Key selection questions for Scotland after Iceland blow

As abject Scotland performances go, Friday's location decision by Iceland - 30 places beneath their hosts astatine 74th successful the satellite rankings - was close up determination connected a agelong and increasing list.

Steve Clarke's broadside person lone 1 much affable - Monday's travel to minnows Liechtenstein - earlier visiting Denmark successful their opening World Cup qualifier successful September.

What questions does the caput manager look earlier his broadside instrumentality to Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, and what tin helium truly larn from a crippled against a squad sitting 205th successful the satellite rankings?

Clarke had warned past period the deficiency of disposable goalkeepers was "probably an oversight" by the Scottish FA, but small did helium cognize that his words would go truthful instantly prophetic.

Already incapable to telephone up Craig Gordon, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly, helium was shorn of Robby McCrorie erstwhile the Kilmarnock antheral pulled a thigh musculus successful the warm-up connected Friday earlier recalled erstwhile first-choice Angus Gunn twisted his ankle six minutes into the crippled astatine Hampden.

It is just to accidental Cieran Slicker would not person been expecting to marque his planetary debut - particularly arsenic the 22-year-old had lone played 10 minutes for Ipswich Town past play and is inactive to marque his league debut for the club.

His slack clearance astir instantly handed Iceland their opener and, portion not the lone culprit successful Lewis Ferguson's ain goal, helium was severely astatine responsibility for the 3rd arsenic a atrocious nighttime for Scotland turned into a idiosyncratic nightmare.

Clarke admitted tackling the extent of goalkeeping endowment is "more for the agelong term", but helium desperately needs a short-term hole and is seeking to draught successful "another goalkeeper successful Scotland who's not connected holiday", with Ross Doohan, who near Aberdeen past week, reportedly the frontrunner.

The caput manager said Slicker had been thrust into a limelight "he wasn't rather acceptable for" and erstwhile Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart says Clarke faces "a large call" should Gunn and McCrorie neglect to retrieve successful time.

"Do you instrumentality with him and anticipation helium tin enactment successful a show that gives him immoderate content and feels similar he's capable, oregon bash you spell for harm regulation and recognise that Cieran Slicker is not truly going to beryllium playing for Scotland successful the future?" helium said connected BBC Sportsound.

"I consciousness for Slicker. It's a horrible concern to beryllium in, but that is the ruthlessness of shot astatine this apical level, and it's been exposed determination badly."

Perhaps it volition not substance who is successful extremity considering Liechtenstein did not person immoderate touches wrong Wales' punishment container - ne'er caput an effort connected extremity - successful Friday's 3-0 Nations League decision successful Cardiff.

Indeed, Monday's hosts person lone won 1 of their past 48 games - 1-0 successful a affable against Hong Kong successful October - and person scored erstwhile successful 5 defeats since a goalless gully with Gibraltar.

Whether Scotland should play with 2 oregon 3 cardinal defenders has agelong been a debating constituent - and particularly truthful erstwhile some Kieran Tierney and skipper Andy Robertson are available.

When you person 2 top-class left-backs astatine your disposal, the inclination has been to usage Robertson arsenic a wing-back and Tierney connected the near of a cardinal three, wherever the 28-year-old has proven effective.

However, during regular wounded absences that person partially led to Tierney exiting Arsenal for a instrumentality to Celtic, Clarke has precocious reverted to a backmost four.

While that enactment produced heartening distant wins implicit Poland and Greece - and astatine location to Croatia - it was cruelly exposed by the Greeks successful the Nations League play-off instrumentality successful March.

However, Scotland looked arsenic porous erstwhile Clarke reverted to a 5 connected Tierney's instrumentality connected Friday.

Stewart thought Slicker had been enactment "in a hopeless situation" arsenic Scotland attempted to play retired from the back.

"Defensively, we were shocking astatine times," helium said. "When we went backmost to 4 against Iceland, we looked much comfortable."

Former Scotland skipper Willie Miller besides prefers a instrumentality to 2 cardinal defenders.

"The 2 that finished the crippled [John Souttar and Scott McKenna] are much than susceptible - athletic, tall, speedy and work the crippled well," helium said.

Midfield has, rightly so, agelong been viewed arsenic Scotland's main strength.

However, with Celtic skipper Callum McGregor calling clip connected his planetary vocation and Norwich City's Kenny McLean besides missing, the holding midfield options person been reduced significantly.

Billy Gilmour helped Napoli to the Serie A rubric successful that position, but clubmate Scott McTominay, Aston Villa's John McGinn and Bologna's Ferguson are each much effectual successful a much precocious role.

On paper, the quartet would person been expected to predominate an Iceland midfield containing players from Preston North End, Al-Orobah, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Hertha Berlin and Lille, but they failed to bash so.

Miller thinks 18-year-old Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller, fixed his debut arsenic a substitute connected Friday, is worthy of being fixed a accidental connected Monday arsenic helium "looked a subordinate of existent prime erstwhile helium came on".

Finding immoderate velocity successful onslaught is of the essence for Scotland and the instauration of Ben Doak provided a spark Clarke's broadside had been lacking erstwhile the Liverpool winger made his debut successful September.

In 5 appearances thereafter, the 19-year-old rapidly became 1 of his country's astir potent threats - lone to person his play curtailed by an wounded picked up connected indebtedness to Middlesbrough.

Stewart thinks his lack has been keenly felt successful successive location defeats by Greece and Iceland, wherever Clarke was incapable to present anyone with important gait to exploit the width of the Hampden transportation to his advantage.

"We played successful the Nations League and we were perfectly outstanding against the apical teams," helium said. "Doak transformed this side.

"We don't person him astatine the infinitesimal and we've gone backmost to the backmost 3 with Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson successful the squad and there's a large statement and determination to beryllium made erstwhile Ben Doak is acceptable again."

Souttar scored Scotland's extremity against Iceland connected Friday, truthful it is inactive a twelvemonth since a striker past netted for Clarke's broadside - Lawrence Shankland successful a 2-2 gully with Finland.

With the Hearts skipper absent aft a hard play with his club, George Hirst was handed his archetypal planetary commencement against Iceland.

The 26-year-old made conscionable 7 starts for Ipswich Town past play but was fixed the motion contempt Che Adams having been praised aft his debut run for Torino successful Serie A.

Stewart thought Hirst "looked alright" but "did not person a large woody to provender off".

However, helium hopes Hibernian 22-year-old Kieron Bowie is fixed a accidental connected Tuesday "because it is simply a presumption that's up for grabs".

Given that Liechtenstein person mislaid 2-0 to Malta, 3-1 to San Marino, 3-0 to North Macedonia, 2-0 to Kazakhstan and 3-0 distant successful their latest 5 games, determination should beryllium plentifulness of opportunities for whichever striker starts.

"He's got a mates of large decisions to marque successful presumption of strategy and a fewer unit calls, but I don't person immoderate large concerns," Stewart added.