ASK any football manager and they will all, invariably through tightly-clenched teeth, tell you the same thing about a player who has been dropped; he immediately becomes far better than he actually is in the minds of supporters when a side starts losing.
His abilities are exaggerated, his glaring flaws overlooked, his divisive nature in the dressing room forgotten about and the influence he could have on games overplayed. In short, he soon becomes the answer to all of a team’s problems.
Yet, in the case of Scotland, whose hopes of reaching the next World Cup have been seriously, if not yet fatally, hurt by a draw with Lithuania and defeats to Slovakia and England in the past month, it would be worthwhile seriously considering how those who haven’t been involved, either in the side or the squad, could help to bring about an upturn in fortunes.
The continuing decline of our national game and the paucity of talent available to Gordon Strachan have been well-documented, both by him and many others, in the past and are touched upon elsewhere on these pages today.
However, there are still several players out there who, for whatever reason, have fallen out of favour with Strachan, or who have never even been in favour with him, who could easily help to get Scotland back to winning ways if they were only given the chance to show what they are capable of.
Indeed, there are footballers who have commanded multi-million pound transfer fees and who are playing their club football on a regular basis in the Premier League and Championship in England who are, due to their perceived inability to fit into his specific system, not featuring.
Charlie Adam is unlikely to have done his chances of earning a Scotland recall from Strachan any favours with his outspoken interviews on BBC Five Live and talkSPORT last week ahead of the Russia 2018 qualifier with England at Wembley. But if there is a change of manager the new man should definitely consider giving the midfielder another opportunity and even an extended run.
Many Scotland fans will remember the former Rangers, Blackpool and Liverpool player failing to track Gareth Bale and allowing him to score a late winner in a 2-1 defeat to Wales in Cardiff in a World Cup qualifier back in 2012. His application leaves a huge amount to be desired and it is little wonder he has been overlooked by a manager who demands a high workrate.
Your correspondent suggested when Adam made his last appearance in the dark blue of his homeland in the friendly international against Qatar at Easter Road in June last year that he would be a useful player – but only if he could be brought on whenever they had a set piece.
But his exceptional delivery could be a potent weapon for a Scotland team which often struggles to create scoring opportunities. It certainly is for Stoke City. Adam offers his country something different to what they currently have and could give them a much-needed Plan B going forward.
The 26-times capped 30-year-old is not the only Scot operating in the top flight or second tier down south who is being ignored. Jordan Rhodes, a prolific scorer in the past, has played four times for Middlesbrough this term while Matt Phillips, who moved to West Bromwich Albion for £5.5 million in the summer, scored the winner against Leicester City last weekend.
Ross McCormack, who joined Aston Villa for £12 million in the close season, must wonder what he has to do to be involved. He set up Ikechi Anya for the only goal in the 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague brilliantly back in March and put in a tireless shift in the 1-0 loss to Italy in Malta in May. Since then? Nothing.
There are even players in the current set-up who could make a difference. James McArthur is a favourite of Strachan’s and has been involved in Scotland’s last three Group F outings. But he has only started in one of them, against Slovakia last month. On current form, the Crystal Palace man should be an automatic selection.
Elsewhere, the non-involvement of Oliver Burke, Scotland’s most expensive player, and Steven Naismith, who has been playing and scoring with Norwich City, is baffling. As is the omission of Shaun Maloney, who was the national team’s most consistent player during the Euro 2016 campaign, this season.
Scotland are limited at international level - in defence especially where it is hard to see where the next generation of centre backs are coming from – and whoever is in charge faces a nigh on impossible task qualifying for the finals of major tournaments. Long-term the future does not look bright. But there are certainly options available if they look hard enough and keen an open mind.
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