Head coach Steve Clarke chats exclusively to BBC Scotland about formations and striker George Hirst before Scotland face Greece in the second leg of their Nations League A play-off on Sunday.
Image source, SNSScotland head coach Steve Clarke says it is a "little anomaly" that the national side have slipped to 45th in the current world rankings.
They had climbed as high as 30th in Clarke's tenure, in 2023, but fell to 52nd in late 2024 before jumping back up to 45th.
But Clarke is adamant the current crop are a better team now and more equipped to deal with top-tier nations as a result of the fixtures they have faced.
"We have improved," he said. "If you look at the world rankings, it will tell you different. That's a little anomaly that seems to have popped up with the Nations League.
"But, as a team, we have improved and the players have improved at this level too. We understand what it takes to win a game at this level. Thankfully, recently we have been able to show we can do that."
Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie will be available for selection again by Clarke ahead of Sunday's second leg at Hampden after missing out on the first leg due to suspension.
"I've seen Ryan a couple of times for Bournemouth and people will tell you that he is playing a slightly deeper role," Clarke said.
"But when you watch Bournemouth play, he is still the one who is leading the high press and is the one that gets after the game and gets forward to the edge of the box.
"All they have done at Bournemouth is given him a nominal position, if you like, but he plays the same way Ryan plays. It does not matter where you play Ryan on the pitch, he brings energy and quality and that is what he always brings for us as well."
Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSMcTominay celebrates after converting his penalty on Thursday evening against Greece
Scott McTominay hopes Scotland can "restart and kick on forward again" as they look to retain their Nations League A status ahead of this year's World Cup qualifying campaign.
The 28-year-old midfielder is set to hit the 60-cap milestone in Sunday's Nations League play-off against Greece as he continues to relish his impressive first season with Serie A title hopefuls Napoli.
Having spent all of his club club career until last summer with Manchester United, the 28-year-old has already established himself as a key figure in Antonio Conte's side.
"Both incredible football clubs," he said. "I'm very grateful for the journey that I've had, but I still have many more years in my career where I want to carry on improving and just making the most out of my career.
"I never want to look back whenever I retire and think that I could have given more, or I could have optimised my career and had more time on the pitch than I did. That's just a goal to improve at all costs and obviously help Steve Clarke and all the players while I'm here.
"It's so important to me looking after myself and my body to have as long a career as I possibly can. I want to go really far into my 30s if it's possible. That's something I've always had a goal of doing."
McTominay's penalty on Thursday means he has now scored 12 goals in 59 appearances.
Asked what his favourite Scotland moment has been so far, he replied: "There's been so many. There's been Kenny McLean's goal away in Norway [June 2023], which was amazing.
"My two goals at home against Spain spring to mind and obviously getting to the major tournaments. I'm just hungry for more and for this group, I feel like we can restart and kick on forward again."
Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSScotland head coach Steve Clarke has been speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's Nations League play-off second leg against Greece.
Here are the key points from his media conference:
Clarke says it is good for the side to have important matches leading into World Cup qualifiers and not friendlies to prepare them.
He thinks Scotland have improved as a team despite world rankings suggesting otherwise, the squad importantly now "understand what it takes to win at this level" and he believes they have shown that recently.
Scotland will face a "good Greece side" at Hampden on Sunday evening, but they're focused solely on winning the game
Clarke says he "set out early in his reign to get core group of players" in the side as he acknowledges the list of cap milestones being ticked off by multiple squad recently.
Scotland will set up to try to win the game and, just as importantly, they will "hopefully set a marker" for the World Cup games against Greece later in the year, he adds.
Clarke says he doesn't need to ask the experienced players in the group to help the new or younger players settle in, adding that the players who have been there for some time now are "very good at ing on that education" to newer squad .
Scotland captain Andy Robertson will hold crunch talks over his Liverpool future in the off-season, when the long-serving 31-year-old will have just 12 months to run on his contract and with Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez a concrete target as the Premier League eye a new left-back. (Football Insider), external
Hearts midfielder Finlay Pollock chose to stay with loan club Raith Rovers for Friday's Scottish Championship draw with Partick Thistle rather than the Scotland Under-21 squad. (Edinburgh Evening News), external
Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, SNSJude Bonnar came off the bench to score
Celtic midfielder Jude Bonnar stepped off the bench to score a debut goal as new-look Scotland Under-21s defeated their Republic of Ireland counterparts 2-0 in a friendly at the Pinatar Arena in Spain.
The substitute secured the win after Kilmarnock forward Bobby Wales tapped in an early opener, with replacement goalkeeper Ruairidh Adams also illuminating his first appearance with a late penalty save.
Scotland head coach Scot Gemmill included five debutants in his starting line-up - Hibernian goalkeeper Murray Johnson, Hearts right-back Adam Forrester, Dundee centre-back Luke Graham, Celtic defender Colby Donovan and Manchester City forward Emilio Lawrence.
Watch best of action as Scotland win in Greece
Craig Gordon has urged Scotland to summon another "big performance" against Greece at Hampden on Sunday to ensure Nations League top-tier survival.
The 42-year-old Hearts goalkeeper, who marked his 80th cap with a clean sheet in the narrow first-leg win in Athens, knows the play-off tie is "by no means finished".
"It is still a difficult game. The tie is in the balance," said Gordon. "You could see the quality that they have, so still another big performance needed.
"This is by no means finished, it will still be a very difficult one going into the second leg. It was a big win. We had to work really hard, especially in the second half to hang on to it.
"But great determination was shown by everybody to grind out that second half and stay in the lead.
"The guys in front were chucking themselves in front of things, it was quite desperate at times. Sometimes you have to do that to keep the ball out your net and I thought we did it very well in the second half."
Gordon was impressed by 17-year-old Greek debutant Konstantinos Karetsas - who has switched allegiance from Belgium and came off the bench in the second half - and says the Scots will have to cope better with the youngster at Hampden.
"He looked fantastic. Someone we will need to look out for in the second leg," he added.
"A great young player but it is about what we do on Sunday to try to nullify that and create more chances of our own."
Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator in Athens
Image source, SNSAnthony Ralston and Grant Hanley have thanked Scotland boss Steve Clarke for showing faith in them despite the pair's lack of game-time at club level.
Right-back Ralston has made just three appearances for Celtic in 2025, while centre-half Hanley has had one start for Birmingham City since ing the English third-tier club in January.
But both players were in Clarke's starting XI in Athens and impressed as the Scots dug out a gritty 1-0 win over Greece in the Nations League play-off first leg.
"When you're not playing at club level there's a chance you might not get selected [by Scotland] or won't start," 33-year-old Hanley told BBC Scotland.
"But I'm grateful to the manager showing that trust in me. I'm happy I could repay that with a clean sheet."
Ralston, 26, said: "I'm very appreciative of the gaffer showing the faith that he has given that my game-time at club level isn't where he would maybe want it to be.
"I obviously want to go out and put the performances in for him.
"It's keeping myself right in my personal life and on the training pitch so that when the opportunities come I can take them and do my job for the team."
Victory in Athens was the fifth game in succession that Hanley has partnered Rangers centre-back John Souttar in the heart of Scotland's defence.
"We enjoy it and feel the performances have been good," Hanley added.
"Second half we were under pressure a bit and defending the box a lot, but for defenders to come through it – making tackles and headers and defending our box – we take a lot of pride in it. It's one we can enjoy and take into the second leg on Sunday."
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