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Date: 2023-12-04 20:50:47 | Author: Online Games | Views: 736 | Tag: soccer
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Serial qualifiers? It’s still too early to say, but for any Scotland supporter who cannot remember the 1998 World Cup in France or the years before, these are dizzying times indeed soccer
The Tartan Army are heading to Euro 2024, their second successive appearance at the European Championships, and just their second men’s major international tournament in 25 years soccer
Hampden has rediscovered its roar, and it is set to carry Scotland on their march to Germany next summer; tens of thousands will make the journey –many had already booked their tickets before this weekend – and it is all thanks, by and large, to Steve Clarke soccer
If Clarke has brought the good times back, it is worth remembering the dark days he inherited on his appointment in 2019 soccer
Scotland were barely able to fill half of Hampden as their men’s major tournament drought extended past two decades soccer
A 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan proved to be the end for Clarke’s predecessor, Alex McLeish, and rock bottom for Scotland; there was no hope, and no hint of the immense progress Clarke has since been able to achieve with what are still fairly limited resources soccer
Automatic qualification from a tricky Group A was secured with two games to go, owed to a phenomenal start that featured the stunning wins against Spain at Hampden and Norway in Oslo soccer
After the ultimately disappointing performances at the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 finals and defeat to an inspired Ukraine in the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup, Scotland took to their task with focus and clarity, forged from the cohesion and spirit Clarke has brought to the national team over the course of his tenure soccer
If Scotland are famously one of those sides that always do things the hard way, progress to Euro 2024 has been serene by comparison soccer
Under the guidance of the calm and measured Clarke, Scotland has become an environment where players want to play, mirroring a club side with the relationships within the group and the organisation of their approach soccer
There can be no doubting anyone’s commitment to the Scotland cause – and that has not always been the case in recent years – while Clarke’s management style is to never allow anyone to get too high or feel too low soccer
For all that Scotland’s 2-0 victory over Spain in March was a memorable night at Hampden, the key to qualification was that Clarke ensured his squad kept their feet on the ground when there was still a job to be done soccer
RecommendedScotland qualify for Euro 2024 after Spain result confirms placeAndy Robertson injury: Scotland provide update on dislocated shoulder against SpainSteve Clarke congratulates Scotland players for becoming ‘serial qualifiers’ after reaching Euro 2024Clarke would be the first to point out that further improvements are still required ahead of Euro 2024 – England’s performance and Jude Bellingham’s class at Hampden last month made that perfectly clear – but Scotland will head to Germany believing they can be much more competitive than when they returned from the international wilderness soccer
For one, that long wait, with the emotions it brought with it, is over soccer
Scotland’s squad is settled and largely unchanged from the summer of 2021, and Clarke’s team have the experience of a major tournament to build on soccer
And, as anyone who celebrated a significant birthday, a graduation, or a wedding will remember, the summer of 2021 was a strange time, with the UK only just coming out of spells of Covid lockdown soccer
Scotland’s return required the full experience of the Tartan Army, especially with two games at Hampden and a third against England at Wembley, but a long-awaited party was dampened soccer
Germany will bring full numbers and see Scotland at full voice; it will undoubtedly help a team who will aim to punch above their weight soccer
Scotland dared to dream after beating Spain at Hampden (Getty)While there is a notion that successive appearances at the European Championships are a sign of some sort of Scottish “golden generation”, the reality is somewhat different soccer
This Scotland squad certainly has talent and quality, but it is also one with gaps and holes, and is far weaker than the results under Clarke suggest soccer
But the 60-year-old has found solutions and made improvements with the options at his disposal, while creating a culture within the group that has lifted standards and expectations soccer
In simple terms, it is astute management at every level soccer
Scotland, for a while, seemed cursed by having two world-class players in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney, but both being left-backs soccer
There is now a genuine partnership soccer between Robertson and Tierney within Clarke’s system, which is built upon a back three that has kept four clean sheets in six games so far in qualifying soccer
Angus Gunn has made an assured start at goalkeeper after taking over from the veterans David Marshall and Craig Gordon, while Aaron Hickey represents a significant upgrade on Stephen O’Donnell at right wing-back – which was another problem position at Euro 2020 soccer
The lack of a world-class striker – the Tartan Army would accept at least one Premier League-calibre option, with both Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams plying their trade in the Championship this season – has been mitigated as well soccer
For all that Dykes and Adams have always put in huge shifts when leading the line, often a thankless task in any case, Scotland’s goals have been scored by another player with whom Clarke has performed miracles – Scott McTominay soccer
McTominay was key to qualification with six goals from midfield (Getty)Underappreciated and perennially dismissed at Manchester United, and used as a centre-back at Euro 2020 as his country struggled to fit him into the side, McTominay has been the revelation of Scotland’s campaign soccer
Deployed now as an attacking midfielder and given licence to break forward into the box, McTominay’s return of six goals in as many games has been beyond anyone’s expectations – as many as Erling Haaland soccer
That McTominay’s success has come within the organisation and structure Clarke has installed is no coincidence; international tournaments often show how countries can rise as a collective, and Morocco, Switzerland and Wales are also recent examples that will give Scotland hope that they can extend their trip to Germany by reaching the knockout stages soccer
“I said after Euro 2020 that we wanted to be serial qualifiers again, and reaching successive Euro finals shows the progress we’ve made,” said Clarke, typically level even as Scotland’s progress was confirmed soccer
“We will raise a glass tonight to celebrate, but then it’s back to work tomorrow in preparation for our friendly against France soccer
” There will have been many back home, however, who will have instead been raising a glass to him, much longer into the night soccer
More aboutScotland soccer footballSteve ClarkeEuro 2024Scott McTominayAndy RobertsonJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/3How Scotland reached Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be different How Scotland reached Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentScotland dared to dream after beating Spain at Hampden Getty ImagesHow Scotland reached Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentMcTominay was key to qualification with six goals from midfield Getty ImagesHow Scotland reached Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentSteve Clarke has guided Scotland to back-to-back Euros Getty ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today soccer
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Boris Becker has revealed he will take up the role as the new coach of Danish world number six Holger Rune soccer
The three-time Wimbledon champion Becker was jailed for two and a half years in April 2022 for hiding £2 soccer
5m worth of loans and assets to avoid paying debts soccer
He was found guilty under the Insolvency Act, which revolved around an unpaid loan from his luxury estate in Spain, but he also had a previous conviction for tax evasion in Germany in 20022 soccer
Becker was released from prison early in December and flew to Germany, with the BBC reporting at the time that the former six-time Grand Slam champion had been deported soccer
Under the condition of his licence, he will not be able to return to the UK, where he lived from 2012 onwards, before October 2024, so could not coach at next year’s Wimbledon soccer
RecommendedBoris Becker details prison experience after serving eight-month sentenceBoris Becker says he was ‘a nobody’ in prison as he breaks silence after releaseBecker coached Novak Djokovic soccer between 2013 and 2016, during which time he won six Grand Slams - the Serbian now has a record-breaking 24 major titles to his name soccer
The 55-year-old German announced on a German Eurosport podcast he is Rune’s new coach soccer
The 20-year-old Danish player has previously worked with Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals soccer
However, Rune has struggled since, winning just one of his last nine games, and has asked Becker to take up the role soccer
“I can confirm that I am Holger Rune’s coach,” Becker told Eurosport Germany’s podcast soccer
“It makes me a little proud that he asked me soccer
The contact has existed for a long time soccer
Now it was a very good fit soccer
“My calendar allows it and I have always been interested in Holger because he is on the soccer tennis court with so much commitment and temperament soccer
”Becker added: “Holger is a rough diamond that needs polishing soccer
“I like his emotional outbursts soccer
I have coached a player before, Novak Djokovic, who was sometimes not quite himself on the court, but that is allowed soccer
” More aboutBoris BeckerHolger RuneNovak DjokovicJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/1Boris Becker announces return to soccer tennis as coach of top-ranked player Boris Becker announces return to soccer tennis as coach of top-ranked player Getty Images ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today soccer
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored Features Get in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicssoccer BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery Act Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy soccer
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply soccer
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