Steve Clarke has not been offered a new contract by the Scottish FA, and the coach himself feels it is 50-50 that he will stay on after the World Cup. According to major media, Clarke had a very brief conversation with SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell about future plans. Clarke has guided Scotland to three major tournaments since taking charge in 2019, including qualification for the 2026 World Cup, their first in 28 years.
However, according to major media, Scotland finished bottom of their group at Euro 2024 and were relegated in the Nations League. At the World Cup, Scotland will face Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil in Group C. In the 2026-27 Nations League, according to major media, Scotland will face Switzerland, Slovenia, and North Macedonia.
FIFA requires Scotland to submit a provisional squad of 55 players for the World Cup. Player selection debates are ongoing, with major media reports indicating there are better footballers at right-back or center-half playing at a decent level than Anthony Ralston and Grant Hanley, and that Luke Graham merits consideration for the Scotland squad based on his performances for Dundee. Criticism of Clarke's tactics and squad management has emerged from multiple reports.
According to major media, Clarke is loyal to his favorite players, which may have come at a cost to Scotland's performance improvement, and he has missed chances to upgrade players in his squad. Critics overstate the ability of Scotland's players when decrying Clarke's selections and tactics, and Japan exposed Scotland's technical shortcomings in their 1-0 win, as reported by major media. Support for Clarke has come from figures like Sir Kenny Dalglish, who believes the Scottish FA would be silly not to offer Clarke a new contract regardless of World Cup performance.
Fan reactions have been mixed; according to major media, Clarke was booed by some Scotland fans after the defeat to Japan. The Scottish FA's handling of Clarke's contract situation has drawn scrutiny. According to major media, the Scottish FA should have agreed on a path forward with Clarke immediately after World Cup qualification, and they mistakenly believed Clarke was relaxed about his contract situation.
Player performances and squad considerations are central to Clarke's planning. According to major media, Ross Stewart scored his fifth goal in eight games in Southampton's 5-1 Championship win over Wrexham and scored the winning goal for Southampton against Arsenal in the FA Cup; he has earned two caps for Scotland, in 2022. Liam Kelly, Scotland's third-choice goalkeeper, has only played for Rangers this season against Alloa, Annan Athletic, and Queen's Park, as reported by major media.
In the friendly against Ivory Coast, Kenny McLean, 34, came on as a substitute for Billy Gilmour, not 19-year-old Lennon Miller, according to major media. Clarke's shyness is often mistaken for conceit, as noted in major media reports.