Pampered, protected & primed – so why didn’t Scotland players perform?

It started with being piped on to the plane at Glasgow Airport.

Four weeks later, Scotland‘s highly anticipated, emotionally charged, celebratory return to the men’s World Cup after 28 years ends with the squad scuttling off on their separate ways and head coach Steve Clarke resigning after a sorry showing Stateside.

Missing from their luggage will be the brazen optimism that was United States-bound. Clarke and his then-bullish squad set off ready to “take care of business” and become the first side to reach the knockout stages of a major tournament.

It will be replaced by the baggage of regret.

The tremendous travelling Tartan Army – which has ensured the Scots won’t be forgotten at these finals – was floored by the heat and humidity of Florida.

It wasn’t ready for it. But the players were. In fact, they couldn’t have been more prepared, protected and primed to perform.

From world-class facilities and family time, to staying centrally in the cities and soaking up the atmosphere, all of the players’ wishes were granted by the now departed Clarke and the Scottish FA.

And yet here we are again, with shattered hopes, a heap of questions and silence from the Scotland camp.
– the big build-up

When they landed in Fort Lauderdale – three days after Clarke signed a fresh four-year contract – the squad could hardly have been more vocal as they checked in at Inter Miami‘s $60m Florida Blue training centre.

Lionel Messi, the 39-year-old Argentina captain, who continues to light up the international stage 20 years on from his tournament debut, green-lighted every detail of the top-dollar set-up. And, if it’s good enough for the wee man…

The SFA pulled in some favours to secure the lavish establishment – it was Sir Alex Ferguson who rang Inter Miami president and co-owner Sir David Beckham to get the deal over the line.

When Clarke came for a chat pitchside – a sign of the “different” head coach at these finals – during their first proper training session under the scorching sun, he admitted it “cost a little bit more” than the SFA wanted to spend. And yet.

“They have given us everything we’ve asked for,” Clarke said.

And they asked for a lot. Two days after the 1-0 win over Haiti – because the players had the day after the game off – assistant coach Steven Naismith spoke of the mountain of work put in pre-tournament after listening to the squad.

“So much work was done in terms of what the players want, what they need, what they didn’t like before,” the former forward said.

They wanted a longer camp before the tournament. Check. They wanted a period of acclimatising. Check. They wanted a bit of downtime. Check.

In Fort Lauderdale, that downtime was spent cycling in and around their luxurious beach hotel and playing one of the world’s golf best courses – the PGA National – before a thunderstorm cut the round short.

The ballroom of the hotel was filled with enough kits, branded and unbranded garments to dress a small country – last 32-bound Cape Verde come to mind – while there were boxes upon boxes of boots, all of which had a World Cup logo on the heel and a Scotland flag on the side.

That nearly seven tonnes of kit arriving in Miami a week before the squad was an early indicator of the preparation that had gone on.

Some was shipped up to Boston for the opening game, some to New Jersey for the 4-0 friendly win over Bolivia – how long ago that feels – and there was plenty more at the team’s base camp in Charlotte, North Carolina.

From one world-class facility to another, the SFA pushed the boat out again to secure the 52,000 square foot Atrium Health Performance Park, which previously accommodated Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

They more than made it their own, with more branding than Hampden and further top-range components, including a red-light therapy chamber and an altitude room.

The swiftly up-and-coming city of Charlotte was more what the players wanted after complaining about their remote base camp in Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the Euros two years ago.

Here, the players could take a stroll – or scooter – around town and pop into places to catch other World Cup games, but it was in Boston and Miami where they really embraced the buzz they had craved.

In the centre of both cities, after emphasising their desire to immerse themselves in the party the Tartan Army brought over, the squad were able to engage and enjoy the brilliance of Boston and the madness of Miami.

Hundreds of selfies were taken as they spent more time pre and post match in the area with families and friends, who were also flown between camp and Boston before making the trip to Miami.

Travelling on matchday -2 and the evening of matchday +1, the squad had time to rub shoulders with some of the best in the world, with France staying not too far away in Boston.

John McGinn even managed to get his nephew pictures with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, thanks to Aston Villa pal Lucas Digne.

So the squad wanted a base camp in a city. Check. They wanted time in the matchday cities. Check. They wanted days off in city. Check.

While his performances might have left a little to be desired – although he was far from alone in that – McGinn did deliver plenty off the pitch.

The Villa captain was put up after each match to do at least two interviews.

And he was also the first player to do the daily media conference in camp, having to bat away a question about Norway head coach Stale Solbakken branding Clarke “unprofessional”.

The squad took part in an open training session that morning, allowing kids from a local school a glimpse of them at work. Another sign of the new Clarke and the culture shift among the squad.

Then, little cracks started to show.

During the Morocco match, Scott McTominay and Jack Hendry were caught on camera having a bust-up during a hydration break.

The latter laughed it off when it was his turn in the media spotlight in Charlotte, but the Napoli midfielder never did have his say on it. Outwith one short BBC interview at the start of camp, he was protected from the media.

Even his injured club team-mate, Billy Gilmour – who flew across with his leg in a brace to join the squad and throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Miami Marlins baseball game – spoke to the media.

The more things change, though, the more they stay the same.

A completely different set-up to Euro 2024 – a tournament everyone said they’d learned so much from – with everything the players wanted has ended with the same outcome on the pitch.

Big players failing to show in the big moments, even with the big treatment.

Clarke – who didn’t comment after his furious post-match media conference following defeat by Hungary in Stuttgart two summers ago – went one step further by resigning three days after the humbling by Brazil.

At that point, Opta still had Scotland’s chances of creating history at 42%, but Clarke conceded they were “going home” even at that stage.

It was a poor percentage given the meticulous planning, expenses spared and fine-tuning details applied to this tournament.

So, why hasn’t it worked? Who knows when – or to who – we’ll next get to ask that question.