ALEX McLeish is considering handing Steven Fletcher a Scotland recall for the crucial Nations League double header against Albania and Israel next month – but hasn’t closed the door on Leigh Griffiths.
McLeish has come under increased pressure from both the media and supporters following the 2-1 defeat to Israel in Haifa last Thursday and the 3-1 loss to Portugal at Hampden on Sunday.
The Group C League 1 games against Albania in Shkoder and Israel in Glasgow in November are now of massive importance to him.
Failure to win them, top their section and secure a Euro 2020 play-off place will lead to inevitable calls for the 59-year-old to be sacked from his position after just eight months.
The national team head coach has given debuts and game time to a raft of youngsters in the eight matches he has taken charge of since being appointed back in February.
But he is weighing up whether to bring Fletcher, the 31-year-old striker who won the last of his 31 caps when he came on in the final Russia 2018 qualifier against Slovenia last October, next month.
The former Hibernian, Burnley, Wolves, Sunderland and Marseille man has been playing regularly for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship in England and scored two goals last month.
“There is a place for more experienced players,” he said. “Most of the guys who Gordon (former Scotland boss Strachan) had haven’t been playing in the last six months.
“We’ve had to call up a lot of young players. Oli McBurnie came in from the under-21s and he’s still a work inprogress. We’re not exactly prolific.
“But Steven Fletcher is now coming back into the scene at Sheffield and we’ll look at that one with a bit of interest.
“I’ve got to keep encouraging the guys. But I love having guys with a bit of nous and experience who can help the team. I know what a difference that makes.”
McLeish also admitted he could attempt to persuade James McArthur, the Crystal Palace midfielder who told him he didn’t want to be considered for Scotland selection back in August so he could manage back problems, to return to the fold.
“Listen, we can try,” he said. “I would have liked James to have been with us from the beginning of the campaign because he’s one who knows his position and where to go on the pitch.
“There are a lot of the young guys who have played for us in recent months who are having to learn very fast.”
Meanwhile, McLeish insisted the Scotland camp was still a happy one despite Griffiths asking not to be selected so he could focus on his fitness and Charlie Mulgrew, Robert Snodgrass and Kieran Tierney all withdrawing before the Portugal game.
“I believe there’s a good camaraderie between the players,” he said. “I’ve seen the evidence of that in the last couple of get-togethers.”
The decision by Griffiths, who was overlooked for the Albania game at Hampden last month, to ask not to be selected led to predictions he had turned his back on his country.
But McLeish was once again at pains to point out that there is no friction between him and the Celtic striker and that he would like to have him involved going forward.
“The Leigh Griffiths one – it’s remarkable how it gets blown up,” he said. “I said that I spoke to Leigh last week and we had what I thought was an amicable conversation.”
Meanwhile, Willie Miller has suggested that his former Aberdeen central defensive partner Alex McLeish should be sacked as Scotland manager - but only if he fails to win qualification to Euro 2020.
He said: "Alex McLeish has been invited to be the Scotland manager to get us qualified for the European Championships, so why don't we give him that time?
“I find this quite incredible, because I’m one of the very few who has said in the past with the last two managers that one chance is enough.
“The last two managers have had two chances to get us qualified for a Euros and a World Cup - and now we’re talking about not even giving this manager one chance to qualify for the Euros.
“I just don’t think that makes sense to me.
“My position hasn’t changed, if it’s Alex McLeish, or I don’t care who it is, we should employ a manager to get us qualified.
“And it should be straight and simple, if you don’t get us qualified then you don’t get another chance, and we go and find someone else until we find someone who can get us qualified.”
Miller told the BBC: “What Alex has got to do is to get a winning run. It’s about results now, the results are piling up on him.
“Being beaten 3-1 by Portugal - is that an embarrassment? Not really. Okay, it is their second string, but they are a very strong nation.The next two games are vital for Alex McLeish, they’re vital for the nation."
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