Clarke tells Scotland to 'get nasty' as World Cup qualifying campaign begins; McGinn vows to keep playing

Steve Clarke has told Scotland's players to 'get nasty' and re-embrace the defensive grit that characterised their rapid rise to Euro 2024 as the team begins its World Cup qualifying campaign.

Clarke said the message in training ahead of the matches was simple: combine the attractive elements of Scotland's play with the 'nuts and bolts' — the hard work off the ball and the tenacity that makes the team difficult to face. The instruction arrived after a period of mixed form that followed a run of five straight wins that secured qualification for the European Championship and preceded a disappointing finals in Germany.

The initial return appeared to have an immediate effect: Scotland opened the qualifying series with a goalless draw in Copenhagen against Denmark, a result Clarke said reflected the team's energy and defensive organisation. 'In the lead up to these two games, we spoke about being more solid defensively and working harder as a team without the ball to make sure we give ourselves the best chance to win the game,' he said. 'Horrible in a good way. Horrible in that they make it really difficult for the opposition.'

Clarke said the plan is not to abandon the creative parts of Scotland's game but to ensure the basics are executed as consistently as the more eye-catching moments. 'You have to do the football that's nice to do, the bits that catch the attention, the shots and good play, plus the basics, the nuts and bolts of football, the dirty stuff,' he added. 'You have to do the hard yards off the ball. If we can do that across the six games then I think we can get enough points.'

Scotland travel to face Belarus in a match to be played behind closed doors at Zalaegerszeg's ZTE Arena in Hungary. Clarke oversaw training in Denmark before flying to Hungary and reported no new injury concerns following the draw with Denmark. He indicated changes could be made to the side as he seeks a different balance against Belarus, who suffered a 5-1 defeat to Greece in their opening qualifier.

Despite that heavy loss for Belarus, Clarke warned against underestimating them. 'Any team of professionals that get beat like they got beat the other night, there's normally a reaction,' he said. 'They will try to create a little siege mentality. They will certainly not want to concede a lot of goals again. We expect a tough night.' Clarke described Belarus as a 'competent side' and said he was surprised by the margin of their defeat in Greece.

Midfielder John McGinn, a regular in Clarke's side, said he has no intention of stepping away from international duty now that he is over 30 and understands why some players choose to focus on club careers. 'No, never,' he said when asked whether he might retire from international football. 'I understand why boys do it. There's probably a few performances in the last couple of years where I should probably have went 'I'm knackered, give yourself a break'.'

McGinn said representing Scotland remains a privilege and that he will stop only when the manager decides he is no longer helping the team. 'You hear the anthem, you see your family proud as punch in the stand and for me personally, I'll stop playing for Scotland when the manager decides I'm not good enough and I'm not helping the squad,' he said. 'So, hopefully you'll see my face for another few years.'

The midfielder said reaching the World Cup is a driving motivation for him and his team-mates, and he does not want to finish his career with the anguish of missing out on football's biggest tournament. 'For a lot of us, it might be our last chance,' McGinn said. 'I remember being in the dressing room when certain players realised that it was the last chance to qualify for a World Cup. I saw it on their faces. I could feel their pain and I don't want us to go through that same experience.'

McGinn highlighted the balance of experience and youth available to Scotland, pointing to players like Ben Doak and Kieron Bowie as reasons for optimism. Clarke's immediate task will be to marry that blend of youth and experience with the renewed emphasis on defensive solidity as Scotland aim to start their qualifying group strongly and keep World Cup hopes on track.