Michael Stewart suggests Rangers player should be dropped by int’l manager
Michael Stewart has suggested he’d rather see Stuart Armstrong start for Scotland on Thursday night over Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack
BBC Sport Scotland assembled a starting line-up that Steve Clarke could pick for Scotland’s make-or-break match against Serbia on Thursday.
If Scotland win in Belgrade, they will qualify for Euro 2021 and end a 23-year wait to reach a major international competition.
However, BBC Sport Scotland think that Jack’s spot in the team is up in the air as one of the central midfield spots is potentially between him and Southampton’s former Celtic midfielder Armstrong.
Former Hearts and Hibs player Stewart would appear to prefer Armstrong over the Gers central midfielder.
As shown in a clip on BBC Sport Scotland’s Twitter account, Stewart said: “The other option and conundrum is getting Armstrong into the team.
“He’s playing for Southampton who are up the top end of the Premier League at the moment. He scored at the weekend.
“I would have Armstrong in my team all the time anyway. I think he’s a huge asset, great energy, great guile in the final third as well and he’s playing well at the moment.
“There are a few selection concerns and conundrums that Steve Clarke’s got to decide on but I think the rest of it is fairly certain as to what he’s going to do.”
If Scotland want to win against Serbia on Thursday then they cannot underestimate their opponents.
Yes, Armstrong is in very good form at Southampton with the 28-year-old scoring one goal and supplying two assists in the Premier League this season.
However, should Clarke really be starting as many attack-minded midfielders as BBC Sport Scotland and Stewart are suggesting?
Callum McGregor and John McGinn are both midfielders who get forward and help out a lot in the offensive areas of the pitch while Jack is comfortable at sitting back, dictating the tempo from deep and doing the dirty midfield work that the likes of Armstrong won’t usually do.
We’re not just saying this out of bias but Scotland need more steel in their midfield and Jack will supply that to stop Serbia’s dangerous attacking players like Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Dusan Tadic.
Jack was one of Scotland’s best players in their last international match when they won 1-0 against the Czech Republic.
He played in a midfield with McGregor and McGinn and we believe that might be Clarke’s best bet unless he was to drop McGregor for Armstrong.
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