'Cartwheels at breakfast' & kicking about Boston - the culture shift in Scotland camp

Scotland's historic World Cup victory over Haiti, their first in 36 years, has ushered in a noticeable shift in the team's atmosphere, extending even to the typically stoic head coach, Steve Clarke. Assistant coach Steven Naismith humorously noted Clarke's reaction, suggesting he might be "doing cartwheels down at breakfast," a stark contrast to his previous tournament experiences.

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I'm not sure if we were predicting him to be 'doing cartwheels down at breakfast'.

Clarke himself has admitted he "didn't enjoy" the first two major tournaments he managed, vowing to "soak it up" stateside this time around. This sentiment appears to have permeated the squad, as players, instead of celebrating late into the night after their win, opted for early morning downtime with families and friends.

Naismith highlighted this change, stating, "Previous tournaments there's not been that... Just being a dad, being a husband, being a son. That's not been there." He emphasized that the current approach involves periods of hard work balanced with relaxation, aiming to alleviate constant pressure.

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I didn't enjoy the first two major tournaments he led his country in and insisted he would 'soak it up' stateside.

This more relaxed demeanor from Clarke is evident. He recently engaged in an unexpected, casual chat with the media before a press conference, even joking about his key takeaway from Euro 2024 being "don't get humped." This contrasts sharply with past experiences where such openness was unlikely.

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Previous tournaments there's not been that... Just being a dad, being a husband, being a son. That's not been there.

Naismith explained that significant effort went into understanding players' needs and preferences before the tournament. "Bringing the families closer, having more family time, having periods of real hard work and then going to relax, taking that pressure valve off so you're not constantly thinking of football," he said, concluding that "it's worked well."

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He's been to two tournaments, he's told you he's not enjoyed them, he's sat and reflected why and then it's about what he can do to make it more enjoyable, firstly for him.