Big Eck's options (part 1)

Now we have our new national team boss, it's time to have a think about what he can call upon for the Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifiers to come. The first part of this series looks at the options Alex McLeish has between the sticks and in the full-back positions both in the present and in the near future.

GOALKEEPER

Craig Gordon will be 37 by the time of Euro 2020, but still looks like our best option for the next wee while

PAST IT
I don't think any recent picks in goal can be discounted because of age, given that goalies frequently play on well into their late thirties.

CURRENT CROP
Keeper has felt like a relative strength in recent seasons, at least in comparison to the problems our nearest neighbours have had between the sticks. But each of our best three keepers of recent years is the wrong side of 30...and whilst goalies can play for much longer than outfield players the bottom line is Allan McGregor and Craig Gordon will be 38 and 37 respectively by the time of Euro 2020. David Marshall is a bit younger but he's behind McGregor in the pecking order at Hull, where he's had a mare since moving from Cardiff.

THE DOMESTIC SCENE
Depressingly only four Premiership clubs have a Scot as first choice in goal. And that doesn't include former international squad members Jack Hamilton and Scott Bain who are now backups. Scott Fox has also been in the squad in years gone by but has had a shocker of a season at Ross County. Jon McLaughlin, ahead of Hamilton in the Hearts pecking order, is the obvious talent here who has done well enough to justify a look-in at international level.

FURTHER AFIELD
Jordan Archer is first choice for Millwall in the Championship and got his first call-up in August 2017. If there is an obvious hope for the not-too-distant future, it is the 24 year old.

ARE THE KIDS ALRIGHT?
Rangers' Liam Kelly and Hamilton's Ryan Fulton have both represented Scotland at multiple age levels but neither are getting first team action anytime soon at their clubs. Kelly's teammate Robbie McCrorie recently got a new contract at Ibrox.

THE PLAN GOING FORWARD
Gordon will be first choice keeper for the foreseeable future.


LEFT BACK

Scotland are blessed at left-back. Is Andrew Robertson the best player we have, full stop?

PAST IT
It seems like Lee Wallace wasted (in an international sense at least) his best years playing in the lower divisions.

CURRENT CROP
This is our strongest position by miles, with Andrew Robertson shining at Liverpool and Kieran Tierney flying at Celtic. At just 23 and 20 respectively, their best is hopefully still to come. Stephen Kingsley had forced his way into recent squads but has had an injury-ravaged season at Hull.

DOMESTIC SCENE
There are some solid-ish Scottish left-backs in the Premiership, but the only one who obviously stands out for the future is Kilmarnock's Greg Taylor who scored against Brazil at Toulon last year an

FURTHER AFIELD
Going abroad seems to have done Barry Douglas a lot of good; having returned to the UK with Wolves, he has been getting plaudits for his performances in the Championship. It's just his bad luck that he has some quite impressive competition for a cap. If things get desperate (they won't) there's always Derby's Craig Forsyth.

ARE THE KIDS ALRIGHT?
There are high hopes for Celtic's Calvin Miller, though his progress may be stalled by the presence of Tierney in front of him. And of course Greg Taylor has been a regular at Kilmarnock for the last two seasons despite being only 20.

THE PLAN GOING FORWARD
How many left-backs can we fit in a team? Robertson, for now, seems the first choice - not least because Tierney has proven already that he can do a good job as a makeshift right-back.  Which segues neatly onto...


RIGHT BACK

Kieran Tierney did well playing out of position in several World Cup qualifiers, and he may still be our least-bad right-back option

CURRENT CROP
Aye, so we're so weak at this position that Kieran Tierney played there for the last few World Cup qualifiers. Before that Callum Paterson had made the position his own, but whilst he is playing well for Cardiff he is spending most of his time there in a midfield role. Strachan favourite Ikechi Anya and Steven Whittaker have also seen time at right-back in the last year, but both are well past their best. If Big Eck went to three at the back he could try James Forrest in a similar wing-back role to the one he plays at Celtic, but the thought of this gives me the heebie-jeebies.

DOMESTIC SCENE
To be blunt, there aren't any obvious internationals of the future here. Just because Stephen O'Donnell and Jason Naismith are doing a job this season doesn't mean they should be seriously considered for caps.

FURTHER AFIELD
Donald Love is a former Manchester United academy player who David Moyes spent seven figures on a year and a half back. But he can't even get into a terrible Sunderland side just now.

ARE THE KIDS ALRIGHT?
Anthony Ralston is well thought of at Celtic Park, but injury problems have limited his first team opportunities this season.

THE PLAN GOING FORWARD
I imagine either Tierney will continue playing out of position or Paterson will drop back into this area. For now, there aren't really any viable alternatives.



Lawrie Spence has ranted and spouted his ill-informed opinions on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007.  He has a life outside this blog.  Honestly.