It's fashionable to give Steve Clarke a kicking but that doesn't mean change is right – 5 mitigating Scotland factors

You know its a dangerous time for a manager when figures are dug out and used like a baseball bat to beat them.

Steve Clarke is now under a stat attack and the Scotland boss could really do with his team coming out swinging. It’s true, the recent numbers don’t look great. Friday night’s defeat to Poland makes it one win in 13 – against Gibraltar – and 31 goals lost in that run. It’s a run that’s seen Clarke’s win percentage drop to 42 per cent, which is less than Gordon Strachan’s a few years back. Oh well, that’s it – we need to bin him. That 13-game spell included five of the top 10 in the world and two draws after we had qualified for the Euros with games to spare.

Remember those glory days? The friendlies with Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Finland were non-events and we all know the Euros were not great. The other night against Poland was a boot in the delicates for a team that used up all its good fortune on the way to Germany and now Lady Luck has come for payback. It’s fashionable to give the gaffer a kicking and there’s a real feeling among some fans they would like a fresh face – and preferably someone who smiles from time to time.

But that doesn’t mean they are right. Clarke should be cut some slack. Don’t forget this current squad is missing several genuine top class players. Callum McGregor is a massive loss. Lewis Ferguson was one of the best in Serie A last term and will replace the Celtic skipper. Aaron Hickey is a £25m Premier League full-back, his back-up Nathan Patterson a £16m man. Kieran Tierney is another Champions League level star on the sidelines and even Che Adams, missing the other night, is proven in the EPL and is now in Italy.

We are a wee country – we simply can’t afford to lose half a dozen