Steve Clarke rounded on critics of Scotland skipper Andy Robertson but hinted it may be time to take spot-kick hero David Marshall out of the international firing line.
Robertson has come in for mounting flack over the last week for failing to reproduce his Liverpool form in a dark blue shirt on the back of a wobbly start to the World Cup qualification campaign.
With Kieran Tierney turning in highly impressive displays in the two opening draws against Austria and Israel a debate is raging again over which of the two Premier League stars should hold down Clarke’s left-back slot for tonight’s visit from the Faroe Islands.
But, while the manager remains adamant that both Tierney and Robertson can be accommodated in his starting XI, he admitted he may make a change to his No.1 after costly big match mistakes from Marshall in back-to-back Group F qualifiers.
The Derby keeper became a national hero when his penalty heroics helped Clarke’s men win a thrilling shoot out in Serbia to clinch a place at this summer’s Euros.
But when Clarke was asked if he might consider a change in goal he said: “That’s possible. It’s possible. Three games in a week, it’s possible to have a look at another goalkeeper. I can use the depth of the squad if I feel it’s the right thing to do. But you’ll have to wait and see tomorrow. I don’t like discussing team selection the day before a game. I never have done.
“But I know what my team is. I’ve actually got it written down. It’s in my pocket. I know the formation, I know the players. I know how many rotations there will be. But it’s not something to share with the general public and the media before the game.”
There were no such doubts cast over the position of captain Robertson - even despite Tierney’s outstanding performances as a makeshift centre-back.
Clarke said: “It’s a problem more for the media, the pundits and the supporters. Not for us.
“I thought our left hand side, with Robertson and Tierney - whether Kieran was at left centre-back and Andy at left-back or Kieran left of a three with Andy left wing-back - worked well.
“I thought the criticism of Andy Robertson the other night was poor. It was poor, really poor as Andy Robertson had a good game for us the other night in the first and second half.”
Asked if Roberston struggles to replicate his club form at international level Clarke responded: “I think it’s unfair, it’s a different team.
“Listen, we’ve spoken about this one before with everyone saying you can’t get Kieran and Andy in the same team. But we can do it. We’ve done it. Consistently.
"And maybe that’s one of the reasons we’ve qualified for a major tournament. Both of them were decent that night. For me it’s no longer a discussion. We can do it.
“They can play in the same team. Kieran likes to play on the left as well as Andy. I think we have found a way to do that.”
