Scotland Strikers Thread ⚽️🏴🧵
With Scotland away to Germany 🇩🇪 this summer there's very few available spaces in the squad, there is possibly 1 spot for a striker behind Adams and Dykes.
In this thread 6 strikers will be compared each other on attributes important to Clarke.
First, how have strikers been performing under Clarke, what profile does he look for in a striker and what profile is missing from the squad?
In the last qualifying campaign, only 2 of the 16 goals (12.5%) were scored from strikers. In Nations League B, it was a similar story, 3 of the 11 (27%). This indicates the striker acts as a foil and facilitator for McTominay (7 in 8) and McGinn (3 in 8).
Attributes I have selected to analyse are:
Goals; Shots; ShotsOnTarget%; nonpenaltyXg; Fouls won; Loose ball recoveries; Aerial duels won %; Touches in Opp Pen area; Progressive passes received; Carries into final 1/3; Miscontrols; Dispossessed.
Che Adams:
Adams ranks top for SoT% (43.6%), npxg (0.5 per90) and PrgR (6.35 per90), he also ranks high in Goals (0.58 per90) and Aerial duels won (39.3%).
He's a goal threat, has good movement and good physical capabilities for a Scotland striker.
Lyndon Dykes:
Dykes hasn't had a particularly good season in a struggling QPR side, although he always performs well for Scotland in a thankless role.
He ranks top for Aerial duels won % (45%) between the 6 strikers and ranks high for Recoveries and SoT%.
Barring injuries Adams and Dykes are on the plane, Clarke is pretty loyal to his players.
Now, the challengers...
Ryan Hardie:
Hardie is having a brilliant season at Plymouth, he ranks 1st for: Goals (0.62 per90); Shots (4.07 per90); Att Pen Touches (6.54 per90). He also performs well in PrgR (5.99 per90) and AerialDuels (40.2%).
Hardie has been a real attacking threat this season and looking at the radar, appears to be an out-and-out striker, as he scores low on Fouls Won (0.19 per 90) and Loose balls recovered (1.73 per90). He would offer a different option to Adams and Dykes if chasing a goal.
Kevin Nisbet:
Nisbet isn't having the best of seasons for Millwall and doesn't rank particularly high in any attribute, even though he's been in previous squads I can't see him making the 23.
Jacob Brown:
Brown plays off the front or down a side for Luton and ranks top for Fouls won (1.72 per90); Loose balls recovered (4.84 per90) and carries into final 1/3 (1.07 per90). Clarke does like his profile and has gave him minutes as a striker but isn't a natural goalscorer
Tommy Conway:
Conway is having his breakout season at Bristol City and has been a regular in the Scotland U21s.
This tournament may just be too early for Conway as he doesn't rank top in any statistic.
Lastly, due to fbref statistics being incomplete for the SPFL, I couldn't include Lawrence Shankland in this thread. He has 22 goals in 34 apps in all competitions for club and country this season.
I actually think Shankland is in pole position as he's been in recent squads and is the best finisher in the squad. Clarke seems to like Brown but I can't see him being a gamechanger in Germany and spots are limited.
If Hardie is selected for the March friendlies, he has a chance
This was my first attempt at creating graphics on tableau and doing an analysis thread, any feedback would be welcomed.