Andy Robertson sees Scotland captaincy questioned with two alternatives suggested as pro Steve Clarke case made

The Scotland manager has had his role called into question following Euro 2024 failure, but could there be a captaincy change too?

Alan McInally certainly thinks so as he pores over the fallout of the national team failing to get out of a group stage once again, and finishing bottom of their group with just one point. Steve Clarke has been the one getting it in the neck, with his tactics and use of personnel heavily criticised.

But McInally feels a change in captaincy might help. The former Scotland striker reckons Andy Robertson only holds that honour by default because he is a Liverpool player and asked whether Scott McTominay or Aston Villa skipper John McGinn could be a better option.

Speaking to Betfair, he said: "I wouldn't have minded Scott McTominay or John McGinn becoming Scotland captain. Steve Clarke has gone for ‘Robbo’ for the simple reason that he plays for Liverpool. He's had an unbelievable good three or four years and he knows him and the lads look up to players like that. And he has a little bit more seniority than McGinn and McTominay.

"That's why he's the captain and I don't have a problem with that. But I think if you said to Robertson, look, I'm going to give it to McTominay or John McGinn, I think he'd be like, we're a team here. It's not all about me. It's not who's the captain.

"In terms of the captaincy, we've got three players that could be captain. Maybe four if you throw in Grant Hanley, because he has over 50 caps, and he just brings a little bit more steel to our back line. But out with that. We don’t have any captains in the team - we don’t have anyone that carries that gravitas."

In terms of Clarke's position, the ex-Bayern Munich man would like to see the boss given more time. He feels the work done in qualifying gives him enough credit in the bank with the tournament itself not a sackable offence.

"I don't even think it [the next Scotland manager] should be debatable," he added. "I just think Steve Clark should be given time to reassess himself because that's the kind of guy Steve is. And also his next squad will be important to make sure we get positive results.

"I would imagine there'd be a lot of teams interested in Steve Clark if he wasn't the Scotland manager to give him an opportunity. I just don't think it's going to be a topic. I really don't. I think he's going to be the manager. And with a bit of luck, he's going to be the manager in two years’ time when Mexico, the USA and Canada host the World Cup. I would be happy with that. No problem. And I don't see a reason for us to change the manager. When do clubs and countries change their manager when you’re successful?

"The finger would be pointed because we haven't been successful in a Euros group that we thought we could get out of. Alright, you hold your hands up and you say, ‘Okay, you want to make a change, get rid of me. But look what I've already done for us.’ For 24 years, we have qualified for nothing, nothing.

"We were absolutely bang average for 24 years. Now Steve Clarke came in, moulded this group into something of an international team and qualified for the last two Euros. I'm sorry, that's my argument.

" think it should be mentioned because people have a very short memory, we beat Spain, we went to Norway and got a result. We qualified with two games to go. Just think back on that and the number of people that were falling over the line to try and get to the Euros. We hold our hands up and say we didn't play well enough at the Euros, we didn't play well enough against Germany, we didn't beat Switzerland and we couldn't score against Hungary. Okay, absolutely. But if you think that's a reason you got rid of Steve Clark, then shout away. I don't agree with you.

"I don't think for one minute that Stevie Clarke thinks, ‘that's as much as I can get out of the Scotland squad’. We qualify for a tournament and then we're not good enough to do anything else? I don't believe that for a minute and I don't believe Steve believes that for a minute. It's certainly not going to be, ‘yeah, I'm chopping the towel and I've taken them to two Euros. I don't think I can do any more’. He must be bursting out for the next tournament, for the next Scotland game."