10 games, nine defeats, 26 goals lost.  The numbers speak for themselves, Steve Clarke's Scotland is faltering. 

While there's no doubt the manager has faced a challenging run of fixtures that includes matches against the likes of France, the Netherlands, Spain and most painfully Germany, even the most amateur football tactician could see Scotland are not functioning at the levels that brought them to this stage so spectacularly.  

Many will say more of the same will result in continued pain and a change is needed to spark something from the squad. The manager has proven he's a fixer throughout his career, able to adapt to circumstance and play the hand he's dealt. He isn't an ideologue fixed to one idea, that's for sure. Could he move to evolve his game-plan in the middle of a tournament though?

That would be a huge move given the amount of time and work that's gone into shaping this Scotland team into an outfit capable of battling Spain for top qualifying spot and dispatching Norway along the way. Much will depend on what the manager sees in the camp as players battle for their chance to make history amid two winnable games against Switzerland and Hungary.

We've assessed the potential options and put together three set-ups that would offer decent options for Clarke to help revitalise the nation's qualification hopes.

Return to the back four

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Abandoning the back three that's worked so well in getting the best out of arguably Scotland's two best players in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney would be a big move, but there's an argument Scottish players are more comfortable in the back four system they mostly play with their club sides.

It would also free a space up front to throw our only real goalscorer, Lawrence Shankland, into the mix. On paper, the combination of Adams and Shankland has promise. Both have the ability to connect play and if they can spark an understanding their movement would be difficult to pick up. 

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Scotland had no out-ball against the ruthless Germans and Adams was left hopelessly isolated throughout, reduced to chasing the ball for most of the game. With a strike partner, surely Scotland couldn't possibly repeat the attacking decrepitude of their play in the previous game, registering a frightening 0.01xG.

The width in this formation would come from the full-backs, putting a huge attacking onus on Robertson and Tony Ralston to get up and down the pitch. It would also have drawbacks on this basis with the team open to rapid counter-attacks in the space vacated on these flanks.

A sacrifice for two strikers


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Scott McTominay was outstanding in qualifying, with seven goals from his trademark bursting runs from deep. When fully fit and confident, he's undroppable. And yet, the question is being asked: is he physically right? 

After a long injury lay-off with Manchester United, he's looked rusty in the friendlies preceding the tournament and was basically anonymous against Germany.

In this circumstance, the midfielder is left out to allow two strikers to give Scotland more bodies to bolster their attacking heft. 

Putting Billy Gilmour into the pivot also allows Callum McGregor to move further forward and have more impact in the final third with his excellent passing and shooting. Gilmour's ability to dictate play at elite levels will surely be central to any Scotland revival.

The madman option

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There's no doubt this is the radical option but it's one way to ensure all of Scotland's best players are on the pitch.

Extremely attack minded in design, it allows McTominay to progress the ball from the back with a midfielder's accuracy and retains his threat at set-pieces. 

The addition of James Forrest adds more threat down the right flank than his clubmate Ralston, and the winger is also no slouch when it comes to doing the dirty side of the game. He can also, as the final furlongs of the title race attest, find the net when a chance presents itself.

Up front, the combination of Shankland and Conway would give Scotland a twin threat in front of goal and a contrast in styles. Conway is quick, aggressive, strong and looks an ideal foil for the cunning of the Hearts captain.

While we don't see it happening, at the very least, it would be entertaining to watch and nobody could say the manager didn't have a go.