Scotland’s captain, Andy Robertson, has unveiled a distinctive approach to the team’s preparation for their return to the World Cup. During their training camp in the United States, he organized a game of Traitors to foster camaraderie among the players.
The upcoming match against Haiti in Boston marks Scotland’s first World Cup appearance since 1998. In the lead-up to the tournament, the emphasis has been on the team’s unity. While Robertson refrained from revealing specific roles of his teammates in the game, he explained the rationale behind introducing it.
“It was something we had done before and decided to do again because we can spend a lot of time in our rooms or on our own,” the 32-year-old stated. “It is not easy being away from your family, your kids. It was something to try and get people out of their rooms, give quieter people a voice and give newer players a voice. So those were the ideas behind it.
“It is not easy being away from your family, your kids. It was something to try and get people out of their rooms, give quieter people a voice and give newer players a voice. So those were the ideas behind it. “Whether it has worked or not, I am not sure, but we certainly enjoyed it. That was last week, that is what took up our time after training was done. It is just about trying different ways of making time pass quickly because we knew these two weeks would probably drag. You just want the first game to come. So that, along with other things, helped to just quicken the time. It hasn’t felt too long that we have been away.”
Scotland’s preparations for the clash with Haiti have received a boost with the return of Scott McTominay. The midfielder missed training on Thursday due to stomach issues but was back in action on Friday. Manager Steve Clarke confirmed that McTominay is in “I think I have 26 superstars here,” condition, yet he emphasized that the focus should be on the entire squad rather than just one player.
“To try and put so much on to one person is not fair. Everything over the last seven years has been the squad, the team, everyone being together and playing their part at certain times. We are delighted with Scott’s abilities and what he brings to the team but another 15 will have to do the same if we are going to have a positive tournament.” Clarke remarked. “It is important we respect the opposition,”
“Since they qualified, they have improved the squad by bringing players in that have made them better. We think we know how they are going to play but obviously any team can become different. They have very dynamic players, especially the attacking players, so we have to be careful.”
