The SFA board won’t be required to convene an emergency meeting this week. Those disgruntled individuals who planned marching on Hampden with their pitchforks can stand down. For now, Steve Clarke goes on.
This assignment was the epitome of a hiding to nothing for the increasingly embattled Scotland manager. Anything less than a victory over a micro-state who aren’t so much small fish in the international ocean as plankton and his position would have been untenable.
While just a fifth win in 22 games certainly won’t silence the debate surrounding Clarke’s suitability for the job, it does, at least, ensure the issue rolls on to Denmark in September.
Make no mistake: in the eyes of his growing band of critics, this wasn’t just must-win territory for the Ayrshireman. It was must win well. But on a night that might well have signalled the end of the road for him, his side found themselves on Easy Street.
Che Adams’ hat-trick, the first for a Scottish player since John McGinn’s against San Marino six years ago, was added to by a first international goal for George Hirst.
One of the few bright spots in the debacle against Iceland, the Ipswich forward looks like he has something to offer at this level.
Che Adams celebrates completing his hat-trick in Scotland’s 4-0 win against Liechtenstein
Adams nets the second of his three goals in a win that eased the pressure on Steve Clarke
Striker George Hirst makes a tricky finish look simple as he puts Scotland three ahead in Vaduz
Adams we know all about, of course. The Torino man again demonstrated there’s more to his game than goals in Vaduz. His running was selfless. His link-up play was excellent. He also claimed the assist for Hirst.
On his first start for his country, Lennon Miller also did not put a foot wrong. The Motherwell teenager had a part in the first two goals. He passed and probed and looked impossibly composed. In midfield, at least, come the autumn, Clarke has selection problems of all the right kind.
Heaven knows what the lie of the land will be in the goalkeeping department at that juncture.
Angus Gunn, Craig Gordon and several others will hope to be fit and available for selection by then. Ross Doohan may also be in the mix.
As predicted, the keeper didn’t have a lot to do in the shadow of the Alps. Truthfully, he could have dragged the sun lounger he abruptly vacated on to the field and still picked up a clean sheet. Yet, whatever he was asked to do, he did it well.
Notwithstanding the inferior opposition, statistically the sixth worst in the world game, this was markedly better than Friday’s dismal effort.
On a sticky pitch, Scotland moved the ball quickly and with purpose. They started brightly and didn’t really relent. They were good value for the margin of victory.
There was enough here to view the opening World Cup qualifier in Copenhagen in September with some cautious optimism. The growing sense of crisis has certainly lifted.
Much pointed towards this being a comfortable evening for Clarke’s players.
At 205 in the FIFA rankings, 161 places below Scotland, Liechtenstein’s only win in their past 47 internationals had come against Hong Kong.
You could not fault the enthusiasm or the spirit of Konrad Funfstuck’s players. They ran around and attempted to close down space and shut off passing lines. But their threat was negligible.
There was never any question of Doohan cutting short a family holiday in Turkey to sit on a bench.
The Celtic- bound keeper started in goal as expected. Cieran Slicker remained inactive, his mind no doubt occasionally flashing back to Friday’s horror show.
With Kieran Tierney joining Scott McTominay on the injured list, Clarke had no need to run with a system which also accommodated Andy Robertson.
He shaped with a more conventional and much-changed back four. McGinn and Lewis Ferguson played wide of Billy Gilmour and Miller. Adams and Hirst played as a partnership, a rarity in international football these days.
While the up-and-at-’em 4-4-2 is unlikely to be repeated any time soon, how refreshing it was to watch the Scots play with the handbrake off.
These kind of encounters are only ever about the first goal. Get it early and it’s then a question of how many. It’s when the minutes roll by without securing it that managers start to fret.
Clarke only had to wait four minutes to breathe a sigh of relief. Robertson’s corner from the right was only half cleared by Maximilian Goppel.
Miller didn’t need an invitation to shoot. His strike rebounded off the unfortunate Kenny Kindle. Adams took a steadying touch before rifling the ball home. It had taken a year since the Tartan Army last saw a striker score for the side.
Adams might already have been a provider. Hirst’s movement bought him space to get his head on his partner’s cross only for a deflection to take it narrowly wide.
McGinn had cut an irritable figure on Friday. He was much more at ease in the sunshine of Vaduz.
A drop of the shoulder led to him bounding down the left and crossing. Ferguson was only inches away.
Scotland weren’t to wait much longer. It was a goal to please any coach, the appetite of Miller to press high the key to ensuring Liechtenstein’s attempt to play out from the back came unstuck.
Keeper Benjamin Buchel’s goal kick asked a lot of Nicolas Hasler. Miller got touch tight on the edge of the box to dispossess him and feed Adams. The Torino man applied a composed finish for his eighth international goal.
Scotland could have scored any number after that. Another excellent pass by Miller freed up McGinn down the left. He turned inside his opponent and audaciously went for goal. Buchel saved unconventionally with his left hand.
Liechtenstein offered no surprises. They were competitive, dogged but limited. Their only threat in the first half came when Kindle danced away from McGinn, cut inside and let fly. Still his shot didn’t force Doohan to make a meaningful save.
With the job done at the interval, Clarke’s only concern would have been a drop in tempo thereafter. Commendably, his players maintained their levels.
Having scored at the start of the first period, they repeated the trick after the turnaround.
McGinn’s ambitious strike beat substitute keeper Justin Ospelt but not the post. Anthony Ralston fired the loose ball across goal. Adams flicked it on. Lurking at the far post, Hirst made a tricky finish look simple.
A pleasing night for Clarke afforded debuts to Josh Doig, Andy Irving, Kieron Bowie and Connor Barron.
The run-outs from the bench for Tommy Conway and Nathan Patterson were just as welcome.
Doig’s story in Italy has been somewhat overshadowed by the exploits of others. But in winning Serie B with Sassuolo, the former Hibs full-back also arrived here with a spring in his step. He looked desperate to mark his first appearance with a goal and twice went close.
The changes helped to ensure the game didn’t peter out. The fourth arrived in the final minute of time added on.
Barron’s ball down the channel held up perfectly. Conway’s pace allowed him to reach it and put in a deep cross. Adams’ header completed the perfect hat-trick and rounded off a fine night’s work.
