Scotland may have ended a 36-year wait for a World Cup victory, but not every player escaped scrutiny after the historic win over Haiti.
Lawrence Shankland has come under fire from some supporters following a frustrating evening in front of goal as Scotland secured a 1-0 victory thanks to John McGinn’s first-half strike.
The striker entered the tournament as one of Scotland’s biggest attacking hopes after a prolific run of form at club level and an impressive series of performances in the warm-up matches.
However, against Haiti, Shankland struggled to make an impact.
The forward failed to register a shot on target and spent much of the match isolated against a determined Haitian defence.
Several post-match ratings reflected the difficulties he experienced.
Some outlets described him as Scotland’s least effective attacking player on the night, while others noted that he rarely found himself in dangerous positions and was unable to reproduce the form that had made him such an important figure heading into the tournament.
The reaction from supporters was swift.
Social media was flooded with debate over whether Steve Clarke should make a change for Scotland’s crucial second group game against Morocco.
Some fans argued that Shankland’s lack of involvement justified a place on the bench, while others pointed out that strikers can often have quiet games and still remain vital to a team’s overall balance.
The criticism comes despite Scotland claiming three hugely important points and moving to the top of Group C after the opening round of fixtures.
While Shankland endured a difficult evening, several teammates impressed.
John McGinn was the obvious hero after scoring the winning goal, while Ben Doak continued his rise with another energetic display that caused Haiti problems throughout the match.
The young winger’s creativity and direct running earned widespread praise and strengthened his growing reputation as one of Scotland’s most exciting talents.
For Clarke, the challenge now is deciding whether loyalty or form should guide his team selection for Morocco.
Shankland’s goals played a significant role in Scotland reaching the World Cup, and one difficult night may not be enough to force the manager into a major change.
At the same time, Morocco will provide a much tougher test than Haiti, meaning every position in the starting line-up is likely to come under review.
The debate has already begun among supporters.
Should Scotland stick with the striker who helped fire them to the World Cup, or should Clarke look elsewhere for a spark against Morocco?
After a historic victory, it is an unexpected selection headache.
And one that could define Scotland’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time ever.
