CRITICISING a centre forward for rarely leaving the opposition penalty box can seem a bit like castigating fish for refusing to come out of the sea. It is where they survive and thrive. Jordan Rhodes is one such creature. A striker who, in the earlier parts of his career certainly, did little but score goals would seem to be an asset most sides would love to have, but the feeling has lingered that the forward ought to be doing more to help the team.
With Scotland needing a victory against Slovenia this evening to keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for the next World Cup, Rhodes’ nose for goals could prove pivotal. And assistant manager Mark McGhee believes the Sheffield Wednesday loanee has become a lot more than a one-trick pony.
“I think the perception has been that be only comes alive in the penalty box and I think it has been our perception too,” he said. “But I think, seeing him against Canada and in training, he looks to me a player that has developed and is doing much, much better. His play outside of the box is much improved I think.
“And he has still got such an eye for goal. Gordon [Strachan] was standing beside me at training the other day and at one point Jordan scored a goal and Gordon said “aye, just pass it into the net”. And it was like that. Jordan just rolled it firm enough and fast enough that the goalie wasn’t getting it but there was no urgency about it. It was just total calmness. He is a good finisher, he really is.
“Jordan is a boy who does what he does regardless. He seems to quite consistently be the same player and maybe it’s not as important to him to be playing every week [for his club] as it is to, say, Chris Martin.”
McGhee suggested there could be a debut for Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong. “I think he has a goal in him at the moment,” he added. “He has energy and is very aggressive around the ball and strong on it. Since he has gone into the middle of the park he has blossomed, he really has. One of thing Gordon will be looking for when he selects his team is people who are playing with positivity and confidence, self-belief and energy and he certainly fits all of those.”
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