday is unlikely to ruin anyone's summer - it was a friendly after all - there was much to be concerned about ahead of the World Cup qualifiers kicking off in September. The immediate post-mortem surrounded the performance of rookie goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, who was thrust into a situation he was ill-equipped to handle, but this was not the only factor in the dismal defeat. Far from it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Slicker's personal nightmare - the 22-year-old culpable for all three goals conceded after replacing the injured Angus Gunn inside seven minutes - has masked what was another gruesome Scotland display across all areas of the pitch. I say 'another' because such horror shows are becoming all too frequent for Steve Clarke's side. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke looks downbeat during the 3-1 defeat to Iceland at Hampden on Friday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group In isolation, a 3-1 home loss against the nation sitting 74th in the Fifa rankings is bad enough. But against the backdrop of just one victory in nine Hampden outings - including miserable defeats to Greece, Poland and Northern Ireland - not to mention the lamentable showing at Euro 2024, it is little wonder that the Tartan Army are reaching breaking point. The boos which followed the half-time and full-time whistles on Friday proved as much. As did 20,000 empty seats, although exorbitant ticket prices for a friendly match almost certainly played a role in the reduced attendance. Has Clarke taken Scotland as far as he can? Scotland fans are entitled to expect better from their team. The consequence of such worrying form is that serious questions are again being raised over the direction of travel under Clarke as he enters the seventh, and likely final year of his tenure. The long-serving head coach has brought some great times to Scotland. Qualifying for back-to-back Euros to end a 23-year wait for a major finals will be his proud legacy, regardless of the disappointments he has also endured. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, every manager has a shelf life and it feels like the 61-year-old is approaching the end of his. Some would argue it has already expired. That Clarke has taken Scotland as far as he can and that fresh ideas are required ahead of the 2026 World Cup bid. Scotland's Cieran Slicker at full time after the 3-1 defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Social media has been awash with calls for the manager to be relieved of his duties over the past 48 hours. AI-generated pictures of Ange Postecoglou in a Scotland tie and blazer have also been circulated. The notion of Clarke being replaced by the ex-Tottenham and Celtic boss is a fanciful one. The Scottish FA, rightly or wrongly, will not be minded to deny Clarke the opportunity to see out the final year of his contract in spite of the wavering faith of the Tartan Army. But it is equally unlikely that Clarke will fulfil his dream of leading the nation to next year's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without a marked improvement in performances. Problems all over the pitch Solving the goalkeeper issue is an obvious priority. But providing Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly are fit again by September, then this will likely be resolved on its own, at least in the short term. It felt more like bad luck than bad judgement that Slicker ended up making his international debut having barely made a handful of senior appearances for Ipswich. The former Scotland Under-21 was in the squad to gain experience, rather than minutes on the park. A lesson for Clarke perhaps that he cannot afford to call up players who are not ready and able to play. One can only hope Slicker's career trajectory has not been fatally damaged by this unfortunate episode. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Where Clarke's problems run deeper is in his tactics, team selection and motivating his players. The return to a back five in a home friendly against Iceland felt like a major step back from the progress that had been made across the Nations League campaign where Scotland were a much more progressive and balanced outfit with a back four. The lacklustre and half-hearted efforts of the players at Hampden on Friday suggested they too were not particularly enamoured with being asked to reprise a system that was binned after being so badly exposed at Euro 2024. The infuriating sideways and backwards passing was a throwback to last summer's tournament where Scotland's stunted attack barely registered a shot on goal. This is football with the handbrake on. The persistence with Grant Hanley also continues to cause bemusement and frustration given the 33-year-old's lack of club action. Loyalty is an admirable trait that has served Clarke well, but it can also be a major flaw when younger, match-fit alternatives are consistently overlooked, particularly in a friendly, where Hanley, understandably, appeared laboured. Scott McKenna, after a season in La Liga competing against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, must be wondering what he has done wrong. The apparent obsession over accommodating both Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney in the starting line-up cannot be the sole determining factor when it comes to team set up. It would, though, take a brave call to decide which of the two is first choice left-back and leave the other one out, or as has been suggested, push one into left midfield. Scotland's George Hirst (centre) looks dejected after heading over the bar during the defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group Midfield strength must be harnessed Clarke also needs to solve the midfield dilemma over how best to utilise the strongest area of his team. Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn - on paper a midfield that should dictate matches against better teams than Iceland but they were set up in such a way that allowed the opposition to run through them all too easily. With Ryan Christie to come back into the equation, and Lennon Miller emerging as a player of huge promise, Clarke has more than enough quality at his disposal to ensure the Scotland engine room functions properly - which includes freeing up McTominay to play centrally as an attacking force, which he has done to devastating effect with Napoli in Serie A this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is also the striking problem. Clarke gave George Hirst his chance against Iceland and, barring a poor miss with a first-half header, the Ipswich front man gave a decent account of himself, forcing two good saves from goalkeeper Elías Rafn Ólafsson and netting a goal which was ruled out for an offside against McTominay in the build-up. But it was another match which passed by without a Scotland striker hitting the target. It has been a year and counting since Lawrence Shankland headed the opener in the 2-2 draw with Finland. Has any team ever qualified for a World Cup without a striker finding the net?


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Spain priced at 4/9 to win the Nations League against Portugal - with underdogs valued at 13/8
Spain are the odds on favourites to win the Nations League on Sunday against Portugal out in Germany. Both sides - who have each won the competition once - won thrilling semi-finals, with Portugal coming out on top against Germany on Wednesday in a game that saw Cristiano Ronaldo bag the winner. A day later, Spain won a nine-goal classic against France, with Lamine Yamal netting twice and the victors clinging on after France had brought it back from 5-1. But the European champions are backed on the market to retain the title they won on penalties against Croatia two years ago. According to Sky Bet, Spain are 4/9 heavy favourites to lift the title in Munich. Portugal, meanwhile, can be backed at 13/8. In terms of the full time result, Spain are still odds on favourites at 17/20, while Portugal are valued at 11/4. If punters want to back a draw, that can be picked up at 14/5. To win the Nations League: Spain 4/9 Portugal 13/8 To win in full time: Spain 17/20 Portugal 11/4 Draw 14/5 All odds are correct at the time of publication