Steve Clarke Nears Key Milestone While Urging Scotland to Stay Focused and Avoid Complacency
Steve Clarke is approaching a significant milestone as he prepares for Scotland’s upcoming match against Belarus at Hampden Park. This will be Clarke’s 72nd game as manager, making him the longest-serving manager in terms of matches, surpassing Craig Brown.
Focus on World Cup Qualification
Clarke acknowledges his achievement but emphasizes that the primary goal is World Cup qualification. Scotland currently sits well in their group but must maintain focus. “It’s nice to be the first to reach this amount of games. However, the focus should be on the team and qualifying for the World Cup,” he stated.
Performance Overview
- Scotland’s recent victory against Greece puts them close behind Denmark in Group C.
- Upcoming matches include fixtures in Athens and a home game against Denmark.
With Denmark recently securing a strong win over Belarus, Clarke warns against complacency. “These are matches we must win to set a foundation for facing tougher opponents,” he remarked. Historical performance indicates that Scotland has struggled in past qualifiers against teams they were expected to defeat.
Expectations Against Belarus
Clarke stresses the importance of winning against Belarus. He predicts a challenging match, noting that their opponents will be well-organized. “It’s vital we secure these points. Belarus will present difficulties, but we must approach the game with the right mindset,” he explained.
Engaging the home crowd will be crucial, as Clarke highlighted the need for players to give fans something to cheer about. “We aim to create enough chances and involve the crowd in the game,” he added.
Ultimately, Clarke’s focus is clear: achieve World Cup qualification while embracing the responsibility of being Scotland’s longest-serving manager.
