Knockout stages not beyond Scots

IWILL be backing Scotland to qualify for the knockout stages of the European Championship and while everyone is looking forward to the England game for obvious reasons, the real big one is first up against Czech Republic.

The key is to try to win but above all not to lose and then Scotland are still in the tournament with a decent chance of making the last 16.

The bottom line is you have to be impressed by what Steve Clarke has done. We have not got a stick-out superstar in one of the key positions but having been in the international wilderness for so long it’s great to be back, even if we did sneak in through the playoffs.

What I have liked about the job Steve has done is the way he moulds the team and formation depending on who we are up against, while I have liked the call-ups for novices Nathan Patterson, who has been incredible for Rangers, and Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour.

You could tell right from Gilmour’s Chelsea debut that he has class and it’s a massive tick in his box that Thomas Tuchel also seems to like him.

What I like most of all, though, is the way his Chelsea teammates give him the ball, and if they trust Gilmour and have confidence in his ability you know that is a good sign.