Is Gio van Bronckhorst the right man to succeed Steven Gerrard at Rangers?
KEITH JACKSON: The appointment of a manager is never a risk free business. But this one looks close to a no brainer. Van Bronckhorst has all the qualities required to do the job at Ibrox. All he needs now is to assemble the right backroom team.
GORDON PARKS: The issue at Rangers is more the internal disruption and a lack of funds which will be an initial problem for whoever takes charge. Van Bronckhorst could be a good fit as he's more than aware of the demands at his old club.
FRASER WILSON: Definitely. He knows the club, is adored by the fans but more importantly has proven himself as a successful manager in a similar sized league leading Feyenoord to a stunning Eredivisie title success and two national cups in four years.
MICHAEL GANNON: The Dutchman ticks a lot of boxes. He’s got the experience and the star dust Rangers fans crave, with the bonus of knowing the club inside out. It looks a shrewd move.
Scotland have eight players walking a suspension tightrope against Denmark, how does Steve Clarke play it?
KEITH: He picks his best eleven and deals with any consequences later. Clarke can’t be held responsible for a ridiculous rule book. And he could do with a result against the Danes to nail down a place among the seeds. It’s a gamble he has to take unfortunately.
GORDON: No risks should be taken. It's a game where we should ensure a few fringe players get the chance to show what they can do and enjoy the luxury of it not being a game which is a must win.
FRASER: It’s a balancing act because you don’t want to disrupt momentum and a positive result against Denmark would be ideal preparation for the play-offs. The biggest headaches are over Andy Robertson, Billy Gilmour and John McGinn. I’d probably risk all three.
MICHAEL: He needs to pick his strongest side and just hope for the best. It’s ridiculous cards count in to the play-offs and even more unfair on sides like us who are in bigger groups and played more games. It’s FIFA and UEFA loading the deck in favour of the bigger nations yet again.
Does Lyndon Dykes go straight back into Clarke’s side?
KEITH: Yes. Clarke had to tinker with his system in Moldova and, although he got the desired result, his team looks better with two up top. Dykes is becoming a hugely important player for this Scotland side.
GORDON: Yes. He's scoring goals and his recent exploits merit an immediate return to the side especially given the lack of genuine goal scoring options.
FRASER: Yes. He’s Scotland’s number one striker and with Che Adams and Kevin Nisbet walking the suspension tightrope then Dykes should come back in with his newly cleansed discipline record. I’d be tempted to throw in Jacob Brown beside him.
MICHAEL: You’d think so. Scotland will need that physical presence up top and we might as well be bold and go with the two front men. The Danes will have the feet up so get stuck in and get the points.
Is the Qatar dream on regardless if we get the points that would make Scotland seeded in the play-offs?
KEITH: There’s a lot of hard work still to be done but this feels like a Scotland side which has earned the nation’s trust. Clarke and his players may need the rub of the green along the way but they look more and more like a proper tournament team.
GORDON: It's still a huge ask for Scotland to get through two play-off games but a home draw would bolster our hopes. At least we are still in the frame and with Clarke at the helm nobody should rule us out.
FRASER: The potential play-offs look so, so difficult. But let’s not be pessimistic .. Steve Clarke and his players have proved they can handle pressure situations. So yes, it’s on!
MICHAEL: It’s happening. There’s something special and distinctly un-Scottish about Clarke and this group. Plus, a home Euros and a dry World Cup after 20 years? Now, that is Scottish.
