GIVEN the drama of what unfolded in a chaotic second half against Poland, the fact that Scotland started the night with a clear change of shape almost became lost in the madness.
The back-three system that has been favoured by Steve Clarke for so long was finally shelved and, in the eyes of weary supporters, the switch came not a moment too soon.
Indeed, we can only wonder what might have been against Hungary in the final game of the Euros this summer had Clarke taken the same decision.
Without Kieran Tierney, whom the back-three system was designed to accommodate, and in a must-win game, only Clarke will know why he stuck with it against Hungary. But that’s by the by.
In the here and now, the move to a back four against Poland showed a desire to try something new, at least in terms of shape if not necessarily personnel.
Scotland started the match essentially with four central midfielders on the pitch — Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay, Kenny McLean and John McGinn.
Former Juventus and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte took charge at Napoli this summer
Scott McTominay has swapped Manchester United for the 2022-23 Serie A champions
Billy Gilmour is paraded in front of the fans at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
It’s hardly a state secret that the main strength of Scotland’s squad over these past few years has been in midfield.
Even with the retirement of Callum McGregor after the Euros, Clarke still has an abundance of options at his disposal in the middle of the pitch.
The key to success will now be finding the right balance in midfield and forward areas, rather than trying to shoehorn everyone into the same team.
McGinn and McTominay are certain to play every game if they’re fit. The same can probably be said of Gilmour as the team’s main playmaker now that McGregor is no longer there.
Which leaves McLean as the odd one out. Rarely can one player’s inclusion in a starting line-up have caused such a feeling of deflation among an entire fanbase than McLean’s against Poland.
Moving forward, it would be most refreshing to go with a midfield three of Gilmour, McGinn and McTominay, with two wide players supporting the main striker.
Let’s say a Ryan Christie and a Ben Doak out wide either side of Lyndon Dykes. Granted, it sounds fairly bold by Clarke’s standards but there’s no reason why it couldn’t work.
The problem arises from the fact that Clarke likes to utilise both McGinn and McTominay more in forward areas.
But they are both experienced international players. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to dovetail to good effect. If one goes, the other one sits.
With Gilmour dictating play from deep in behind them, it has the makings of a well-rounded midfield. What happens at Napoli over these next few months may well have an influence on how Clarke looks to use Gilmour and McTominay. Both players secured b lockbuster moves to Naples late in the transfer window for a combined fee of close to £50million.
The expectation is that neither Gilmour nor McTominay will be going to Napoli simply to make up the numbers or sit on the bench. They are expected to play and make a big impact for Antonio Conte’s side, who are looking to rebuild after some big-name departures over the past couple of seasons.
This is where Scotland could well benefit from the coaching of Conte if he can get the best out of both players. If you look at some of Conte’s best teams over the years, central midfield is an area where some of his best players have flourished.
When he was in charge of Juventus, the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba excelled. Pirlo became the best deep- lying playmaker in the business, a regista as it’s known in Italy, a role not dissimilar to that played by Scotland’s little maestro Gilmour.
Likewise with McTominay, his rampaging box-to-box runs are similar to those witnessed in Turin when Pogba was in his pomp.
Listen, nobody would claim Gilmour is suddenly the new Pirlo and, likewise, McTominay the new Pogba, but there are similarities in terms of the type of players Conte will be working with.
Gilmour and McTominay both got on the scoresheet in Scotland's midweek defeat to Poland
Callum McGregor recently announced his retirement from international duty
When he was in charge of Chelsea, N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas were pivotal in the team winning a Premier League title in 2017.
If Conte can find a way of building a midfield around Gilmour and McTominay in Naples, there’s no reason why Scotland should not do the same.
That Neapolitan connection will be key moving forward, with McGinn serving as the third member of the midfield trio.
McTominay was Scotland’s best player against Poland, surging forward from midfield and causing all sorts of problems.
It almost seems ludicrous to think now that this is a player who was used as a centre-back at times in the past. He offers a dynamic presence and a terrific goal threat, as does McGinn.
Gilmour can be the glue that knits it all together. Like McTominay, he also had a good game against Poland. His passing was sharp and incisive, and, despite being put under pressure by Poland’s pressing, he kept demanding the ball.
The issue is that Scotland didn’t actually use him enough. Gilmour only made 54 passes on the night, which put him fifth highest in terms of Scotland’s distribution channels. That’s not enough for a player who is quite obviously our best passer of the ball and the most adept player we have at dictating a game.
The best playmakers in these deep-lying positions are trusted implicitly by their coach and team-mates, quite often finishing with close to 100 passes in a game.
Scotland aren’t there yet with Gilmour, but that’s more to do with Clarke’s reluctance to build from the back and play through the lines. With Conte, you suspect he’ll be given more freedom to get on the ball and dictate things.
It promises to be an intriguing adventure in Serie A — and one Scotland should look to profit from.