Scotland and Steve Clarke back in tricky position - 'we have to adapt a little bit'

A lot has changed in the world since the Scotland football team last pulled their boots on.

A full Hampden still felt like a novelty when Steve Clarke’s side powered past Denmark to set up a home World Cup play-off semi-final tie.

Excitement grew when the Scots were drawn against Ukraine. Now Ukrainians are more concerned about encroaching Russian tanks rather than their side’s World Cup prospects. Everything is back to feeling uncertain again. The game itself, whenever it can be played, suddenly seems a lot more trivial.

Steve Clarke faced one of his more awkward assignments on Tuesday at Hampden. He knew how little if any of what he wanted to talk about – his latest Scotland squad, for friendlies against Poland and the losers of the Wales-Austria World Cup play-off tie – really mattered.

Scotland’s own World Cup semi-final play-off against Ukraine, scheduled for next Thursday night at Hampden, has been pushed back to be replaced by a charity friendly against Poland. Nevertheless, Ukraine was still very much at the forefront of everyone's minds, as of course the country and its people should have been.

Few could have imagined there would be quite the number of Ukraine flags fluttering around Scotland when the draw was made in December. Support for the country’s plight has been widespread.

The SFA have already announced that a £10 donation from every ticket sold for next Thursday’s hastily arranged friendly will go towards UNICEF’s humanitarian response. SFA president Rod Petrie has already sent a message of goodwill to the country and offered such help as providing facilities for their players to train before the rearranged game. It is currently scheduled for June.

Clarke’s own difficult position had to be acknowledged.