Gordon Strachan may have gone but the concept of building a Scotland team around Celtic’s invincibles is likely to continue.
Southampton first team coach Eric Black is helping Malky Mackay out this week for the Netherlands friendly.
His knowledge of domestic football north of the border may not be deep but the impact Brendan Rodgers’ Scottish players are making at club and national level hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Celtic operating in the Champions League can do these boys no harm whatsoever,” he said.
“I watched Celtic playing Paris Saint-Germain and they won’t face much harder down in England than they did that night.
“I know we’re talking different levels but the experience to play at that level is invaluable.
“If you are in that for 90 minutes, it’s fantastic.
“It’s time to start looking at the positives now. We’ve got a lot of good young players who can handle the ball well.
“It’s a good standard of football in Scotland and we’ve got to think we can produce players and I’m sure we can with good coaching.
“There won’t be four or five going down all the time but there are definitely players I’ve seen in training who can play in the Premier League, no question.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about Kieran Tierney from anyone I’ve spoken to and I’m looking forward to seeing him at close quarters.
“You can’t tell me he can’t play in the Premier League and there are others. Celtic have helped enormously with six or seven players together constantly at a very good level. Their standards are extremely high.”
The fact that Scotland are playing a friendly during this international week rather than a World Cup play-off tells you that the team has fallen short in its latest qualifying campaign.
But Black hasn’t felt any need to lift spirits in the camp.
“Gordon always had a fantastic atmosphere about the squad,” he said. “That’s the way it appeared looking from a distance.
“I don’t think there is any negativity. Everyone was disappointed that we didn’t qualify but let’s use it.
“The next challenge is 2020 – let’s start now.
“This job will still appeal to a lot of managers and we are preparing for the future now.
“Let’s use the next three or four to give them games and a chance.
“Malky said it to the new boys at the start of the week – go and be the next guy who gets 50 caps.
“That’s why they are here. We think these guys are the best players in Scotland, so go and take it.
“I have not looked any further ahead than this week.
“I am happy to come up and if I’m asked again, I’ll be straight on the plane.”
Black knows better than most the difficult task the Scots forwards will have in getting the better of a Dutch defence with fellow Southampton man Virgil van Dijk in it.
“Virgil was exceptional last season,” he said.
“There have obviously been circumstances that dictated that he’s not fully back to what he was yet.
“He was great last year – one of the best I have ever seen in every area.
“The things that went on with the club and his injury meant he didn’t play for eight or nine months.
“To come back in and try to get back to that level isn’t easy.
“There are still a lot of things surrounding him but even at 85 per cent, he is very comfortable in the Premier League.
“But he’s going to be very uncomfortable on Thursday night!”
