The debate over who should start for Scotland in their opening European Championship game against Germany will continue until Steve Clarke puts his team on the line at the Allianz Arena, with the question of who is a striker a particularly hot topic of discussion. .
Considering he plies his trade in Scotland, Lawrence Shankland’s superb form for Heart of Midlothian this season has put him at the forefront of the minds of many in the Tartan Army with 27 goals for the club in all competitions. His goal for his country against Georgia makes him a popular choice to play against Germany in June.
Team stalwarts Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes will have plenty to say about that, and so will manager Clarke, who is likely to opt for one of his tried and trusted forwards in such a big game for the country.
This is the opinion of former Scotland striker Billy Dodds. Dodds is a big fan of Shankland and has great admiration for the way he has come back from the brink to have such a successful career and put himself firmly in contention for a place in the Scotland squad at a major tournament.
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But when the going gets tough, Dodds reckons Clarke will stick with the men who have served him so consistently well over the last few years, with Adams fancied lining up in attack against the tournament hosts.
“I love traveling players, if you want to put it that way,” Dodds said.
“Players who suffer from exclusion think, ‘I’ll show them.’ And I think it gave them plenty of food for thought.
“Now, with the way Scotland play, he’s a great addition as we can bring him into the game if we’re behind.
“We need mobility in Scotland’s style of play. That’s no small thing for Lawrence Shankland because he’s the best finisher. But we need to realize that sometimes we get the best results by playing in a formation that suits us, and that’s by playing with a striker who uses the pitch really well.” It is necessary.
“I’m not saying Lawrence doesn’t do that but he’s the type of striker, if we need to score goals we can bring him on and he can score goals, he’s a great addition. He’s proven that.
“HE [Clarke] He put Shankland in the final squad and maybe he looks at it now and thinks: OK, I’ve had two players in the past who made us proud, did well, took us to the Euros and brought big results.
“So those two have the upper hand at the moment and now Lawrence is another little component in the mix where you have your natural striker. So that’s a good thing to have.
“It’s like a nice addition. And that’s what the manager thinks. He might be thinking: ‘He tried to prove me wrong, I like the thought process I’m going to show him, he scored.’
“He had already done that at that level, but against smaller teams. It was a very important goal in Georgia.
“For me it was him coming out of the picture, out of the team and coming in to do this.
“So if we’re losing to these teams with 15 minutes left, it would be a great addition for Lawrence to say: ‘Go and get in the box and try to get us back into the game.’
“But I’m not the one trying to say he can’t start. I really have no preference. If you’re asking me what Stevie Clarke can do, against top quality teams he could choose to start with Che Adams and other players could play a real role, but then I could be wrong!”
It may seem odd that Shankland, at 28, still has to do some sort of apprenticeship for his country, but Dodds thinks the Hearts captain may need to exercise a bit more patience given his name is associated with just seven international caps.
And if he gets any opportunities in the friendlies against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland this window, he needs to seize those opportunities.
“This is how it should always be for internationals,” he said.
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“The late, great Craig Brown always had you apprenticed.
“Come with us as a team, sit and watch and see what you might have to do when you get on the road, then we’ll make you a substitute, then half an hour or so. You had to earn your place. That’s how I feel about Lawrence.”
“Fans will say what kind of striker they prefer and they usually say, ‘He’s a striker, play him.’ However, this is not always to the benefit of the team.
“Che Adams is quick, moves on the fly, leaves teams behind and is a handful. Big Lyndon may not be a natural striker at times, but he will score important goals.
“So that’s balance. However, Shankland would be an excellent addition in terms of options if we get to the finals and he makes the squad. He has a chance in these two matches.”