Steve Clarke has provided a further worrying comment for the likes of Celtic star David Turnbull as he failed to understand the logic in dropping his current players.
There was severe anger from the Celtic supporters after Turnbull was overlooked for Scotland contention yesterday. Clarke’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers this month didn’t include the in-form Hoops midfielder.
Clarke failed to reasonably explain why David missed out too. Instead, he simply stated that he was “one for the future” and that the midfield area is a strong one.
However, in a further blow for Turnbull, Clarke admitted he can’t understand the logic in dropping players who have qualified for Euro 2020.
As quoted by the Glasgow Times, Clarke said: “People like David Turnbull, Nathan Patterson, Billy Gilmour, Ryan Gauld are all young players with good prospects. But the likes of Turnbull has to break into the team in front of (John) McGinn, (Scott) McTominay, Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Christie, Ryan Fraser – it’s an area of the team we are very, very strong in – and we also have to be very careful not to lose the dynamic of the squad.
“I can’t understand the clamour to throw some players out who have been part of a historic national team that’s qualified for a major tournament.
“The time will come for these other players but, at the moment, it’s about getting the balance right so that we move forward in an organised manner.”
Steve Clarke comments leave Scotland Euro opportunities for Turnbull unlikely
For months it’s looked as though Turnbull was going to have a good opportunity to break into Scotland’s Euro squad. However, the squad selection yesterday was a real blow.
And going by Clarke’s thought process, it makes no sense to drop any of his star men for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament either. That’s a colossal blow for David given he’s clearly the in-form midfielder in Scottish football at the moment.
Clarke says that the time will come for players like Turnbull. But that time is now given the fact that he’s shown he can compete at a higher level than the upcoming international fixtures will provide.
David has been one of the best players on the pitch against Rangers and Lille to name two fixtures. He can compete against Israel and Austria. Clarke appears to be undermining just how talented Turnbull is as a player.
Especially considering he’s been out-performing the likes of Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor. Yes, Clarke can remain loyal to many, but he has to assure his players that their spots aren’t guaranteed. If he picks players solely based on loyalty, Scotland won’t do anything in the summer.
The games at the end of the month represented a major opportunity for Scotland to see what Turnbull’s got. Instead, we’re left wondering when on earth he’ll get his chance.
In other news, we take a look at what Erling Haaland has said recently regarding Celtic-linked Jesse Marsch.
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