The Scotsman Football Show from Amsterdam

The Scotsman

Alan Pattullo in Amsterdam discusses Scotland's upcoming match with the Netherlands with Mark Atkinson.

Transcript

00:00 Good morning and welcome to this episode of the Scotsman Football Show. My name is Mark

00:07 Atkinson and I'm delighted to be joined today by Alan Patullo, live from Amsterdam ahead

00:12 of Scotland's game against the Netherlands. Alan, good morning.

00:16 Good morning, Mark.

00:17 I can see what looks like the canal in the background. It looks like very authentic Amsterdam

00:24 buildings in the background there.

00:25 A few bicycles and such things. A bit of a bleak and dull day but it's good to be here

00:36 in Amsterdam, back on the road to Scotland. It feels like an age since we were last on

00:42 the road to Scotland at the end of last year. We've slightly parked, haven't we, Euro 2024

00:50 for a few months but now it really feels like the build-up is beginning to intensify. John

00:55 Carver I think mentioned a couple of days ago he was going around games all across Britain,

01:01 going into boardrooms, clubs all across the land and he said it's lovely to feel this

01:07 kind of excitement building even in the boardrooms of clubs as officials at clubs corner him

01:14 and say is so-and-so going to be in the squad? Has he got a chance to make it? So, yeah,

01:19 it feels really, finally it's beginning to count down to the big game against Germany

01:27 in June.

01:28 Of course, and Alan, you're right to say it has been a long wait. That draw for Euro 2024

01:33 was made in December and that day in Hamburg, that Saturday in Hamburg does feel like a

01:38 long time ago. This, I suppose, is the first step on the Euro 2024 journey for real now.

01:43 This Netherlands-friendly, a massive test for Scotland. Is it fair to say that it's

01:48 a bit of a, not a dress rehearsal, but a game that will mimic the game against Germany a

01:54 little bit?

01:55 Yeah, definitely. I'm sure Steve Clarke will have selected this game as an approximation

01:59 of what Scotland might expect to find in Munich in June against Germany. Even the stadium

02:05 itself, a steep-sided stadium, I think quite similar to the Allianz Arena in Munich. So,

02:13 yeah, it's going to be a test. I don't want to remind people, give them too many scare

02:20 stories of Scotland's last previous visits to Amsterdam. I was at one of them, 6-0, back

02:27 in November 2003 in the Euro 2004 play-off. That was a painful evening. I think Scotland

02:34 improved a lot in that time, in the 20 years, 21 years since then. But, yeah, certainly

02:41 it's a test and one I'm sure that Steve Clarke selected with a view to play in Germany. There's

02:49 no point sending out 11 players into the Allianz den in Munich ill-prepared. So, I think this

02:55 will be a good test. It's a good Dutch side, perhaps not the greatest Dutch side of recent

03:02 times, but a good Dutch side. So, I think it'll be a real test. Yeah, interesting to

03:06 see what kind of team Steve Clarke puts out, I think. I guess this starting 11 might even

03:12 resemble what might be fielded against Germany in June.

03:18 That's right, Alan. We talk a lot at the moment about the starting 11, the debate over the

03:24 squad. It's fair to say, isn't it, that this squad is very stifled and there won't be many

03:29 wild cards, if any. It's probably all about who those 11 players will be that start against

03:35 Germany.

03:36 Yeah, absolutely. I think it was interesting, John Carver a couple of days ago definitely

03:39 sent that message out, didn't he? He didn't have to, but he basically said he'd be very

03:45 surprised if there was any left-field additions to the squad in the coming weeks. So, yeah,

03:52 that's an interesting one. It is taking a slight risk, isn't it, to parachute somebody

03:56 in at this late stage into the squad. It's a very settled squad. Steve Clarke, as we

04:01 all know, likes to be loyal to his players. He expects a lot from his players and he'll

04:06 extend that to players. So, yeah, I can't see too many changes. Really now it's just

04:11 an exercise in who possibly drops out of this group. Who's going to make that final 23,

04:17 24 players in this squad. Grant Hanley has obviously dropped out.

04:22 As John Carver also said, the clock is ticking. For these players who aren't with Scotland

04:27 on this trip, it could be difficult for them to get into Scotland to prove their fitness

04:32 before June.

04:33 Indeed, indeed. We talk about the players that could drop out, Alan. I suppose the areas

04:39 that look the most well-stocked in this squad are goalkeeper and in defence, where you look

04:45 there's a number of centre-halves in there and there's four goalkeepers and only three

04:49 can go. It's going to be a real battle now for certain individuals to try and cement

04:54 their place in this squad. Do you see a certain number of defenders going? He often plays

05:02 at back three. Does that mean he'll go with four or five centre-halves in the squad?

05:07 He likes his centre-halves, Steve Clarke. So I think he'll probably go with five. The

05:14 Grant Hanley question is a really interesting one. He said himself a couple of weeks ago

05:18 when he announced to the squad that Grant Hanley was one of his men, one of his real

05:22 go-to players, but he's not played for a year now. His last game was against Spain

05:28 that memorable night at Hamden a year ago. He's got a slight battle with Grant Hanley

05:36 to prove himself, to prove his fitness for the next few weeks. I think Steve Clarke will

05:42 give him every chance to do that. I think he will want to bring Grant Hanley to Germany.

05:47 So after that, it's a team-won suitor. I think he's been playing really, really well for

05:52 the Rangers in the last few weeks. I saw him against Antifa last Thursday night, probably

05:56 the Rangers' nine-on-a-match on the night itself. I think he might even have to start

06:01 tomorrow night here in Anfield. I think Steve Clarke will want to look at him. I think he

06:06 could possibly make a late rally into the starting XI as well. Then there are perhaps

06:12 more fringe players, Liam Cooper, Scott McKenna. Scott McKenna has just come back into the

06:17 frame, obviously, playing Champions League football for Copenhagen. So, yes, it's interesting

06:22 to see what Steve Clarke does in that department.

06:26 There's a lot of talk about the Strikers as well at the end of the pitch. Clarke has hinted

06:33 that all three will get some game time over the next two matches.

06:36 Yes, absolutely. In the absence of a player like Shea Adams, who was parachuted in three

06:46 years ago, that excitement of looking at a player for the first time, in the absence

06:51 of that, I think Lawrence Shanklin is in the years ahead of this new and shiny addition.

06:55 I know he's been in and around the squad for five years now, but he's never really cemented

07:01 himself in the team, obviously, certainly not even in the squad. I think this could

07:06 be his chance in the next couple of games. Perhaps not in the Netherlands tomorrow night,

07:11 perhaps he might have a start against Northern Ireland on Tuesday night, I think. But he'll

07:15 certainly get a chance. I think he's got a valid complaint, Lawrence Shanklin, whenever

07:19 he has been given a chance for Scotland, he's been fairly good as a cameo, substitute appearance

07:24 at the end of the game. He showed what he can do against Georgia coming on late on and

07:28 still managing to get a goal. But I feel sorry for him because even the next game, I think

07:34 he's got a three or four minute appearance, even after that, against Norway. So, yes,

07:42 I'm really looking forward to seeing what Lawrence Shanklin can do, given a decent amount

07:48 of time in Scotland. I'm not sure he'll start tomorrow. I think he might, he might still

07:55 go with She-Adams. I think She-Adams is still in poor position for that striker's jersey,

08:01 I think.

08:02 I agree with that, Alistair, it will be fascinating. Is there a large Scottish contingent in Amsterdam

08:07 right now or is it still fairly quiet?

08:10 Quite quiet. Obviously, I got the fight across yesterday from Edinburgh. There were a few

08:13 on my plane. Wandering around the streets this morning, there's a few kilts around.

08:21 But yes, you can definitely get a sense of it. Not quite as many as I remember being

08:28 here in 2003. That was an extraordinary night. Scotland fans travelling with such hope after

08:35 that 1-0 win in the first leg. But no, I'm sure they'll start arriving properly today

08:43 and tomorrow. And yes, as I say, definitely a feeling that we're now in the countdown,

08:50 just weeks to go until the big kick-off. So yes, feeling quite excited.

08:55 Absolutely, absolutely. We'll let you get on. You've got a press conference with Steve

09:00 Clarke later on this afternoon, ahead of the game tomorrow. We'll have all of the reaction

09:05 from that, plus Alan's preview from Amsterdam online and in the paper. Alan, for now, thank

09:12 you very much. Go and enjoy a walk around Amsterdam before the press conference and

09:16 we'll speak again soon. Thank you for joining us. Bye for now.

09:18 Thank you.

09:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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