Is Steve Clarke the answer?

Scotland have announced that manager Steve Clarke has signed a contract extension keeping him as head coach until 2026 ahead of their Euros qualifying campaign getting underway this Saturday.

Steve Clarke all smiles as he seals extension. (CREDIT: SNS Group/SFA)

The decision has split The Tartan Army, with almost 40% of voters on our Twitter poll saying they aren’t happy with the news.

The 59-year-old and Scotland have had some ecstatic moments so far, with the ex-Chelsea player taking the nation to their first major tournament in 22 years when they qualified for the delayed 2020 Euros. On top of this, Scotland have taken a point against The Auld Enemy, England, at Wembley and beat Denmark 2-0 in emphatic form to give them their only defeat of the World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign. Several games against Israel later, we find ourselves asking, is that enough?

Let’s face the facts here, supporters are used to failure and disappointment no longer comes as a surprise. Since the beginning of Steve Clarke’s tenure in 2019, Scotland have been beaten 4-0 by Russia and 3-0 by Ireland, as well as losses against nations including Israel and Slovakia. Scotland also lost out on a World Cup qualification shot when Ukraine beat them 3-1 at Hampden Park.

An underwhelming Euros campaign brought expectations back down, but should it really be that way?

Steve Clarke has faced both glory and failure so far. (CREDIT: Alamy Stock Images)

The current squad is captained by Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson and includes 11 players who ply their trade in the English Premier League, with the likes of John McGinn and Kieran Tierney part of arguably the world’s best league.

Alongside those 11, Lewis Ferguson is playing in Serie A, the top division in Italy, with Bologna and three of the squad play for the Old Firm sides.

The squad seems to be on the brink of something brilliant and is improving the feel in Scotland. However, there is a long way to go before we can compare to those around us, with Croatia, whose population is very similar, reaching consecutive World Cup semi-finals.

Clarke, who turns 60 in August, has signed the extension which will take his tenure up to the North America World Cup in 2026. But will Scotland be there?

Do you think Clarke is the right man for the job? If not, who should replace him?

Let us know!

IMAGE CREDITS: 2020 SNS GROUP, PA IMAGES.