Scotland's players and management have returned home after their elimination from the World Cup was confirmed.
The team's campaign began with a 1-0 victory over Haiti, their first World Cup win since 1990, with John McGinn scoring. However, subsequent 1-0 and 3-0 losses to Morocco and Brazil, respectively, left their qualification hopes dependent on other results. Their exit was finalized when Croatia defeated Ghana on Saturday night, making it impossible for Scotland to advance as one of the third-placed teams.
Steve Clarke, who managed Scotland for seven years, resigned shortly after the team's World Cup exit was confirmed. In a letter explaining his decision, Clarke expressed gratitude to his players, stating, "The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn’t have had any of the memories that we’ve accumulated from 2019 until now." He added, "They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honour to be called their Gaffer."
However, former Scotland striker Duncan Ferguson criticized Clarke's decision to resign, particularly given that Clarke had signed a new four-year contract just weeks prior. Speaking as an ITV pundit, Ferguson questioned the timing of the resignation, stating, "He signed his four-year contract, you know. Scotland weren't gonna win the World Cup, so what's changed from three weeks ago? Right, we've been beaten by Brazil. But really, who was expecting us to beat Brazil?"
Ferguson suggested that Clarke "jumped the gun" and should have taken more time to consider his decision after returning home. "He should have took a deep breath. I think he shouldn't have resigned the way he did, he should have waited, got on the plane. Go home, have a think, speak to your family, and then make a decision. Why have you just signed a four-year deal and walked out? I don't get that part."
When asked about the future of the Scotland managerial role, Ferguson expressed a preference for a Scottish manager to lead the national team. Ferguson, who has prior coaching experience, including interim spells at Everton and management roles at Forest Green and Inverness, stated that he would "certainly have that conversation" if offered the position.
