Graeme Souness's defence of outgoing Scotland boss Steve Clarke has been dismantled by Arsenal legend Martin Keown, who set the Rangers icon straight over two key points. Souness argued that even Pep Guardiola could not have improved Scotland's performance, but Keown countered that better management could have secured a spot in the knockout stages.
Clarke Steps Down After Brazil Defeat
Steve Clarke resigned after Scotland's 3-0 loss to Brazil, their third consecutive tournament failure. Despite signing a four-year deal weeks earlier, Clarke admitted he planned to step down if they failed to advance. The search for a new manager is now underway.
Souness's Defence Rejected
Writing in his Daily Telegraph column, Souness claimed no manager, including Guardiola, could have done better with the squad. He also defended Scott McKenna, who lost possession for Brazil's opening goal, arguing that no central defender would have wanted to receive Angus Gunn's square pass in that situation.
Keown, speaking on talkSPORT, dismissed both claims. "No, not on that aspect about the ball out to McKenna. Scott McKenna had plenty of time to deal with that. He could even have gone back to the goalkeeper," Keown said. "Souness is probably going to ring in again, like he did last time I complained about him, but McKenna should have dealt with it, 100 per cent. It's on him, it's his mistake."
Modern Game Demands Passing from the Back
Souness suggested McKenna should have played the ball long, but Keown insisted that in modern football, passing out from the back is essential. "It's about working with the players to make sure they're comfortable. Fear is a huge thing within our game, it's almost a disease within our game. So the manager has to take that away," Keown explained. "In the modern day game, everyone's passing it out from the back. So if I'm the manager, I have to impart confidence in you to be able to go and do that."
Guardiola Comparison Dismissed
On Souness's claim that Guardiola would have fared no better, Keown conceded that no manager could have taken Scotland much further, but argued that reaching the knockout stages was achievable. "I don't think anyone else in charge of that team could have taken them much further, but they could have gone to the knockout stages," he said. "They could have gone into the next round. Teams with three points went through and they could've done the same. At the end of the day they needed to score more against Haiti, and keep Brazil to one or two. They failed to achieve that."
