Scotland’s World Cup defeat to Morocco has opened up a familiar conversation surrounding Kieran Tierney and it’s one that appears to have annoyed former Celtic striker Tony Watt.
That debate over Tierney’s role in Steve Clarke’s side came up after Scotland’s loss to Morocco when Watt questioned the decision to change the Celtic defender’s role.
Martin O’Neill got the best out of Tierney playing him as an attacking wing-back at Celtic last season, but it seems that Watt was frustrated with how the Scotland manager deployed the Hoops hero.
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Celtic get the best of Tierney as Scotland toil with defender
Tierney was left exposed by the winger role that Clarke had the Celtic defender play and Tony Watt was less than impressed.
“I totally understand why he did it, but I don’t agree with it,” Watt said on Superscoreboard. “I like Tierney, I think Tierney is a top player for Celtic and Scotland.
“But it wasn’t the game to play him. He’s not a left winger for a start.
Scotland’s thinking was understandable. Morocco’s biggest threats were expected to come down the right through Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, so having Tierney there as cover made sense.
Watt felt that approach backfired almost immediately.
“Okay, if you break it down, Morocco’s two best players on paper, two biggest stars are Brahim Diaz and Hakimi, who are both on the right hand side,” he said.
“So you think, okay, we’ll put Roberts and Tierney on them. But see after 70 seconds, if they score a goal for that side, Brahim Diaz comes inside, plays the ball over the top, uses that left channel. Steve Clarke needs to put his hand up and say, I got it wrong, because he did.
“That was him getting it wrong, because he played defensively to stop the right hand side. And it’s not saying Steve Clarke is not a good manager, he’s a top manager, but he errs on the side of caution like we spoke about.
“And I just feel like, why not go for it?”
Scotland’s caution exposed Celtic defender vs Morocco
For Watt, the issue with Tierney’s position went beyond the role Steve Clarke asked him to play. His criticism centred on Scotland’s wide play and a tendency to prioritise defending over attacking.
It is a criticism Scotland supporters have heard before. Whenever the national side have made the Euros and now the World Cup, the balance between avoiding heavy defeats and trying to get out of the group stages quickly becomes a talking point.
Tierney often finds himself at the centre of that conversation because his versatility allows managers to use him in a variety of roles.
The irony is that Scotland do not need to search for the best version of Tierney. They have seen it for years.
Whether at Celtic or during the strongest periods of his career, Tierney has looked most comfortable starting from left-back, where he can defend aggressively and then build attacks from deep,
Watt’s criticism may not change Scotland’s plans going forward, but it does highlight a debate that has been ongoing for years.
The more Scotland adapt Tierney’s role to suit opponents, the more questions are asked about whether they are moving the Celtic star away from what he does best.
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