Gordon Smith: Celtic star Calum McGregor’s Scotland omission was an odd one

WITH the Scottish Cup Final having pulled the curtain down on the club season, thoughts now start to turn to Scotland’s clash with England.

The Dark Blues need to beat Gareth Southgate’s side at Hampden on Saturday week to have any chance of making it to the 2018 World Cup Finals.

Lose, and not only will the campaign be over but also, I believe, there will be a near-immediate change of manager.

Gordon Strachan stayed on after we failed to qualify for the 2016 Euros and remained firm after we lost 3-0 at Wembley back in November.

Nevertheless, I am convinced he will walk this time should the result not be the win all Scots are hoping for.

While there was no doubting England were comfortable victors the last time we met, Scotland’s performance was an encouraging one.

Strip out the errors and we did pretty well. Our players competed, passed the ball well and, on the whole, didn’t look out of place in the environment.

Feelings of optimism were increased by the much-needed victory over Slovenia in which Stuart Armstrong – one of six Celtic players in the side – turned in one of the most-impressive international debuts of recent years.

One of the best bits of Armstrong’s energetic display was the way he linked so effectively with his outfield club-mates – Scott Brown, Kieran Tierney, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths.

I was therefore very surprised to hear that another Celtic player, Callum McGregor, had been overlooked when the squad was announced last Monday.

As good as Armstrong has been, and he has had an excellent season, McGregor has been even BETTER over the last few weeks.

Brendan Rodgers went out of his way to describe the 23-year-old as “technically and tactically brilliant” following the Scottish Cup semi-final win against Rangers last month, and I agree with him.

Gordon Strachan defended his decision to omit McGregor by emphasising how spoiled for choice he is when it comes to midfielders, and he has a point.

It is undermined, though, by his inclusion of Aberdeen’s Kenny McLean, whose career is at a comparable stage to that of the Celt.

Don’t get me wrong, Kenny is a fine young player. Like McGinn, who he used to play alongside at St Mirren, he is the type we should be looking towards for the future.

For right now, though, surely wouldn’t it make more sense to select another part of a club side who have been sweeping all before them on the domestic scene.

We can’t be sure how McLean will play alongside Brown and Armstrong, both of whom look near nailed on to start against the English. He might be fine, he might not be.

Without doubt, though, we know teaming up three of the Celtic midfield – possibly four if he goes for Forrest too – would give you a unit with the potential to add up to more than the sum of its parts, just what we have to be looking for.

Ironically, England’s insistence on going with current form has, I would contend, given us a boost, with Wayne Rooney omitted by Southgate.

At 31 years old – the same age as Scott Brown – he is their record all-time scorer with 53 goals and has made well over a century of appearances for his country.

For a man with that sort of top- level experience to be overlooked is little short of staggering.

We can only hope it is a decision Southgate ends up repenting at his leisure!