Scotland: Clarke enjoys winning start but more is needed to topple new-look Spain

John McGinn, right, took his Scotland extremity tally to 16 with the opener against Cyprus

It's not conscionable his capableness to people goals for Scotland that makes John McGinn specified an admirable character, it's his candour successful cutting done the PR and calling it arsenic helium sees it.

He cited a fig of things that could and should person been amended earlier checking himself and admitting that helium was being "a spot moany".

That, actually, was to his credit. He expected much due to the fact that this squad is susceptible of more. When you're uncovering responsibility with a 3-0 triumph past you're successful a bully place. A fewer years agone - possibly adjacent a twelvemonth agone oregon little - a 3-0 location triumph against anybody would person been hailed arsenic an unconditional triumph, but Scotland's standards are higher now.

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The past clip they played an opener successful a Euros run the last people was besides 3-0, but to Kazakhstan. The satellite has turned for this squad since then. Back past they were desperate. Now, they're discerning. McGinn tin moan each helium likes. Some of the top players Scotland has ever produced besides happened to beryllium satellite people curmudgeons.

Steve Clarke's substitutions turned a 1-0 into a 3-0, Scott McTominay, Ryan Christie and Lyndon Dykes upping the intensity, the menace and the execution. At the 4th attempt, Scotland person won a curtain-raiser successful a European qualifying campaign. In their past 4 competitory games they've won 3 and drawn one, scoring 8 and conceding one. It's just to say, they've had worse runs.

Spain successful e La Fuente's image

It's each astir to get tricky now, though. Anything different than 3 points connected Saturday would person meant a doomsday script successful a radical with Dani Olmo of Spain, Erling Haaland of Norway and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Kvaradona of Napoli and the footballing deity of Georgia.

Luis de la Fuente's Spain volition beryllium astatine Hampden connected Tuesday night. What Scotland delivered against Cyprus won't chopped it against Spain. McGinn knows that. Clarke knows it. Everybody knows it. Spain besides won their opener connected Saturday, a 3-0 triumph against a Haaland-free Norway successful Malaga. Norway had their chances astatine 1-0, blew them, past went retired similar a airy astatine La Rosaleda.

This is simply a dramatically antithetic squad than the 1 we saw walk themselves to decease astatine the World Cup successful Qatar. Appointed arsenic Luis Enrique's replacement six days aft the nonaccomplishment to Morocco successful the past 16, De la Fuente is an absorbing character.

He won 2 La Liga titles arsenic a subordinate with Athletic Bilbao successful the 1980s but the sum full of his managerial acquisition astatine nine level was 11 games with Alaves a twelve years ago. His estimation has been forged connected the backmost of his enactment with a succession of underage nationalist teams. He guided the under-19s and the under-21s to Euros glory successful his clip and won metallic astatine the Olympic Games successful Tokyo successful 2021.

All of Spain's champion young players person been coached by him astatine immoderate point. "No-one knows the contiguous and aboriginal of Spanish shot amended than me," helium says. He picked 2 teenagers successful his starting squad against Norway - the Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde and the wide midfielder, Gavi, besides of Barcelona. He besides brought connected the 20-year-old Villarreal attacker Yeremy Pino.

Whereas Luis Enrique was deemed tactically rigid and addicted to the sterile possession crippled that saw his squad registry 1 changeable connected people successful 120 minutes against Morocco, De la Fuente is simply a hybrid. He wants immoderate of what Enrique espoused, but wants much vigor and much extremity threat. He's besides changed the enactment from Enriques 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1.

He's considered affable and caring. Real Madrid's Nacho Fernandez started against Norway having played his past crippled for his state distant backmost successful 2018. He calls De la Fuente "very affectionate, precise overmuch successful the illustration of Carlo Ancelotti [his nine coach]." There's intelligibly a hard borderline to the man, though.

He took a metaphorical stroke torch to Enrique's World Cup squad, dropping a big of Enrique's erstwhile players. There was nary Jordi Alba, nary Koke, nary Ferran Torres, nary Cesar Azpilicueta, nary Marco Asensio. "This is simply a caller era," was De la Fuente's message. And it is.

When helium named his archetypal squad helium included 13 players who hadn't made it to the World Cup and 7 players from the radical helium took to Tokyo for the Olympics (and would person been much had it not been for injury). Only 4 players who started against Morocco were determination from the opening against Norway connected Saturday night.

As good arsenic bringing Nacho backmost successful from the acold and giving Kepa Arrizabalaga a archetypal headdress since October 2020, De la Fuente gave a debut to the Espanyol striker Mato Joselu disconnected the bench. Joselu has had to bide his time. He's 32 and Enrique didn't privation to cognize him. Joselu scored doubly successful 2 minutes to seal the game.

Norway provides anticipation for Scotland

In analysing Spain, Clarke request lone interest himself with Saturday nighttime successful Malaga. So overmuch has changed - tactical and unit - that that's the lone footage worthy looking at. The last scoreline looks broad but Norway were successful the crippled for ample parts and created chances. That volition springiness Clarke hope. Spain were determination to beryllium got astatine earlier they pulled away.

Starting McTominay connected the seat against Cyprus and going for Ryan Jack alternatively had to beryllium a motion to Tuesday night. Christie's fruitful cameo mightiness enactment him backmost successful the starting line-up up of Stuart Armstrong, but Armstrong was decent connected Saturday. The constituent is that Clarke has options. Lewis Ferguson is successful good signifier successful Serie A but saw nary minutes against Cyprus. He's a utile lawsuit to person successful reserve.

It's hard to spot Clarke making galore changes, beyond Dykes replacing the injured Adams. He'll slope connected the prime of the absorption and the night-time ambiance giving his players much of an edge. The run began connected Saturday, but it truly lone begins successful earnest connected Tuesday erstwhile a caller Spain get and erstwhile truthful overmuch much volition beryllium known astir them and their hosts.