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<p>The Champion of Qualifiers</p>
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alt="Heading to first World Cup in 28 years? Breaking down Steve Clarke's impressive Scotland record"
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title="Heading to first World Cup in 28 years? Assessing Steve Clarke's notable Scotland record">
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Scotland's manager, Steve Clarke, has returned to his roots during this international break, making a strong start to the national team's qualification campaign for next year's World Cup. Fans of the Tartan Army were pleasantly surprised by a 0-0 draw against Denmark in Copenhagen, followed by a convincing 2-0 victory over Belarus on Monday night. With four points from their initial two matches, Scotland currently sits second in Group C, level on points with the Danes, as they prepare for a home match against Greece later this year.
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"It’s a good start, a solid start," Clarke shared with the <em>BBC</em>. "Four points won’t qualify you for anything. It's great to go home smiling, but my focus is already on next month." In response to criticism from some fans, Clarke praised the defensive and pragmatic approach of his team's performances, highlighting it as crucial for Scotland's success. "Clean sheets are the foundation of our campaign," he asserted. "If we can keep the ball out of the net, we will always have opportunities to score one or two goals."
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Clarke's relationship with Scotland fans tends to ebb and flow based on the team's performance in competitions. While supporters can point to disappointing outcomes at international tournaments—such as Scotland’s exits from Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 with only three goals and no wins across six matches—the 62-year-old coach has established himself as a master at navigating the qualifying stages. This is evident when one examines Clarke's record thus far at Hampden.
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alt="Steve Clarke Scotland record"
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title="Steve Clarke Scotland record"
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Analyzing Clarke’s tenure with Scotland across various competitions reveals that he excels in qualifying events. Following this international break, Clarke boasts an impressive average of 2.07 points per game in World Cup qualifying matches. This accomplishment should not be surprising to Scotland fans, as Clarke propelled the team to a playoff spot in his first World Cup qualifying campaign, even though they ultimately lost to Ukraine in that playoff. However, the current campaign’s strong start indicates that Scotland could be on track for their first World Cup appearance since 1998.
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Clarke's impressive qualifying record in World Cup competitions is nearly matched by an equally commendable average of 1.94 points per game in European Championship qualifiers. He successfully guided Scotland to Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, achieving dramatic playoff victories over Israel and Serbia, respectively, enabling Scotland to reach its first international tournament in 22 years. While his Nations League performance has seen some decline, this can be attributed to Scotland’s promotion to League A last year, where they only won two out of six matches against higher-ranking opponents. Consequently, his average in these tournaments stands at a lower 1.65 points per game.
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alt="Steve Clarke vs Scotland managers"
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Although fans might point to Clarke’s average of 0.3 points per game in international tournaments, the evidence suggests he still outperforms most of his predecessors in terms of winning qualifying matches. Despite facing more games and potentially tougher opponents in the Nations League, Clarke maintains an impressive average of 1.86 points per game, surpassing all Scotland managers since Craig Brown's departure in 2001.
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