Casting net wide is Strachan's only option

Sports Writer

Sunday 10 March 2013

ONCE the names of the players on any international squad list have been fully digested, the next item your eye is inevitably drawn to is the clubs which they represent.

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Stewart Fisher

It was no different on Thursday when Gordon Strachan announced the 28 men who will, barring call-offs, comprise his first competitive group as Scotland manager.

While he is more blessed than some of his predecessors in terms of the size of the complement of Barclays Premier League footballers –10 – he has at his disposal for this month's World Cup qualifying double-header against Wales and Serbia, Strachan won't feel Scotland have regained the ground they have lost until more of his players come from the elite clubs in England and indeed further afield.

While Scotland draw squad members from sides such as Wigan Athletic, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion, they are in the same league – figuratively speaking – as, for example, Wales and Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale or Serbia's back four."To be fair, we're Scots. We think we're great at this and great at that, it's the way we are," Strachan said. "But over the last couple of years a reality check has come into place. When you look at the sides we're playing against, who they play for, what they are doing in the world, you think that is not bad."We need to watch who they are playing for in the Premier League. Are they getting a regular game? If you look at Serbia, where do the back four play? Ivanovic – Chelsea; Bisevac, the Lyon centre-half; Nastasic at Man City; and Kolarov at Man City. So that's up there."Our guys aren't up there in the glamorous teams like they were years ago. But they've made it to the Premiership so we have to say well done to them for that."The situation is exacerbated by the demise of the Scottish Premier League as a reliable proving ground for players. The likes of Darren Fletcher and James McFadden apart, the Walter Smith era saw players from Rangers and Celtic dominate national squads.However, there are relatively few Scottish first-team players at Parkhead these days, although James Forrest, Kris Commons and Charlie Mulgrew, are regular members of the national squad. Beyond that, however, the only SPL players included by Strachan are Andy Webster of Hearts and Dundee United's Gary Mackay-Steven, who has shown glimpses in the under-21 ranks of his potential to prosper internationally.Consequently, Strachan became the latest Scotland manager to source new recruits from the Championship in the form of Brighton's Liam Bridcutt and Hull City's George Boyd, hardly household names north of the Border"Either it is progress or it is down to the SPL being a lot stronger five years ago," Strachan said. "It wasn't bad picking squads when Rangers were doing well and Celtic were spending £6million on players."An important part of Strachan's group, then, are players who are not playing at the very top level but at one that stretches them, and at which they get regular games.With Scott Brown and Darren Fletcher both missing from midfield for the games at Hampden on March 22 and in Serbia on March 26, it is unfortunate timing that Charlie Adam seems to be getting eased out of the picture at Stoke.However, the likes of James Morrison and Robert Snodgrass are regular starters south of the border and one man's disappointment is another's opportunity.Strachan has kept only a cursory eye on the progress of Alan Hutton since his move to Real Mallorca, but early reports are encouraging and the Scotland manager is satisfied with the sharpness the defender showed against Estonia last month."When we come to name the squad sometimes we don't have a lot of choice because we need to put players in with experience," Strachan said. "We had to speak to people in the Premier League this week who aren't getting games. But the more games they get, the better. I know for a fact that when Charlie Adam is playing 35-40 games a season he is a terrific player."

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Casting net wide is Strachan's only option

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