New Scotland manager's challenge: Sustaining long-term success


When the Scottish FA's new director of football, Craig Mulholland, begins his job this week, he will face a considerable challenge. Replacing Steve Clarke was not in the SFA's plans a week ago as he had signed a new four-year contract before the World Cup. His shock departure left a huge void and there are other questions as the men's team considers its future after Clarke's era of success. The core of this squad that has qualified for three major tournaments is entering their 30s, while young Scottish players struggle to get time on the pitch. So what will a new coach find? And how big will Scotland’s transition be? Clarke was emphatic in his exit interview with SFA that the core he developed over his seven years is not "finished yet". With Euro 2028 approaching and a favorable path in the qualifiers due to their host status, this team can certainly aspire to another participation in a major tournament - especially considering the experience gained in the qualifying campaigns. However, Scotland were one of the oldest teams at the 2026 World Cup, fielding the most experienced group in their history in a bid to reach the knockout stages. Six of the players who started the match against Brazil were at least 30 years old. Of the five who weren't that age, two were 29. Premier League players like Andy Robertson, John McGinn and Ryan Christie are all past 30, while Scott McTominay is 29. They may have a lot to offer, but the next manager's task will also be to make the transition to the next generation. "Going into this tournament, I believe we had around a thousand caps in the squad, which is good experience at international level," Clarke said. "We need to ensure that the next generation learns from this core group and that they can lead us to future tournaments. That is my hope and desire. There are a number of younger players in the squad now who will become the next core group. They should learn from the senior players I have been fortunate enough to work with." How, however, does a new coach manage this amid the demand for results? There is a need to have plenty of young players available in positions across the field with the necessary skill and experience. While Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, Tyler Fletcher and Lennon Miller give Scotland hope that they can continue to have a strong midfield for years to come, other positions present glaring problems. In goal, Angus Gunn, Craig Gordon and Liam Kelly were selected in the World Cup squad despite playing very little professional football last season. If senior goalkeepers are struggling to get minutes, where will the next Scottish goalkeepers come from? In the defensive sector there is a similar problem, while Ben Gannon-Doak has carried the burden of adding pace to Scotland's attack for two years until Findlay Curtis's explosion this season. Strikers Tommy Conway, from Middlesbrough, and Kieron Bowie, from Verona, both 23 years old, are promises who have already had experience with Scotland. But beneath them, there are very few young Scottish strikers playing regularly in the top flight. In fact, there are not many Scots in any position withages 22 to 26 playing regularly at a high level with plenty of first team experience, meaning there is a big gap to fill between those at the start of their careers and the experienced core who have won trophies and thrived at the highest level. "It's about integrating these players at the right time," former Scotland striker Darren Jackson told BBC Scotland's Sportsound. "This is where the most experienced people play a key role. I don't think we should worry too much as this happens at all levels and with all countries. It's just a question of how many are ready." When Scotland exited the World Cup, it was their third frustrating group stage exit under Clarke. A common theme has been the dearth of offensive threats. Many people diagnosed the problem as a lack of speed and athleticism across the pitch, limiting Scotland's ability to counter-attack compared to other teams of similar size. The lack of it in defense restricts a coach who may want to press more aggressively. This left Clarke with a dilemma about exactly how to play on the biggest stages. Former winger Pat Nevin, who covered many World Cup games for the BBC, believes Scotland have "weaknesses" in developing players with the physical ability needed to compete in major tournaments. “We need to develop a group of young players coming through who are athletic,” Nevin said on the Scottish Football Podcast. "The speed at which some of these players are playing puts us in the shadows a little bit. I'm not just talking about France and watching them. I'm talking about the Colombians, the Mexicans and a lot of other teams. We seem a little slow and not as athletic as them. That's something that, somehow, over time, we need to work on." But how? The SFA released a report in 2024 stating that clubs were failing young players by not giving them enough first-team minutes early. The introduction of co-operation agreements last season opened up more opportunities for players to gain game time in Scotland's lower leagues at an earlier age. But Nevin believes much bigger changes are needed. "Steve Clarke knew we didn't have that [athleticism] at the same level across our group. That's something that's hard to change. That's cultural, it's much bigger than football," he said. "We're a small country, everyone needs to work together. That means clubs, every organization within. We can't have a small mentality. We need young Scottish players to get opportunities early." Mulholland's background is in player development, having led Rangers' academy and held a similar role at Nottingham Forest, so he will be aware of these issues. How Scottish football progresses from here will be fascinating.