James McFadden ‘cannot believe’ what Steve Clarke did during Scotland vs Greece
Scotland continued their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a showdown against Greece at Hampden Park.
In September, Scotland secured a 2-0 victory over Belarus to place themselves in a strong position to qualify for the World Cup.
Steve Clarke’s men were hoping to continue that performance into the October international break, but unfortunately, his side were diabolical for the most part against Greece.
The visitors took the lead on the hour mark through former Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas before Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie quickly equalised.
Scotland ended up scoring a late winner through Lewis Ferguson and a third from Lyndon Dykes to cement their place in second position, but despite the result, one former player wasn’t happy with a decision Clarke made.
James McFadden baffled at the decision to substitute Ben Gannon-Doak
Ben Gannon-Doak joined Bournemouth from Liverpool in the summer for £20million, but the electric winger has struggled to play regularly under Andoni Iraola.
The 19-year-old has played just 29 minutes in the Premier League so far, although he did assist last time out against Fulham.
However, despite playing a sporadic role for the Cherries, he remains a prominent player for his country, and he was named in the starting lineup against Greece.
| Ben Gannon-Doak stats vs Greece |
| 59 minutes played |
| 24 touches |
| 9/10 passes completed (90%) |
| 1 key pass |
| 1 dribble attempt |
On a night where Scotland weren’t at their best, Gannon-Doak was one of their most exciting players, and the teenager impressed with his pace and flair out wide.
Sadly, Clarke decided to substitute the youngster on the hour mark, and it was a decision that left Steve McFadden baffled.
“I cannot believe he’s taken Gannon-Doak off,” McFadden told BBC Scotland. “He’s Scotland’s outlet with his pace.”
Steve Clarke decision paid off
Gannon-Doak was a constant threat against Greece, but ultimately, Clarke’s decision to substitute him for Billy Gilmour was vindicated.
Christie cancelled out Tsimikas’ equaliser before Ferguson and Dykes both netted late on to give Scotland a priceless victory
So, whilst there were boos at the decision to substitute Gannon-Doak, Gilmour’s introduction gave them more control in the middle of the park, and that was the catalyst for all three points.
Scotland host Belarus in their next World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, 14 October, and the Tartan Army can put themselves one to step closer to qualifying.