The head coach needs form players, not protected species. Red carpets should not be rolled out for time served.
When McBurnie scored for Hull at Leicester on Tuesday night, it was his 16th goal in 37 games for the Championship team this season, a run, in all competitions, that also includes seven assists. For a Scottish striker who missed two months of the campaign through injury, it’s an impressive return.
To drill down a little, this season, McBurnie has scored every 182.9 minutes for his club and has a goal from every 4.3 shots and a conversion rate of 23.5%.
Recently, he contacted Clarke to see if he had any hope of making the World Cup squad. The way McBurnie tells it, Clarke’s answer didn’t give him a whole lot of encouragement. The head coach can’t afford to be as dismissive as McBurnie made him sound.
Many of those who remember what McBurnie was like when he played for Scotland would, no doubt, agree with Clarke on this, if McBurnie’s recounting of their conversation is accurate. Under Alex McLeish and in the early games under Clarke, McBurnie had his chance and he didn’t take it.
Sixteen caps (seven starts) and no goal. More than that, in nearly 13 hours of action, Scotland only scored once while he was on the pitch. He was also once embroiled in controversy around his commitment to the cause.
Fairly or unfairly, you may have to go a long way to find a Tartan Army member who’s calling for his return. Forgiveness drops slowly.
It’s been five years since he last played for Scotland. That’s a fair old penance. Maybe he’s a better player and a better person than he was then.
Nobody is expecting him to play for Scotland ever again, but if Clarke has already closed his mind to Stewart and McBurnie then he’s ignoring two players performing with huge amounts of confidence and scoring plenty of goals. What else can they do?
Shankland is third on the list above and is a shoo-in for the squad and a front-runner for the team if form counts. Hirst is fourth. He showed up well in the friendly against Ivory Coast, in the first half at any rate. He looked hungry and powerful, his appetite for work was unmissable.
He has 10 goals in 41 games for Ipswich, who are currently second in the Championship with a game in hand over the ones behind. He’s operating at a high level. The Premier League awaits if Ipswich keep their nerve.
Hirst’s conversion rate is 14.7%, behind Shankland’s 18.7% but ahead of Bowie on 13.6% and Adams on 13.2%. Conway and Dykes bring up the rear on that front. The case for Dykes’ inclusion looks weak if you’re going solely on what’s happening in the here and now.
Luckily for him, his bid is probably compelling in the only place that truly matters – in the mind of the Scotland manager.
You’d imagine that Clarke already knows the final 26 – or very close to it. Stewart and McBurnie won’t be in it.
In the stats they’re one and two. In Clarke’s estimation they’re probably about seven and eight, if they’re ranked at all.
Maybe he should revisit that. The evidence is all there should he decide to study it.