Che Adams had insisted Steve Clarke is the perfect man to lead Scotland out of its slump and to get the nation back dreaming again.
The national coach has come in for criticism after the abject showing at Euro 2024 and the fact the national team hasn’t won a competitive game for over a year, since before they qualified for Germany. Scotland narrowly lost their opening Nations League Group A games against Poland and Portugal last month.
Clarke and his squad will look to end their poor run away to Croatia at the weekend and then at home to Portugal next week. Adams stated: “That’s football. You always get stick. He has done a great job for the country and the national team. Everyone really respects the job he has done and him as a person. He has done amazing things for Scotland. He has made everyone dream again and believe. People have bought into what he wants. He is the perfect man for the job.”
The Torino frontman knows Clarke has helped raise the bar, by getting the national team back to finals after more than two decades in the doldrums. “Everyone knows we are going through a rough spell at the minute,” the Scotland striker acknowledged. “We are coming up against better opposition now, which is testing us even more and it just shows the progress we have made in the Nations League.
“We have made two Euros on the bounce and that is a bonus to everyone involved with Scotland. We just need to keep our heads down and continue to work hard.”
Adams missed last month’s Nations League games with a hip injury but is back and determined to get Scotland off the mark in the top tier. He said: “I can’t wait to get involved and back there. I am looking forward to it. Croatia and Portugal are two big games but that is what every Scotland fan wants. They want us to go up against the best and to show how much we have grown over the last couple of years.
“We have beaten the likes of Spain. We believe in ourselves that we are a good team. We know we have a good spirit and everyone is pulling in the one direction. We are a top team and on our day we can beat anyone. Hopefully, we can show that in the upcoming games.”
Adams didn’t think Scotland were too far away from making their mark in their opening defeats to Poland and Portugal. The former Southampton star claimed: “We were unlucky to lose late on against Poland and Portugal, if I am being honest. The first game they got the penalty in the last minute. I thought we had played well in the game and probably should have come away with something.
“The Portugal game was when Ronaldo scored, which was heartbreaking. We just need to keep going in the right direction. We have done well over the last couple of years. We know we are a good team and it is just about believing in ourselves and putting things right for these next games. Overall, it was an unlucky camp.”