Scotland Men's Football Team

Nick Mheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Free agent Ross Doohan has been handed a first Scotland call-up to aid Steve Clarke's goalkeeper injury crisis.

The recently-departed Aberdeen keeper is also ed by Bournemouth teenager Callan McKenna in the squad travelling for Monday's friendly with Lichtenstein.

The Celtic youth product, who is now a free agent, has been linked with a return to the Parkhead side after playing 18 times for the Dons last term.

Clarke is without squad regulars Craig Gordon, Liam Kelly and Zander Clark, as well as Robby McCrorie and Angus Gunn, who limped off in the opening stages of Friday's abject 3-1 defeat to Iceland.

That meant an unexpected debut off the bench for young Cieran Slicker, who endured a nightmare first cap.

Doohan offers Scotland more experience, having played over 180 first-team games in comparison to Slicker's tally of just seven, but what else does he bring?

When confirming his Aberdeen departure last month, the Pittodrie club said Doohan "never let anyone down" during his time deputising in the absence of Dimitar Mitov last term.

An injury-time penalty save from Jorge Grant was his highlight, ensuring the Dons earned a goalless draw with Hearts back in January amid a woeful run of form.

That game was one of fifteen Doohan played in last season's Scottish Premiership. Across those matches he conceded 27 league goals, an average of 1.86 per game.

The former Celtic keeper's save percentage of 56% was the t second worst in the division.

Nevertheless, Clarke will be relieved he has the option of a more experienced pair of hands to call on for a game he badly needs a positive result in.

Igor Tudor, who has become permanent Juventus head coach after being interim boss, has targeted two wing-backs for his 3-5-2 formation - Dan Ndoye from Bologna and Josh Doig from Sassuolo, who value the 23-year-old Scot at £12.6m. (Sport Mediaset via UltimateJuve), external

PAOK have handed Greg Taylor a deadline of the end of June to decide whether to accept their contract offer as the 27-year-old Scotland left-back's contract expires with Celtic. (Sport Dog via Sunday Mail), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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We asked for your views after Scotland's abject 3-1 friendly defeat at home to Iceland.

Here are more of your views:

Alexander: I really feel we need to start playing younger players. Grant Hanley is clearly at the end of his career and it's shown in every international since the Euros. Over the next two years, four or five others will be in the same position as Hanley and Steve Clarke seems to be doing no planning for the future.

David: Clarke just isn't inventive, he is absolutely devoid of any ideas and should've walked after the debacle.

Martin: The pool of players in the Scottish team have all been successful at their respective clubs. And yet, they are unable to play a co-ordinated organised game for Scotland. The strikers consistently miss, the defence fails to defend, and the midfield lacks co-ordination. Our stand-in goalkeeper had a bad game. However, Scotland was having success with these players in the past, so what has changed? Why do they no longer gel as a team? I think the root of the problem lies with the coaching staff, the tactics employed, and poor preparation. Somewhere along the way management and coaches have fallen short of the fans expectations and, in performance , have failed.

Bob: Ross Doohan should be called up. He had some top performances at Aberdeen last season and is a more experienced goalkeeper. And he's played in Under-21 squads.

Scott: Clarke has to go. Now. How many excuses for insipid performances? He sticks with people who are not delivering. There is loyalty and stubborn stupidity. His selections are unadventurous and uninspiring. The crowd now expects failure. He cannot get a performance out of these players - see the Euros. Time for a change now before we lose the first two World Cup qualifiers and have nothing to do for the next two years.

Alan: An absolute shocker of a performance against Iceland, with the horrific goalkeeping situation coming to the fore. Only George Hirst came close to marks. World Cup qualification hopes look slim at best, and Clarke's future as manager surely has to be in doubt. The team look to be lacking any ambition and inspiration.

Injured striker Lyndon Dykes says Scotland need to "stay strong" and get their "hunger back" after Friday's abject defeat to Iceland.

• Read match report & watch highlights

Nick Mheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Life could have easier for Lennon Miller when he was thrown on for his Scotland debut.

Despite Friday's match being a non-competitive encounter, there was nothing friendly about the mood at Hampden when the Motherwell teenager entered the pitch with Steve Clarke's side 3-1 down to Iceland.

It would have been easy for the 18-year-old to hide in a challenging atmosphere, but the midfielder constantly made himself available as an option as the Scots desperately searched for a way back into the game.

In only 22 minutes on the pitch, the youngster had 30 touches. He created one chance and misplaced just five of his 27 es, putting six of them into the final third.

By contrast, fellow midfielder Billy Gilmour managed nine es into the attack in a 90-minute display. Lewis Ferguson, who also played the entire match, ed eight.

Miller caused a stir when he said he had hopes of becoming Scotland's "best player" in the near future after being called up to the senior squad for the first time in March.

Scotland assistant coach John Carver said those remarks were a mistake by the teenager. Clarke, meanwhile, backed the midfielder for showing ambition.

Three months on, a brave and fearless cameo did Miller's talking for him as he delivered a bright display on a dark night for Scotland.

It remains to be seen whether that brief outing will reward him with a start in Liechtenstein on Monday, but any doubts about his capability of starting international games will now be somewhat quieter.

We asked for your views after Scotland's abject 3-1 friendly defeat at home to Iceland.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Franny: That is as bad a performance as I have witnessed in six decades as a Scotland fan. We have been woeful recently. Creatively barren and boring. Time for a new coaching team with fresh ideas? Definitely.

Jim: Steve Clarke should have gone after the Hungary game last year and should go now before the World Cup campaign starts, or we definitely won't qualify. That was awful again at Hampden last night and for how much longer are the SFA going to sit back and expect fans to pay good money to watch abject performances like that? They need to act now and get someone in who can put some fire in the bellies of the players and get the Tartan Army back behind the team. This just can't go on any longer.

Ronald: Time for change. Clarke sticking with players who are not good enough. I don't like managers being sacked but his time is up. Should have gone after Euros. Time for some fresh ideas.

Ian: Scotland looked like an ageing team coming to the end of their cycle. Clarke has to realise its time up for Grant Hanley and the Kieran Tierney/Andy Robertson set-up is done. A younger injection was needed after the last Euros. I see no chance of reaching the World Cup.

Gary: A game that should not have been played. Tired players who needed a break forced to play meaningless games. When Clarke spoke of players being injured did it not dawn on him that they are all needing a break? Some players will be resuming training for their clubs in a fortnight. Stupid and pointless exercise playing those games. The SFA are pathetic and are short-changing the fans.

Jarek: Very disappointing and uninspiring. We need to find a way to attack far more effectively as we look toothless. As for the defending and goalkeeping - don't get me started. Only saving grace is we tend to be far better in qualifying matches than the dreaded friendlies.

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John Souttar said Scotland fans were entitled to boo off the side after a "poor" all-round display in the 3-1 home defeat to Iceland.

The Rangers centre-back's header levelled the friendly match at Hampden, but an abject performance from Steve Clarke's men resulted in a sobering loss.

A number of the near 33,000 crowd launched into boos on both the half-time and full-time whistles.

Goalkeeper Cieran Slicker endured a nightmare debut after replacing the injured Angus Gunn in the opening stages, but many of the Scotland team failed to reach their standards and Souttar preferred to focus on the general display.

"Look, the result was collective," said the defender. "I don't think any of us could say we were great in the game. So it's on all of us. Everyone's got to take responsibility

"It was the exact opposite of what we wanted to happen. We wanted to start the game fast, press high, dominate the ball, and I think we were poor.

"Games like this at Hampden, we want to dominate, we want to press high and get the crowd on our side and we didn't do that.

"You don't want to be part of that, but the fans have paid their money and they can boo if they want.

"When we win, they're behind us so it's part and parcel of football."

Sunderland have their eyes on Sturm Graz right-back Max Johnston, but only if Trai Hume seals a transfer to Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Lens and Nice are also closely watching the 21-year-old Scotland defender. (Ekrem Konur on X), external

Sturm Graz would be looking for a transfer fee of around £3m before parting with Scotland full-back Max Johnston. (The Scotsman), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Scotland fans, were you at Hampden on Friday night or following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the game.

What did you make of the performance? How worried are you about the goalkeeping situation?

Also, who should Steve Clarke call up to deputise in goal now that his "first five first-choice keepers" are out?

Have your say here.

Image source, SNS

Scotland manager Steve Clarke: "It was disappointing, the night didn't get off to a great start.

"We lost our goalie and compounded that by conceding the first goal.

"It's difficult for Cieran [Slicker], I really feel for him. He got thrown into a situation that he wasn't quite ready for but Craig Gordon's injured, Liam Kelly's injured, Zander Clark is injured.

"It's something I thought might come back to bite us, the only good thing is it came in a friendly match.

"I've had young Callan McKenna in the squad so he'll travel then we'll have a look and see if we can find another one in Scotland who's not on holiday.

"If you get injured in the first couple of minutes and then you come off, I'd imagine [Angus Gunn] won't play the next game.

"I've had young Callan McKenna in the squad, so he'll travel, then we'll have a look and see if we can find another one in Scotland who's not on holiday.

"I'm not so sure it was too much to do with the shape, we just looked a little bit flat at times even when we got back in the game.

"We made their goalkeeper work a few times, on another night maybe you get those finishes and it would be a different story.

"In two days time we're going to Lichtenstein, so hopefully we'll get a performance."

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Michael Stewart on BBC Radio Scotland: "Very difficult [situation for Steve Clarke to manage Cieran Slicker now].

"There is another game coming up, Angus Gunn looks like he's not going to be fit, and I think it is quite apparent that it will be a big call.

"Do you stick with him and hope he can put in a performance that gives him some belief and feels like he's capable, or do you go for damage limitation and recognise that he's not really going to be playing for Scotland in the future and give Robby McCrorie an opportunity?

"I don't think there's a right or wrong way to play this. I feel for Slicker, it's a horrible situation to be in, but that is the ruthlessness of football at this top level, and it's been exposed there badly."

Willie Miller on BBC Radio Scotland: "You have to find out what's in the player's mind as well, how he's feeling about it.

"What you're looking for is honesty from him [Slicker]. Does he feel like he can take on the challenge in the next game, or that he doesn't want to?

"Does the manager want to take him out of the firing line?

"There are a lot of questions there, and I think it's difficult for us to answer what decision the manager should make without knowing all of the facts and without having spoken to the player himself."

Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes on BBC Scotland: "Football is a lot about momentum.

"When you're playing you need to be winning games. When you don't win them, and you're not winning, you don't perform, it's extra hurt, it's extra eyes looking in.

"I think we need to go back to our basics. We've been here before, people doubted us all the time. We need to make sure we get back to it and get the hunger back."

Former Scotland forward James McFadden on BBC One Scotland: "There has to be a concern.

"We need to start building momentum going into this qualification campaign because it is a tough group."

Former Scotland forward Steven Thompson on BBC One Scotland: "We're getting closer to the real stuff and it's been so long since we qualified for a World Cup.

If you go back only a very short period of time Steve Clarke could do no wrong.

This is still a defeat, at home, to a weaker nation than ourselves and questions will be asked. When you go into proper World Cup qualifying, these performances won't be tolerated.

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

It is early doors for Scotland and Clarke. In fact, the 2026 World Cup campaign hasn't even started yet. But this whole affair had an air of end-of-season to it.

Losing your goalkeeper after two minutes is a huge disruption. So is throwing on one in Ipswich Town back-up Slicker who has only played 10 minutes of football since August 2023 and never appeared in a league game.

Clarke chose to experiment in his starting XI, but it was evolution rather than revolution with his changes.

Max Johnston didn't disgrace himself at right-wing back, Hirst was unfortunate not to get his goal, and Motherwell teenager Lennon Miller got his first cap.

However, Scotland had won all six previous meetings with Iceland and, even with taking a long season into , the Tartan Army would have expected more.

The few who were left inside Hampden at full-time articulated that clearly.

Next up is a trip to Liechtenstein on Monday - live on BBC Scotland if you're brave enough - before the proper stuff begins in September.

Right now, that feels a long way away. Even this far out, so does the prospect of a first World Cup since 1998.

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Scotland's Lewis Ferguson tells BBC Scotland: "It's been a long season for a lot of the lads but we're here to do a job.

"We set out to win the game but we're nowhere near the standard we, or anybody expects.

"We set our standards pretty high and we were nowhere near that. We conceded sloppy goals from set pieces and that's just not good enough, it gives us too much to do."

Scotland defender John Souttar tells BBC Scotland: "It was a tough night, didn't go at all how we wanted it to go.

"We wanted to dominate and take the ball to them and we didn't do that tonight. We conceded a poor goal before half-time and they went 3-1 up after the break and we never got going at all. It's one we'll need to look back on tomorrow, we're aware it's not good enough.

"We need to go and win the game [against Lichtenstein], put on a performance and get a bit of momentum back going into the September internationals."

On fans booing the side, he adds: "Obviously it's not great. You don't want to be part of that, but the fans pay their money, they can boo if they want.

"If we weren't good enough in the first half, I'm sure they can do what they want. Yes, it's not great to hear, but it's part and parcel when we win, they're behind us, so it's part and parcel of football."

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Scotland captain Andy Robertson tells BBC Scotland: "I think we all know that's nowhere near good enough.

"I don't want to say too much, we need to digest this and speak in the changing room before we start doing interviews.

"I think we were too easily played through, any chance they had they scored. We weren't good enough on the ball, created chances but didn't take them. Nowhere near good enough.

"Getting beat 3-1 at home by a team that, no disrespect, you should beat but they've been better than us. I imagine they've had more possession, I'd imagine more chances, they've got more goals and that's all that matters.

"I don't think you can put a finger on one thing but we need to get it right pretty quickly."