WORLD CUP 2026: SCOTLAND PREVIEW

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0:37Hello and welcome to the game football podcast from the Times and Sunday Times. They say no Scotland, no party and when it comes to us at the game we are practically raving 24-7 because this is the second dedicated preview show to Steve Clark's side heading into this World Cup. On today's episode we'll be discussing tactics, confidence, that brilliant away kit and asking just how far could they go. I'm Tom Clarke and I'm honoured to be joined by three of the finest Scots in journalism. We have the Scottish football correspondent for the Times and Sunday Times, Michael Grant, the chief football correspondent for the Sunday Times and Times and football journalist of the year, Johnny Northcroft, and the former Scotland under-21 international and football writer, Gregor Robertson.

1:19Michael, Johnny, you're over stateside now. I've got some exciting news for you. We've just recorded Monday's normal game show in the studio, me, Gregor and Tony Cascarino. And Gregor Robertson beamed, he beamed the whole way through. I've never seen the man so excited after an entire season of, you know, delirium, depression about VAR and the state of the game. The Scottish national team have got the man so excited. Two warm-up wins, eight goals scored, the best kit at the tournament. Michael, Johnny, I need to know whether your heads have completely gone as well or whether you're going to bring the man back down to earth on this show.

1:59Michael, I'm going to start with you. Just how excited are you about Steve Clarkside? Yeah, no, I get it. I get where Gregor's coming from. We're entitled to enjoy a couple of Scottish batterings of other teams. You know, the last time that we scored four goals or more in consecutive games was in the 1920s. What does that tell you? Well, that tells you that we're timing our run, Tom, for the World Cup. We're back after 28 years and we've timed our run perfectly. We're peaking. We're peaking. You should be very afraid. Be very afraid. That's the spirit. Johnny, what about you? I mean, I wouldn't go as far as to beam wildly.

2:40That's a bit dangerous. But, yeah, look, it feels pretty good to see the scoreline come in. and I was in the press box actually in the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa waiting for the England match and my English colleagues were going, have you seen the Scotland score? It's 4-0. And my first thought was, is it for them? The delight that it wasn't. No, look, it's actually a bit unexpected. Score four goals twice, Spital says, we're in good feral, the kit is beautiful, we're at the World Cup, we've got a great opening game, results around the corner. I mean, if we can't enjoy this, what are we in it for?

3:18This is brilliant. Absolutely. So I think we're all in agreement then from the three of you that this is the best time to be a Scotland fan. Maybe what are we talking? Last 20 years? Last 30 years? Your lifetime Gregor? Where are we at? How good is this?

3:32Gregor Robertson: Definitely in my lifetime. Going back to what was it in France in 98? Yeah. And that's the only World Cup that I've ever seen in my semi-adulthood. In fact I was still at school, what am I talking about? So yeah and like there's even in the last Euros we kind of went into you know our steam was running out and now we seem to be at least kind of building up some sort of head of steam yes we played against the 10 man Curacao, yes Bolivia looked like shocking and the goalkeeper helped us out a little bit with McTominay's but we, I don't know, just feels like there's some players in really good form and there's some players emerging who we probably maybe 12 months ago wouldn't have thought were going to be starters who might well prove to be really important players for us yeah you teased a few subjects there in terms of what we'll come on to in terms of the analysis but Michael what's the mood like over there at the games have you met bumped into many Scotland fans yet has the party officially started as I mentioned in my intro um yeah we bumped we were down in Fort Lauderdale in Florida for a training camp for a week so there was no there were no fans around there obviously but when we moved up to New Jersey for the weekend's game against Bolivia, you started to see quite a lot of Scottish fans and it really was only Scotland supporters inside the ground, I think it was difficult to say maybe about 8 or 9 thousand at the match they all seemed to be wearing Scotland tops and we'll see more of that obviously when we get to Boston, I think estimated 30 thousand coming it would be a lot higher if it wasn't for the prices of flights and tickets and availability of tickets but yeah it's growing the mood in the camp is pretty good obviously there was a real downer Tom when Billy Gilmore was lost to the World Cup a week ago and I think that really did hang over the players and the management and the staff for a number of days because it was so close it was so close to the tournament and Gilmore is a popular guy and he's been an essential fixture in the team for a number of years now So that hit them hard, you know.

5:43And it was also a worry going into the Bolivia game that there would be another one, you know, because they've tended to lose two players per tournament when they've qualified recently, and that was the fear. But I think now I do sense that it was more about enjoying the victory, enjoying the performance at the weekend. They do feel they're in a good place, you know. As Gregor said, going into the last couple of Euros, the form wasn't good. And listen, you know, all of this could come crashing down if we struggle against Haiti. if it doesn't go the way we hope. I watched Haiti in midweek, and it's going to take a hard shift to beat them.

6:19They're not an exceptional side, but there are qualities there that are going to make life difficult for Scotland, including, by the way, a set of supporters that are going to take this tournament by the throat. I mean, they're incredible. I mean, we've all seen a million supports that you think are great, but the Haiti one was wow. I mean the energy they bring it was just incredible and I mean if they were to score first you go oh god here we go you know but they're going to be they're going to be a lot of fun Haiti I just hope that they don't have any fun at our expense frankly Six and a half minutes we made it in there glad six and a half minutes before Michael came in we're just alright maybe it might not all go as well but I mean Johnny the guys have talked about some of the points there in terms of the team you're obviously with the England team following them at this tournament how big is that factor that both of them are mentioned in terms of momentum and a bit of confidence you know four goals in two games forget the opposition you know it's about good vibes isn't it not not wanting to talk about Thomas Tuchel's side we've done that plenty on the show already but the kind of mood around England has all been about oh the squad's not quite right they've left some stars at home just a 1-0 win and there's a sweaty 1-0 win against New Zealand it makes a difference doesn't it at the start of a tournament with the vibes are high and the mood is good Of course it does.

7:37I mean, look, these pre-tournament warm-up games, I don't think they give you any massive conclusions, but they can certainly raise alarm bells. And Scotland have certainly avoided that. It's been interesting watching, you know, England are about a week behind Scotland's preparation, four or five days. And at this point, it's a physical exercise. It's about getting players, you know, the loading right and into the rhythm. And watching the Bolivia game on video, it's like Scotland really looked like a really decent state, you know, just physically. That was my first thought, first of all. Looking sharp, looking fluid, actually looking at the point physically where England are trying to get to here in Florida.

8:20Of course, it's great. I think why not? Why not build some momentum and go in with a bit of optimism? Because I think the feeling I've had with the previous tournaments with Steve Clark is that once we've got there, we have taken a backward step. I'm trying to avoid using the word froze, but I did have felt that a little bit. And it's nice to see us looking like we're going to attack the tournament. And if it goes wrong, fine, but it's better to go wrong having a go at it maybe trying to score goals instead of trying to hold out and that seems to be the way it's going with the movement towards two strikers quite a positive midfield now slightly enforced by Billy Gilmore being out but it looks like we're going to play on the front foot to an extent, as much as we can play on the front foot and yeah, I'm all for that Yeah, I mean Gregor nodding along there he made some of those points, Johnny in Monday's show where we looked at some of those results.

9:22So I guess, Michael, we have to come to you to just say, is there any sense that after those goals, playing two up top, 4-4-2, as Johnny says there, Steve Clarke is going to flinch. He is going to blink and go, no, I'm going to go 4-5-1 against Haiti. Or is this the plan going into this first game, start strong, win the game, get three points, give Scotland a chance to get through to the knockout stages? Or do we not know yet? I think it's essential that that is the approach that he takes to it. I think that will be what he does. Every indication has been that it will be two up front and going for it.

10:01Just the nature of the group, Tom, is that Haiti is the team that we have to be. To have a realistic hope of qualifying for the next round, finishing third at least, it's got to be points against Haiti. and then, you know, listen I think even if they are pretty relatively gung-o for Scotland in the Haiti game that doesn't mean that they'll play that way against Morocco where they might go out to defensive to get a point and then, you know, God we're getting miles ahead of ourselves here but if you were to be on four points at that point, even if you're on three listen, it'll transform things but I think Clarke is under a bit of pressure he gets all the praise in the world for taking Scotland to three tournaments out of four now.

10:48But as Johnny says, the big black mark is that they haven't shown up at these two tournaments so far. These two Euros didn't leave a footprint, really. Worst team in the last Euros statistically in terms of attempts on goals and XG and just any kind of creative metrics were dreadful. so Clark talks a lot about learning from being repeated qualifiers for tournaments and how players learn and the staff learn and everything becomes a bit more natural when you get used to the rhythm of a tournament well he's got to show that himself as well and show that he realises that if you remember the last game we got knocked out by Hungary in Germany and it was dreadful they were so sterile when they had to win the match and And I think he realised that that had to change.

11:42And it's a different tournament this time because you've got, in brackets, the easiest team, in quotes, should I say, the easiest team first. But it's obviously winnable. It's obviously winnable. I mean, in terms of Steve Clarke, I was going to bring him in later, but you mentioned him there, Michael. I mean, it was the Times exclusive about his new contract. There'd been conversations before with you in the past year and after that tournament, of course, about, you know, he's a great guy, great coach, Scotland legend, but we've frozen on the biggest stage twice now. Does that become part of the mood as well, that there's this kind of sense that it's not his last dance and things like that?

12:16He's here, there's a longevity here, there's a project. England has had it with Gareth Southgate, Didier Deschamps at France. Having a manager in place that everyone's happy with that performs really well, is that a big part of it? Michael, I'll start with you and then Gregor and Johnny. Well, I think it's important for the players. I think Steve Clarke is emphatically backed by the SFA. If you sit and speak to the guys that top the SFA, it's wow. The unshakable confidence and backing in Clarke, and they're pretty much saying that even if there are bad results, it doesn't change their faith in Steve Clarke.

12:54More importantly, in terms of the team, is that the players have bought into Steve Clarke from day one. it's been probably his greatest asset as the manager and that's why he's been there seven years and signed a new four-year contract because guys like McTominay and Robertson and McGinn have turned up, you know? And I mean literally, they have attended Scotland games whereas in the past you had previous managers who were Gregor smiling because, you know, we've had a culture of call-offs easy call-offs, you know and the barely credible explanations, really, for guys not showing up. And that's just never been the case under Clarke, you know.

13:35And so that shows that the players buy into it. And you can see it. They put a lot of social stuff out now, the SFA, and you can see the interaction between Clarke and the players is solid, you know. So, yeah, there's no uncertainty over the manager. Although, listen, he's not universally loved by Scotland supporters. He isn't, you know. the style of football isn't great there is a lot of resentment about those no-shows at the two euros but yeah listen there's no question I think it's good for the team that there is that stability Johnny you were nodding along with what a lot of Michael said there give us a sense of follow up on some of these points made but also for you and Gregor you get to play the role a bit more of fans Michael's the Scottish football correspondent you guys get to come in and what is that sense about Michael's point about some of the fans support towards Steve Clark.

14:24Johnny, I'll start with you. I was really nodding at the point Michael made about the buy-in from the players. I mean, 30 years of covering international football tells me that that is more important even in that club level. It's so important to get guys who look forward to playing for their international team and see it as something that they'll completely commit to. and I've seen periods of Scotland and England and other teams where that's not the case, that's disastrous. I always felt the Welsh were a template that yet had Gareth Bale, but that period there in 2016, I remember being at that tournament and just seeing all the videos coming out of their camp and the joy and seeing people like Bale and Aaron Ramsey buying into that.

15:12I'm thinking, why is Scotland so kind of allure and such a tour in comparison? We've got that in the Tira. We've got big players who want to play. And that is Steve's, you can't underestimate that aspect of an international manager's work. I like it because it doesn't just continue that, but I think it places a little bit of an onus on Steve to play younger players and maybe look at the future because you have to have one eye on the future if you've got four years to go in your contract. and it's been refreshing to see Finlay Curtis and Ganondoke and Tyler Fletcher come in. That's been a trip to them as well.

15:56It's all been a little bit too much of our tech club of boys and nothing else will change. I think it can only help the team. It comes down to be careful what you wish for. Those fans that have wanted a different Scotland manager, if you actually ask them who that manager should be, you don't get very coherent answers and you surely want to be at tournaments and you surely want to see a team playing with some kind of pride and with the best players in it. So he's given us all of that.

16:30Gregor Robertson: Yeah, I think it's been like a relationship of extremes with Steve Clarke. I mean, it's, you know, the great joy of qualifying for first major tournament in decades, then the first World Cup as well. And then as Michael said there, the kind of pluming new depths of despair when we actually got to the tournaments and didn't really turn up, apart from a few kind of glimmers I think back to the England game at Wembley we really asserted ourselves really well but there have not been many positives at the tournament, so that is the and then big question marks come up about Steve Clark but I've always just been of the opinion that I've no idea who would turn to next and all the things we've talked about are about the culture he's built and the way that he's taken a really core of talented players and they've grown up together almost as international footballers there's been real skill to that so yeah I think it comes back to what the nation, if you were to poll the nation as a whole, they want us to have a go, want us to have a bit more of a go this time and I actually think the way that the fixtures have come out is perfect for that because we have the opportunity as much as we're got the cynics floating above our shoulders saying oh my god some of the times we've played against Minos in the past have not ended well, we have an opportunity to go out and kind of stamp an imprint on the tournament early on and we've got to take that.

18:14Gregor Robertson: I think Steve Clarke is fully aware of that and acknowledges it. Yeah, absolutely. We're talking about kind of support and fandom here, but I mean, Michael, you're obviously going to be there reporting for us from the game. Johnny, just starting with you and then Gregor, just let the listeners know where you're going to be, how you're going to be watching it, how much work you're going to have to put into the game and how much you're going to be able to support and cheer the team on. Johnny? Well, I'm going to be at the game as well. I'll probably be sitting next to life and watching him do all the work and sort of But in the press in the press box Johnny that changes it makes gives it a kind of professional slant on things you know it's a bit of a faux pas isn't it to be jumping up when Scott McTominay hammers in a third what's going on how are you going to approach that I'm from Aberdeen I don't jump up at anything I'll be at the game I shall hopefully write something or other on it and it's my birthday as well actually so you know what better way to celebrate your birthday by some excruciating wasted experience.

19:14No, no, no, no, no. A glorious, uplifting, life-affirming experience that awaits with Boston. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I mean, Michael and I were both at the last Scotland game in the World Cup and I hope it's better than that one in St. Etienne. And, you know, at times I wondered if I'd be at another Scotland World Cup game, quite frankly. so here we are 28 years later There you go for all the neutral fans it's creeping in the few worries are creeping in you can hear it Michael's let the guard down a little bit Johnny did it there Gregor come on where are you going to be watching?

19:482am UK time Gregor

19:50Gregor Robertson: There'll be other games where I'll be somewhere communal to enjoy the experience or try and enjoy the experience but it won't be this one I'll be sitting on my sofa in the dark at 2am and praying you can come round to mine if you want mate I'm working all the way through the night remember you can help me change some nappies as well and we can watch Scotland against Haiti loads more still to discuss I want to get into some tactics and who might play and who's the most important player but we're going to take a little bit of a break now and I just was looking up given all the excitement around warm-up games I looked up Scotland's two fixtures in the build-up to the 1998 World Cup so for the quiz question there's a point for each I want the two opponents and from the games that happened in May 1998 and I want the scores, which would give you a total of four points, which I'm sure would be enough to take Scotland at this World Cup into the knockout rounds.

20:43We'll find out the answers after the break.

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21:31Welcome back to the Game Football Podcast from the Times and Sunday Times. I'm Tom Clarke and I've got Johnny Northcroft, Gregor Robertson and Michael Grant with me. Three infused and excited Scotsmen on the show. They've only let their nerves creep in the odd time in the odd answer, but the vibes are high. We are partying as Scotland and Steve Clarke head towards this World Cup. We're not partying in a quiz sense, though. Bit of a tricky quiz question, I've got to say, this one. Really testing the memories of Johnny and Michael and Gregor. was keen to point out that you were what about seven eight nine 14 14 oh come on i can remember what happened at a world cup at 14 that's shocking these were the warm-up games but yes scotland faced columbia in a 2-2 draw in an international friendly and also usa in a nil nil draw they were the two warm-up games before their last appearance at world cup in 1998 and chaps coming back to this game then this is essentially a preview show all towards haiti we're going to be speaking to all three of you throughout the tournament so i think it's kind of a wide agreement, not just from you three, but basically every Scottish fan who might be listening to this.

22:33Steve, don't bottle it. Go 4-4-2 against Haiti. With that in mind then, what are the kind of selection dilemmas that he's got, Michael, that I'll throw to you? And who do you think he should go? Slash where do you think he should go? And then Chaps, I'll come to you on the same question. Michael? It's interesting right from the back, Tom, because the goalkeeper issue is a bit of a head-scratcher. I mean, we've got three keepers in the squad who have hardly played minutes It's all season for the club. Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly. It's going to be Gordon or Gunn. I don't know, a few days ago I thought Gordon and maybe I'm now angling towards Angus Gunn.

23:08It's a toss of the coin job. Gordon, over his career, has been the superior keeper, but he's 43. He's in good shape for 43, but he's played very few minutes recently. Angus Gunn has played very few minutes recently. I think maybe Gunn will get the nod. the back four is probably the back four that played at the weekend Aaron Hickey, Andy Robertson, Jack Hendry and Grant Hanley in the middle Hickey by the way is a great asset to have back in the team we missed him at the last Euros, missed a lot of his career through injury but he's such a lovely balanced footballer who gives the team balance as well midfield as you say, I think it is interesting Tom because there was coming away from the Bolivia game when we just have him chatting about how the team might look.

23:57There was a bit of chat that maybe McGinn might be the one that misses out because Gannon Doak played really well in that game. And then you've got McTominay. He loves Ryan Christie. Steve Clarke plays Ryan Christie all the time. So McGinn or Christie, Ferguson is probably the slightly deeper midfielder and then Shanklin and Adams up front. So I don't know. It's hard to think that he will actually drop McGinn, but it's possible. And the one other thing I would say is that you're going to see, Tom, in this tournament, long games. We're already in the era of 100-minute matches. You've got hydration breaks as well.

24:39I'm not entirely too hung up on the starting team because I think the team that finishes is going to be equally important. Guys are going to get a lot of game time, even if they're not starting matches. but yeah I think those are the kind of issues that that Clark he's probably got the team in his head already to be fair Interesting Johnny lots of echoes of some of the many conversations we've been having both on the editing floor and on the game podcast around England interesting there hearing Michael talk about the idea that maybe one of Scotland's best players certainly most well-known names in John McGinn what would your take be to Michael's point there Thomas Tuchel's talked a lot about pick your best team not your best players what would you think to some of Michael's analysis there?

25:21Yeah, I mean there's parallels isn't there, you've got to find a unit that works together, you've got to find connections, you've got to think about a possession and not just in possession and you've got to think about the physical dimension as Michael said I would find a place for John McGinn I have to say I think as I touched on earlier our fault in the last two tournaments has actually been not embracing it and handling it properly and you need the biggest players you need the best players John McGinn is arguably our best player so I think you find a place for him but it does there's balance issues isn't there I think it's more of a 4-2-3-1 in reality is it not because given that McTominay basically doesn't play as a midfielder anymore he'll be sort of he'll be rampaging forward the back worries me to be honest but there's no sort of great solution.

26:19Michael touched on your choosing between goalkeepers who've all got particular attractions, but none of them are very, there's reasons that you wouldn't pick all of them. I guess I'd probably edge just about towards Angus Gunders because the idea of a 43-year-old Craig Gordon worries me, but I don't know. A centre-back, I might go for Scott McKenna. Garnt Hanley has worried me for 15 years, but there we go. It's brilliant having Hickey back, throwing a bit of pace back. I do wish we had Gilmore for a bit of control. And look, the better, I go back, I think Ganondorf's got a play, but you've got to have someone that can penetrate and get behind.

27:01And I just love, I love the evolution of Lauren Shanklin and I just think he gives just a bit of a dimension that we haven't had. You know, he's a nine, but he's also a great, he can link properly. and too often it's been this sort of spectacle of Ashton Adams or Dijk's just isolated both being pinged aimlessly in their direction. So a player at the link takes incredible long throws and you know he's on fire finishing wide. I don't know if I picked about 15 players there I don't know. You're presenting a lot of problems And two formations. Not always. It's got to be McGinn left, McTominay, Ganondoke and then you're looking at what?

27:45Christian Ferguson? Not a bad place to be though, Johnny, when you've got problems like that. It suggests that there's a stronger squad than potentially Scotland have had.

27:53Gregor Robertson: So you're leaving out J Adams then? Yeah, no, I have. I've picked 12. You're only playing one striker against A2. That's negative. I got it. We're picking two strikers. What am I doing? It bottled it. It bottled it, Johnny. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Christian's out. I don't know. Difficult place to be. I think mainly we're all just scared about what, you know, Gregor Robertson flying over to America to have a word with you guys and Steve Clarke about the idea of not playing John McGinn, which would definitely burst his bubble. But I mean, listen, Gregor, Michael highlighted some of the points about the defence there.

28:23It's a point that you've made with Scotland's defence many times in the past. I mean, who would you be picking in goal? What do you think of Johnny's assertions about the back? You know, we talked on Monday's show, didn't we, about Gannon Doak and your excitement about watching a Scotland player run with base. The positivities of Shankland, but there are still question marks at the back, aren't there?

28:40Gregor Robertson: Oh, God, yeah. I mean, I agree with Johnny about Grant Hanley. He's actually been pretty reliable and solid a lot of the time in a Scotland jersey. I know he's like, what is he, 34, maybe 35 now? But I think I'd probably play him. And actually, it's more Jack Henry alongside him. I'd be worried about who played. He spent three years in Saudi Arabia. I know it's a decent level. And he's had a good career before that. He played for Bruges in the Champions League. He's a kind of cultured ball player. but I'm not sure about him defensively, which is quite important for a centre-half. I've always liked McKenna.

29:18Gregor Robertson: I've always liked McKenna, but he's dotted around a bit recently and he's playing for Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia now and Copenhagen, he was at Las Palmas. He's had a bit of an itinerant spell after Nottingham Forest and winning promotion to the Premier League. So there's no easy, as Johnny said, there's no easy option there. There's no easy option in goals too. So I'm just going to ignore that for now. and then it's the truth I mean the other thing is that we spent so long trying to shoehorn Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson in the same team and that doesn't feel like it's part of the conversation right now I think like there could there could well be games where you know when we're playing against Brazil or whatever we might go to a back three and he plays both of them it's an option but I don't think it's going to happen this week and I think it's Andy Robertson's jersey so it's important to say that as well but further forward I don't think there's any problem putting McGinn on the left I think McGinn can play almost anywhere across midfield and in behind the striker McGinn is often before McTominay's emergence to Italian Stallion, he was the guy who played in the hole behind Lyndon Dykes or behind the Che Adams or whatever and he can do that but there's just something different about having two players who would class themselves as strikers on the pitch they're more committed to being up the top end of the pitch John McGinn roams and he would drop deep and try and get on the ball and then you're still playing with the same issue about having an isolated striker so I love Ryan Christie, I think he's a brilliant footballer but I would have McGinn on the left as it stands right now and there might be games down the line where they can both fit into a five man midfield and have a solitary striker but for this game, for Haiti I'd play McGinn there's no there's no world in which McGinn is not on the pitch because he's got it's alright mate we'll let him play we'll let him play he's got a brilliant delivery from out wide he's like Haiti one thing I'll say about Haiti is they look athletic and McGinn is a McGinn is a powerhouse as a runner and as a sort of specimen so you could do with those traits as well and like he's always the man for the big stage in the big games I think I think we're agreeing with you mate don't worry don't worry don't worry it's okay he's going to play he's going to play Gregor Robertson looking wistfully out of his window worrying about the idea of John McGinn not making his bow at the World Cup listening to you all not just with your hope and enthusiasm but talking so positively about so many players and the idea of getting players into the team so I wanted to just start to wrap up because we need to let Johnny and Michael get on with their days reporting but firstly I wanted to ask who your one most important player is and Gregor I'll give you a tenner if you don't pick John McGinn but just quickly who would be your most important player and why because I think there's lots of star players potentially McTominay and McGinn but is there another area of the pitch that actually has got more importance say maybe Lewis Ferguson now with the absence of Billy Gilmore Michael I'm going to start with you who's the most important player to Scotland's chances well you've kind of framed that as if it's going to be a boring and predictable answer if I say McTominay you know no no that's perfectly allowed but I'm interested I'm just interested in whether that actually you might say, oh, the goalkeeper, whoever he picks, is actually the most important.

32:38Or Shankland, you know, I've listened to you guys talking about his link-up play. Che Adams, someone needs to put the ball in the back of the net against Haiti. But listen, if it is McTominay, that's also interesting too. Listen, I mean, Andy Robertson is a huge influence in the team as well, you know, in terms of his leadership and his presence, but also the runs he makes, you know. I mean, it was his cross for the opening goal at the weekend, you know. I mean, he still attacks the box, Robertson. he still drives him on but I do think McTominay brings a bit of stardust to the team you know and he didn't have a great tournament actually in terms of qualifying you know he wasn't as prominent as you would expect but then all of a sudden he conjures up a goal a goal of the ages kind of thing and you do kind of wonder if there's a little bit of the kind of big time big moment aspect about McTominay and that the world will be watching the Haiti-Scolonk it's our biggest game in a long, long time and I can just picture McTominay stepping up on that and saying this is where I belong but even in the game against Bolivia at the weekend he ran the show he's so composed and so clever with the ball so I know it's an obvious answer but I do think McTominay is a massive influence yeah cometh the hour cometh the man Johnny what are your thoughts yeah look I was going to say McTominay Michael's expressed it so well I won't sort of say why I think for those reasons yeah he well covered that moment big tournament I mentioned the idea of embracing it so you do look at the big players now there are obvious ones are we've covered McGinn and Robbo Michael's right I mean a kind of hipster's answer might be either Shankland or I'd say Ganondoke and that might sound mad because he's a young player who's barely played club football this season because of injuries but as I mentioned earlier the massive drawback, the flaw in our team for a long time has been just a lack of pace, a lack of penetration staticness because of the players the profile of the players which has led to some of the laboured football we have seen let's be honest stuff, obviously, which I think Anandot gives you the antidote to, you know, his end product still got a lot of work to be done on.

35:05But he's frightening when he goes past players. He can make an opposition defence thing twice. He can just push them back and give you that space for others to play. So I think I always felt it was important he got fit for this tournament. I think it's important he's on the pitch and that Scotland have got one player at least that can go behind the defence. Really interesting spot, the man who's been spending a bit of time with Hamza Khalid Lunat in the England camp in terms of giving the hipster's answer. Johnny, we love it. Gregor, other than John McGinn, other than John McGinn, who is Scotland's most important player?

35:39Gregor Robertson: Yeah, like Johnny just said, I'm going to say Ganondok after watching the last couple of games and just your mind goes back to remember the game they played against Croatia and he twisted up Guardiol. You just think it doesn't matter who he's playing against if he's on it it doesn't matter, he's rapid and that pace terrifies anyone of any standard whoever the opposition is so he could be the one who is the star because as I said on Monday's show the speed of which he turned defence into attack for Che Adams' goal was extraordinary, just the surge through the centre of the pitch and we haven't seen that as Johnny says since God knows when.

36:24Gregor Robertson: I can't remember what we were talking about. Neil McCann? I mean, it wasn't that fast either. So, like, yeah, I think he could be someone, and I hope he is, someone who, like, becomes a star. Yeah, absolutely. He's got the perfect stage to do it. Let's wrap up then, chaps. I want a hope and a prediction. These can be obvious, and that's absolutely fine. But let's have them both in one answer. So we'll start with your hope and then follow it up with your prediction. Michael, I'll start with you. I hope we beat Haiti. And I say that because I think it will, transform the entire campaign for us and elongate the campaign and it will make the whole country feel good about Scotland at a World Cup.

37:02And, you know, even if they don't, even if the subsequent games don't live up to it, I think it would be so refreshing and invigorating for Scotland to win a game, the opening game at a tournament. We've won two out of 12 in previous attempts to win the first match. But my prediction, Tom, I slightly worry that this World Cup is going to be over-regulated and over-policed. And that there's going to be tension between managers and coaches and officials and even between fans and stewards and so on. I don't particularly mean crowd trouble. I just think that there's a lot of rules and regulations and a kind of prescriptive attitude that I'm sensing already.

37:47Just from the kind of friendlies. I've been at two friendlies and you just it's a little bit heavily regulated and I'm not sure that's going to sit that easily sorry if that's a bit of a serious point you know hopefully it doesn't come to that but you are taking football supports that have a certain way of behaving culturally that might not sit well with America I hope that's not the case but yeah so that would be my thought. Absolutely not Michael that's really interesting. That is exactly why we've got the best team on the ground in America and Canada and Mexico to give us these kind of insights.

38:25Johnny, what about you for those two questions? I hope I've understood the draw correctly. I've pored over it a million times. I've tried the Times predictor to make sense of it. But if I do understand it correctly, when we get through the group and then win our second round game, we will probably play England and Mexico City. So there we go. There we go. Honestly, you've really piled the pressure on Gregor Robertson to go stronger than that that is that is the best hope we could possibly have isn't it Johnny though yes your prediction is however it won't happen Gregor can you top it for a hope and can you follow it up with a more positive prediction

39:03Gregor Robertson: to finish on I'll channel Ali McLeod my hope is we win it I predict my prediction is we retain it what more could you possibly want I'm so excited in reality I'll give you a real one I'll give you 80, but that was my hope for 2026, it's much more realistic and my prediction is actually that we've all just kind of thrown the other two fixtures in the bin I'm not sure, it's not just pouring over the squads in preparation, this isn't the Brazil of old they've laboured through qualification, they've got some stars, of course they have and like, it's an iconic game, but you think about when we played them in 98 we gave them a scare gave them a good game it won't be like my prediction is it will not be they're not games just to forget about and think you know we need to beat Haiti or else we're doomed I think we'll surprise a few people in those games Fantastic the ultimate positive note to end on the idea of Ben Gannon Doak dancing his way through the Brazilian defence and chipping the ball in for another Scott McTominay overhead kick now there's a wonderful idea to finish on for our second Scotland preview.

40:16Michael, Johnny and Gregor, thank you very much for joining me. We'll be hearing from you throughout the tournament, of course, so make sure you're subscribed to the Game Football Podcast. We will leave it there for now. We've got shows to come for the rest of the week and tomorrow we start our daily World Cup shows. Every morning, your daily digest of what's happened the night before and what is to come in the next 24 hours. We hope you enjoy it. Make sure you're listening. We'll see you then.

40:43You