Scotland address Brazil approach and striker solution that would get Steve Clarke 'slaughtered'

Aware that anything other than a multi-goal defeat in Miami next week should see the Scots through, the assistant manager knows some predict Steve Clarke will take the ultra-cautious route.

Displeasure over the lack of scoring opportunities created against Haiti and Morocco means many fans are calling for Scotland to be bolder against Brazil. These critics cite Haiti’s seven shots, three of which were on target, against the South Americans. Nevertheless, the Caribbean side slipped to a three-goal defeat, with all three goals coming in the first half. A similar outcome for Scotland would leave them potentially teetering on the edge of elimination.

Although they failed to register a single shot on target against Morocco — for the first time in a World Cup match since a 1-0 defeat against Denmark in 1986 — Scotland remain in a good position to qualify for the knockout stage as it stands.

“We probably need to play more forward passes,” said Naismith. “We’re as good as a lot of teams when we play forward, when we get bodies forward. But that doesn’t mean we just go gung-ho. There has to be a game plan – though that doesn’t mean we’re sitting around our own 18-yard box for 90 minutes either. You can’t go full-on press from minute one because, taking in the conditions and the opposition, it would be impossible.

“What matters is that in moments of the game when we feel like we’re dominating, we need to take risks and be brave. There will also be hard moments when we need to sit in our shape and wait.”

Scott McKenna has returned to training while Aaron Hickey, who sat out the defeat against Morocco, is “getting better by the day”. Lewis Ferguson, meanwhile, was allowed to miss training on Sunday after two hard-running performances in the middle of midfield.

Naismith dismissed one mooted solution to Scotland’s goalscoring problem: playing Scott McTominay as a striker. “I think if he (Clarke) played him at centre-forward he’d get slaughtered by half the country!” he said. “I’m not sure Scotty’s ever played there for Napoli, but I think he’s a real threat from where he is. The later the game went on against Morocco you could see him picking up spaces in midfield and when he does that he’s unplayable at times.”

Asked if a game like the one against Brazil would inspire McTominay to greater levels than he has shown so far this tournament, Naismith hoped that applied to everyone.

“I think that’s the case for any player,” he said. “Any player who starts has to see the opportunity within that game. We knew we’re playing against match-winners, but when we have possession we have to cause them problems – and I think we can, that we have the players to do it.

“But I’m not really thinking that we have just one of two who can come to the fore, we have defenders who maybe don’t get the same credit as the forwards – Jack Hendry and Angus Gunn have had brilliant tournaments – but I’m sure there will also be a few in the squad who love getting the headlines and who want to make them against Brazil.”

The yellow shirt of the South Americans has its own aura and can sometimes lead to crippling self-doubt in opposition players. Naismith doubted this was still the case because so many in the Brazil squad are based at European clubs and are now such familiar faces.

"These days, so many of the players are coming up against these types of players or are team-mates with them that they’re used to them,” he said. “I don’t think Brazil will spook our players at all.”