Dave Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Scotland The Tartan Army have had to wait 23 years to qualify for a major tournament and they'll certainly be looking to relish every second of it. Road to Euro 2020 Scotland finished third in qualifying Group I behind Belgium and Russia and were given a lifeline thanks to their good performances in the Nations League. Scotland embarked on a nine game unbeaten run under Steve Clarke, and thanks to consecutive penalty shoot out victories against Israel and Serbia they were able qualify for their first major tournament in 23 years. What to Expect Scotland enter the tournament with a wealth of midfield options. This is emphasised by Scott McTominay often playing out of position in defence and Stuart Armstrong struggling to gain a starting place in this side. It's unlikely they will dictate the play against possession hungry sides such as Croatia and England but they're definitely capable of putting forward a good battle. Che Adams choosing to represent Scotland will be of some comfort to the Tartan Army who lack a wealth of proven goal scorers. Lyndon Dykes form at Queens Park Rangers has improved as the season's continued but Leigh Griffiths lack of playing time will be of concern going in to this tournament. Possible Lineup It's likely that Steve Clarke will adapt a 3-4-1-2 formation which has been proven as an efficient way to ensure both Kieran Tierney and Andrew Robertson are able to play for their national team. As mentioned previously, Scott McTominay may play as the right sided central defender ahead of Jack Hendry in this formation to help accommodate as many of the impressive midfielders in the Scottish ranks as possible. Grant Hanley appears to be the preferred to Declan Gallagher in the centre of defence whilst Stephen O'Donnell seems to be the favoured right wing back in this system ahead of Liam Palmer. David Marshall's position in goal appears to be assured ahead of Craig Gordan whilst in the centre of midfield we expect to see the combination that featured in the playoffs of Callum McGregor and Ryan Jack start the first game against Czech Republic. It's worth also mentioning that this was the same combination that played in the recent 2-1 victory against Czech Republic in the Nations League. John McGinn is likely to play in a more advanced role whilst Ryan Christie is expected to play behind either Che Adams or Lyndon Dykes up top. Key Player Whether it's snapping in to tackles, providing killer passes or popping up with important goals, John McGinn sets the tempo and is the beating heart of the Scottish midfield. If Scotland are to have any form of success at this tournament they'll need John McGinn to be at his very best. Prediction Scotland have never progressed beyond the group stage so The Tartan Army have a good chance to create more history, they'll also be too proud to just make up the numbers. They will no doubt take inspiration from the Wales 2016 side and the opening fixture against Czech Republic will be absolutely massive to see whether Scotland will be competitive in this tournament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azeem Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverted Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Finishing 3rd and avoiding any batterings would be a decent result. But with how negative and low-scoring intl tournaments can be, maybe there is some room for Clarkenaccio to cause some interesting results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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