Steve Clarke wants return to winning ways – Scotland v Norway talking points
Steve Clarke’s side drew their last game (Steve Welsh/PA)
Scotland host Norway in their final Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday night.
Steve Clarke’s side have already booked their place in Germany next summer after winning five of their first seven Group A games.
Here are some of the key talking points ahead of the game at Hampden.
Steve Clarke has led Scotland to back-to-back Euros (Steve Welsh/PA)
For much of their 23-year absence from major tournaments between France 98 and the Euros in 2021, Scotland would look to other nations for inspiration. Now the shoe is on the other foot.
Norway – whose last major tournament appearance was at Euro 2000 – find themselves in a similar predicament to the one the Scots freed themselves from a few years ago.
As the Scots prepare for a second consecutive visit to the Euros and Norway’s barren run from major tournaments extends to a minimum of 26 years, a Norwegian journalist asked both Steve Clarke and Callum McGregor on Saturday what his nation could learn from Scotland.
McGregor almost seemed embarrassed, saying: “I’m probably not the guy to tell Norway how to qualify for the next campaign.”
Clarke, meanwhile, kept the advice simple: “Trust the process, trust the coach, trust the players. Continue to work on the path you’re on if you think that’s the right path.” The Scots are very much on the right path under Clarke.
Erling Haaland is out of Sunday’s match at Hampden (Zac Goodwin/PA)
Scotland boss Clarke admitted to “mixed feelings” after it was confirmed on Saturday morning that Norway talisman Erling Haaland would miss out with an ankle injury.
The absence of the free-scoring Manchester City forward – who has 20 goals to his name already this term – takes some of the remaining
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk
