Scotland to name monster May squad for World Cup as Steve Clarke digs deep for names

The ears of footballers across the country will have pricked up with the news that Clarke will be looking to fill 29 more places than the 26 he will eventually settle on ahead of games v Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in North America. The final roster of names must be submitted by 30 May. The enlarged squad deadline is 11 May.

Clarke joked that he might have to pick himself to reach the initial number required. “It's a FIFA requirement where you have a squad of 55 names. I'm definitely number 55!”

Speaking before the latest pre-tournament friendly against Ivory Coast in Liverpool, Clarke stressed that he was comfortable with Fifa’s new stipulations. The expanded size accounts for pre-tournament injuries and dips in form.

When asked about the seemingly arduous job of finding 55 players of sufficient quality for a World Cup squad, he said he was confident he would reach the number required without resorting to himself. “I will find 55 names for sure,” he said. “I will find 55 names. It is just a Fifa requirement, that is what we will have to do,” he said.

“Hopefully I don’t forget anybody!” he added. “(Assistant manager) Steven Naismith wants another cap so I have got Naisy as well!” Having expected to tell only a few players they won’t be going to a World Cup, Clarke might need to tell many more—as many as 29 players—that they’ve failed to make the cut.

He knows how this feels, having been axed from a provisional squad for Italia '90 after then-manager Andy Roxburgh whittled it down to 22 names. He suggested that most of those named in the 55-man list will already suspect they are not going to be included in the final squad. “I won’t be going around every single name,” Clarke explained. “I won’t be standing in front of the mirror telling myself, ‘you’re not going either!’”

Clarke was in good spirits at the Hill Dickinson stadium as Scotland bid to put on a better show than they managed against Japan at Hampden on Saturday. The players were booed off the pitch that night after the 1-0 defeat and Clarke later said the reaction had “disappointed” him. When asked about supporter unhappiness again in his latest pre-match press conference, he claimed it was not a big issue. He had not mentioned it to the players afterwards.

“I didn’t speak to them about it, I don’t know if they were stung (by the reaction) or not,” he said. “We didn’t actually talk about it. For us it was not a big issue.

“Over my time in football, the more you do, the better you are and the more people expect from you,” he added. “I think I’d rather have it that way than people not too bothered whether you do well or not. Expectations rise, that’s fine. We can handle it.”

But he hoped the fans will have more to be excited about against Ivory Coast, with around 35,000 expected at the 52,000 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. His priority, he said, was “no injuries and then performance and then result”. He added that he and the players were all on the same page. “Other people can think what they want,” he added.

“It's up to them. If they want to boo, they'll boo. Some people go to football to boo. There's nothing you can do about it.” Clarke plans to make “significant” changes to the side that started against Japan against a team who beat South Korea 4-0 in their last outing on Saturday in Milton Keynes. Ivory Coast are currently 35 in the Fifa rankings, five places above Scotland.

"If you want to get better and you want to learn, you have to play against good teams," he said. “They have a slightly different style of play to the Japanese side that we played at the weekend. Strong, direct, quick.”

Clarke has returned to Liverpool, where he served as assistant manager to Kenny Dalglish for an 18-month spell between 2011 and 2012. The team won the League Cup in that spell. Scotland are playing a game in the city for the first time since an epic World Cup qualifying win over Wales at Anfield in 1977.

“You're trying to get me a bit of a stick because I'm on the blue side of the city!” he said, when reminded of his Liverpool days. “I had a great time here in Liverpool. A great city. I obviously loved working with Kenny at Liverpool." As for the £750 million, 52,000 capacity stadium, he added: "It's different from Goodison. I'm pretty sure the atmosphere will be good tomorrow night. It's a fantastic stadium. Everton have done so well to get the site, to build what they've built. It's a great city with two great football clubs.”