Even close proximity to a global superstar cannot divert Scotlandâ€s attention from their World Cup dream. Or is it a teenage one? Katy Perry shared a city centre hotel with Steve Clarke and his squad this week as the singerâ€s Lifetimes Tour stopped off in Glasgow. Clarke did not quite go as far as saying, “Katy who?†but he was nonplussed by his squad rubbing shoulders with a bestselling artist.
“Was she?†said Clarke when asked about Perryâ€s whereabouts. “I didnâ€t know she was there. Iâ€ve heard the name and Iâ€m sure if you played me a couple of her songs Iâ€d say: ‘I recognise that one.†But I couldnâ€t name you one of her songs. Thatâ€s no disrespect to Katy but Iâ€m from a different generation.†Pressed on whether he would even recognise Perry, Clarke – by now laughing – added: “Eh, no. And she wouldnâ€t recognise me.†This very much feels like two worlds that should never collide.
Clarke was understandably more serious on the challenge likely to arrive from Greece on Thursday as Scotland kick off a crucial double-header. Belarus also visit Hampden Park on Sunday, as Scotland look to build on the positive World Cup-qualifying opening provided by four points out of an available six.
The backdrop is a curious one. Rangers†sacking of Russell Martin, with Steven Gerrard to hold talks over a return to Ibrox, and off-field rumblings at Celtic mean the national teamâ€s matches have rather crept up on even seasoned observers. Even Hearts†high-flying domestic start and woes at Aberdeen have felt more prevalent in Scottish football discourse. “I do glance through the headlines sometimes and itâ€s been strange in the buildup to such a big game that the national team has not been the main headline,†said Clarke. “But listen, thatâ€s the nature of football in Scotland.
“The players understand that every game in a qualification process is important, to get as many points as you can. We managed to pick up four points in the two away games last month and we hope to pick up as many as we can this month and that will put us in a good place going into November. The players understand what they have to do.â€
John McGinn (right) in training with Scotland. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA
The Greece clash will mean Clarke matches the late Craig Brownâ€s record of 71 games in charge of his country. Somewhat typically, the 62-year-old has no desire to focus on personal landmarks. “I havenâ€t really thought about it, I have to be honest,†said Clarke. “Having had a half-decent career as a player and a half-decent career up to now as a manager and a head coach … I donâ€t think Iâ€m finished yet. Let me finish and then look back and I will tell you exactly how I feel about it.
“I have enjoyed it. When you take the job you donâ€t think youâ€re going to be in for six and a bit years with so many games under your belt. I have been lucky enough to work with a really good, consistent squad of players who have done ever so well for me. All my coaches have helped me and to get to this stage is been really nice. But at the moment my focus is only on qualifying for the World Cup next year.â€
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Football Daily
Kick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of football
Privacy Notice:Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
Greece landed in Scotland with confidence, having swaggered to a 3-0 Nations League win at Hampden Park in March. “The players did not quite hit the heights that they had before,†said Clarke of that wounding encounter. “So if this is a chance to make amends, hopefully that is what we do.â€
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.