Steve Clarke warned Scotland must be at their best ahead of Scotland vs Morocco after Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil, saying the North African side are "the real deal" and a tougher proposition than the team that reached the last four in 2022.
Steve Clarke on Morocco threat
Clarke laid out the stakes in blunt terms: "I feel Morocco are a really, really good side. They reached the last four of the last World Cup and I have a feeling this Morocco team is slightly better than that, so that gives you an idea of the task ahead. They have power, they have pace, they have little bits of skill that can open up a game. For me they are the real deal, a top side. We will have to be at our very best to compete." He answered "absolutely" when asked whether Morocco would pose as stern a threat as Brazil.
Scotland After Haiti 1-0 Win
Scotland arrive off a 1-0 victory over Haiti and Clarke said the players "wanted to win a game at a major tournament and have done that." He warned Scotland expect Morocco to hold more possession and stressed the need to be a threat when in control of the ball: "It is a big challenge for us. We give them a lot of respect. We expect they will probably have more of the ball, more possession. We have to make sure that when we have the ball we can be a threat to Morocco."
Morocco's 1-1 Result With Brazil
Clarke signalled tactical change is likely: he said Scotland may deploy a back three against Morocco and that they will not line up in the 4-4-2 used against Haiti. He referenced prior usage of a back three earlier in the year, noting that in March he deployed that system for the friendly against Côte d’Ivoire and that "Every system that we have ever played, we have put a lot of work into." He added, "I have shown over my time as head coach that we can play different systems. It is something that we have always wanted to expand on, more systems, different personnel for different games."
The tactical note has practical consequence: a draw would add one point under tournament rules, and Clarke said "a point should be enough for Scotland to earn a tournament knockout berth for the first time ever barring an utterly bizarre series of results." "You just have to play the game," he said when asked about permutations, and he added, "The first thing is to try and win, if you can’t win then don’t lose. Permutations and whatever else is for you guys and all the punters to think about, not for us."
Clarke mixed urgency with the personal: he reminded the squad of recent highs and lows after the Haiti match by offering condolences to the family of Donny Strathie, the 76-year-old Scotland fan who travelled to Boston and died after the Haiti game. "In among all the good news that has come out the World Cup for Scotland, that is obviously very sad for his family; his daughters, his grandchildren," Clarke said, and added, "My thoughts and condolences are with his family."
Clarke framed the psychological flip the team faces — "We were the favourites against Haiti and found the game a struggle, but we managed to win. This time we are the underdogs and sometimes Scotland prefer it that way" — and left one clear selection question for the manager: will he actually choose the back three he has used before, or pick a different system against a Morocco side he calls slightly stronger than their 2022 semi-final team?
