Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish has backed Ange Postecoglou’s decision to not release his Scottish contingent for the national side’s forthcoming friendly against Turkey.
Steve Clarke expressed his disappointment that the Scottish champions didn’t allow their players to be put up for selection for Wednesday night’s game against Turkey, with Postecoglou diplomatically reminding the Scotland manager of Celtic’s long-standing commitments to the upcoming Sydney Super Cup.
Now, Dalglish, who is still Scotland’s all-time record caps holder, has waded into the discussion, backing the Celtic manager’s decision given the unique circumstances surrounding the occasion.
Dalglish wrote in his Sunday Post column: “I understand the stance taken by the Parkhead club. They’ve signed a contract to take a squad to Australia for a tournament, and they are taking their best players.
“It will also be a part of their preparation for the second-half of the campaign as they try to retain the title and get back into the Champions League. With this date not being officially recognised in the international calendar, Ange Postecoglou is perfectly within his rights.
“I’ve no doubt that had this been a competitive game – or preparation for going to the World Cup – then any Celtic player called up would be with their country.”
Dalglish reinforced that he understood why Clarke felt aggrieved by Celtic’s stance, but urged the Scotland boss to embrace the situation by blooding some lesser-spotted Scotland players to compensate.
He wrote: “I get Steve Clarke’s frustration, of course I do.
“But there is no point in dwelling on who will not be there. Let’s be positive about the players who will be on the flight.
“The absence of the likes of Callum McGregor will give the Scotland manager an opportunity to assess other players closely. That should be viewed as a positive, and it’s a chance for someone to maybe emerge from the shadows.”
Given that the Turkey friendly was only fully confirmed on the 26th of October, it’s difficult to find issue with the stances of either Postecoglou, or Dalglish.
Like most clubs, Celtic will have planned the mid-season break meticulously to make sure that the squad get the most possible out of the rare gap in the fixture list during the World Cup, and even in the absence of the Sydney Super Cup, it seems unreasonable to expect clubs to upend their plans for a hastily-arranged friendly.
As Dalglish states, the absence of Celtic’s Scotland regulars actually offers an opportunity to some less experienced players, who will likely get more out of the fixture than a group who have gone to the wire for club and country over the last few months.
In other news: Ange Postecoglou pays tribute to “outstanding” Celtic squad after marathon fixture run
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