News about Steve Clarke

Cristiano Ronaldo did not have the best of nights on Tuesday evening as he left Hampden Park frustrated by a resolute Scottish defence that gave up only a point after a 0-0 stalemate.  Scotland went into the game without a win in their UEFA Nations League campaign, up against Ronaldo and Co who were top of Group A1 with three wins from as many games.  Yet the favourites were unable to break through Steve Clarke's impregnable back line, with Portugal enjoying 70 per cent of the ball throughout the game. 

Steve Clarke hailed the resilience of his Scotland players after they finally got their Nations League campaign up and running with a hard-fought point against Portugal. Facing a cast of superstars including Cristiano Ronaldo on his first appearance at Hampden, Clarke's side avoided a record fifth straight defeat as they battled their way to a clean sheet. The Scots kept Ronaldo fairly quiet, with the Portugal captain storming up the tunnel at full-time after a night of frustration in Glasgow. He had been confronted by a pitch invader earlier in the match, with Portugal boss Roberto Martinez distinctly unimpressed by Hampden security.

Shortly after Kylian Mbappe had departed the scene to join Real Madrid earlier this summer, Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique was asked to assess the strength of those who remained under his command in the French capital. With a squad that would be the envy of managers across Europe, Enrique wasn't short of top talents to discuss. But one name immediately sprung to mind. Vitinha. A little twinkle-toed magician in central midfield whom Enrique declared had been PSG's best player last season, even with Mbappe in the team.

Steve Clarke insists he is more concerned with leading Scotland to a World Cup finals than surpassing the number of internationals managed by Andy Roxburgh and the late Jock Stein. Clarke moves to 62 games in charge of the national team when Scotland host Portugal in the Nations League at Hampden tonight; one more than the number of games racked up by the legendary Stein between 1978 and 1985 and his successor Roxburgh between 1986 and 1993. Clarke is under contract until the next World Cup finals. Despite calls for a change at the helm after one win in 15 internationals, the 61-year-old hopes to match or surpass the 71 games racked up by longest serving manager Craig Brown by leading the team to a World Cup after back-to-back qualifications for the European Championships.

Over these past few weeks with Manchester United, there has been a feeling with Bruno Fernandes that the red mist could fall at any given moment. In what has been a turbulent start to the season at Old Trafford, Fernandes has been sent off twice in his last three games. Granted, his red card against Tottenham was subsequently overturned. As for his dismissal in a Europa League clash with Porto? Well, the less said the better.

SCOTLAND striker Lyndon Dykes insists the squad will show their strength of character as they seek to stop the rot against Portugal at Hampden tomorrow night. A 2-1 loss to Croatia in Zagreb on Saturday night consigned Scotland to a third successive defeat at the start of the Nations League campaign. Steve Clarke's side have failed to win a competitive fixture in over a year and are now on their worst run of results in a generation.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke reaffirmed his belief that his side are on the right track despite seeing them extend their 13-month wait for a competitive victory with defeat in Zagreb. Goals from Igor Matanovic and Andrej Kramaric saw Croatia successfully complete the comeback after falling behind to an early Ryan Christie strike. The visitors appeared to have snatched a draw at the death, but were left heartbroken when VAR ruled it out after substitute Che Adams had strayed marginally offside.

JOHN McGARRY AT STADION MAKSIMIR: The build up to this game was dominated by political grandstanding over the fact it was not screened live on television. It turns out those members of the Tartan Army unable to access it via online steams were not done a disservice after all. They were spared another night of suffering. Despite a performance which offered up a significant number of positives, the outcome was another crushing blow.

KEVIN MCKENNA AT MAKISMIR: Steve Clarke's men took a first-half lead courtesy of an own goal from Duje Caleta-Car, before goals from Igor Matanovic and Andrej Kramaric turned things around for the hosts. Che Adams thought he'd secured a famous last-gasp leveller before VAR ruled it out for offside to pile on the heartache for the visitors. It's now four defeats in a row for the Scots, who haven't won since June.

STEVE CLARKE has admitted he's finding Scotland's current barren run 'horrible' to endure - as he eyes a victory against the odds in Zagreb on Saturday night. A year after qualifying for the Euros, the side have won just one of their past 14 matches - a friendly against Gibraltar - with the last competitive win last achieved in Cyprus on September 8 last year.

The TV shambles that has left Scotland fans being forced to watch the Nations League double-header with Croatia and Portugal on YouTube has been branded 'a disgrace' by a Scottish MP. Viaplay currently hold the rights to show all Scotland matches in a deal which runs until 2028, but they scaled back their operation in the UK market last year. The Norwegian broadcasters were able to negotiate a deal to sub-license last month's Scotland games against Poland and Portugal, which were shown on ITV, with Premier Sports also picking up some of their club matches.

Scotland fans could be forced to watch the Nations League qualifying double header against Croatia and Portugal on YouTube. Viaplay hold the rights to broadcast all international qualifiers involving Steve Clarke's team until 2028. They pulled out of the UK market last year, but negotiations to sub-licence the rights to Premier Sports or ITV have now reached stalemate.

CELTIC have opted out of an SPFL contract granting subscription channel Premier Sports the rights to 20 live games from the Scottish Premiership. And the move has put paid to any prospect of the top of the table clash against Aberdeen at Parkhead a week on Saturday being shown live on television.

John Carver has warned Scotland fans that they might need to endure more Nations League pain in the pursuit of World Cup gain. Bottom of their group after back-to-back defeats last month, a squad decimated by call-offs will face Croatia in Zagreb on Saturday on the back of one win in 14 games.

Zagreb's Maksimir Stadium would be as fitting a place as any for Liam Lindsay to make his Scotland debut on Saturday. If selected to play by Steve Clarke against Croatia in the latest instalment of the Nations League, it would also provide the backdrop for a school reunion.

Turkgucu Munchen have never had to concern themselves with being mistaken for one of the more established footballing institutions in the Bavarian capital. Formed only 15 years ago, the club has occasionally threatened to climb to the second tier of German football without ever quite getting there. After filing for insolvency a couple of seasons back, they returned to the obscurity of regional leagues. Never the subject of back-page headlines in Bild, this is the way they like it.

STEVE CLARKE has told Craig Gordon he can now reclaim his status as Scotland's No 1 goalkeeper. The Hearts' veteran was cut from the squad for Euro 2024 and remained in international exile at the outset of this Nations League campaign. But having since won back the gloves at Tynecastle, the 41-year-old was yesterday recalled to Clarke's 23-man squad for the forthcoming matches with Croatia and Portugal.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke is weighing up a Nations League call-up for Preston North End defender Liam Lindsay. Clarke will name his squad for the double header with Croatia and Portugal on Tuesday. Injury has already ruled out Kieran Tierney and Scott McKenna, while Liam Cooper only made his debut for CSKA Sofia on Saturday after red tape delayed the former Leeds United captain's work permit.

Austin MacPhee has left his role with Scotland after almost three years. The 44-year-old assistant coach has opted to step back for personal reasons with his workload also a factor. The Fifer, who's also Aston Villa's set-piece coach, has informed national manager Steve Clarke of his decision and won't be involved in the forthcoming Nations League double header with Croatia and Portugal.

You are the chairman of a Scottish Premiership football club. Presented with a loan proposal from a part-time lower league team for the raw, untried 18-year-old striker banging on the first team door, your choices are as follows. You can: (a) encourage your manager to pursue the player-trading strategy by bleeding young prospects into the team.

Scotland captain Andrew Robertson insists Steve Clarke is still the right man to take the national team forward. Cristiano Ronaldo's 901st career goal extended the Scots' wretched run of results to one win in 14 after a 2-1 Nations League defeat in Lisbon. Clarke is enduring the most challenging period of his five years as Scotland coach, with his side bottom of their Pool A group after back-to-back defeats to Poland and the nation ranked eighth in the FIFA rankings.

Physically drained and mentally spent at the end of a gruelling 90 minutes in the late summer heat of Lisbon, Scotland failed to go the distance once again. As was the case against Poland at Hampden on Thursday night, the concession of a late goal was a gut punch to Steve Clarke's side as it denied them what would have been a hard-fought point. Now in among the big guns of European football, Clarke needs Pot A of the Nations League like a hole in the head right now.

Steve Clarke insisted Scotland had no reason to beat themselves up despite succumbing to a Cristiano Ronaldo sucker punch in Portugal. The five-time Ballon D'Or winner claimed the 901st goal of his career with an 88th-minute winner as the Scots slid to a 2-1 Nations League defeat. Scott McTominay had silenced the home crowd with a stunning header after seven minutes - his tenth goal in his last 17 internationals.Keeper Angus Gunn allowed a long-range equaliser from Bruno Fernandes to squirm through his grasp early in the second half and, although he atoned with a series of fine stops, he was beaten by Ronaldo after the Portuguese captain came off the bench at half-time.

Scotland - who lost 3-2 in the dying stages against Poland - are huge 8/1 outsiders to win tonight's Nations League group game against Portugal in Lisbon. Elsewhere, in the Goalscorers market, Portugal's Ronaldo is predictably the best-backed to score first tonight, with the 39-year-old priced at 5/2 to bag the game's opener .