Seb Pocognoli’s November Scotland Men’s National Team (SMNT) squad will be announced tomorrow. Following our article on CBs, in the 4th of our series of pre-squad announcement articles, we explore Scotland midfield players to assess who is likeliest for a call-up.
Published stats are as per date of article publication. Stats in linked sources change with passage of time.
Ryan Christie
| Age | 31 (22.02.1995) |
| Club | Bournemouth |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 74 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | Yes |
13 September update
Christie started the season with a one league game suspension carried over for a straight red at the end of last season. Otherwise he has 27 mins to his name from 3 league games. He played the full League Cup 4-0 home win against Lincoln City in which he bagged a hat-trick.
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Testimony that Christie is currently among Scotland midfield players currently in good form is that he is rated at between 7.0 & 7.9 by FotMob & Flashscore in all of the 5 most recent Bournemouth games. Bournemouth are currently 7th in the EPL.
Lewis Ferguson
| Age | 27 (24.08.1999) |
| Club | Bologna |
| Club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.4 (4th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 31 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | Yes |
13 September update
Ferguson was easily Scotland’s best player at the World Cup & has been so over the last year. It has been a difficult start to the season for Bologna under new boss, Domenico Tedesco, with only one point from 3 Serie A games so far. Ferguson though has put in good performances that have been a bright light for them. Bologna, unlike last season, have no UEFA competition this season. Ferguson thus has been central to their Serie A performances, unlike last year when Vincenzo Italiano rotated him in the team, favouring playing him in European games.
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FotMob currently rate Ferguson at 7.2. His side are now up to 8th in Serie A thanks to straight wins in their 3 most recent games, including a 4-2 win at Milan. The Scotland midfield player remains Bologna’s captain.
Billy Gilmour
| Age | 25 (11.06.2001) |
| Current club | Napoli |
| Current club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.4 (4th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 50 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | Yes |
13 September update
Gilmour continues to be a squad player at Napoli. The Champions League 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal 4 days ago is the 1st game since March in which he has played 90 mins, & only the 3rd time this year. His 2 month knee injury over the Summer & 3 month groin injury last season are a cause for concern looking forward. Observers note Gilmour’s ability to retain possession and link play.
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Gilmour in the last international break joined the SMNT 50 cap club. Among many talking points from that international break was that Gilmour was statistically Scotland’s best player overall in those first 4 games of the Pocognoli era. That was helped by the license he was given to push forward in the Scotland midfield.
While not out on the fringes of the Napoli squad, neither is he a stuck on starter. E.g., Gilmour has played in 9 of Napoli’s 13 games this season. He hasn’t completed 90 mins in any of the 5 Napoli games he has played in since the last international break. Further since the last international break, he was unused twice from the Napoli bench.
However, Stanislav Lobotka was stretchered off in the 4-1 away defeat of Monza 5 days ago & is projected to be out for 5 – 7 weeks with an ankle injury. Also, Kevin De Bruyne subbed off with an ankle sprain (replaced by Gilmour), when Napoli lost 2-0 yesterday at Juventus. Tests today will confirm the injury severity & projected recovery time. These injuries open at least one & possibly a 2nd space in the Napoli MF for Gilmour.
Hayden Hackney
| Age | 24 (26.06.2002) |
| Club | Everton |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
Since his summer transfer from Middlesbrough, Davie Moyes has used Hackney only sparingly, giving him just 137 minutes of EPL football. He most recently played international age group football for England subsequent to his 2 games for Scotland U21s. As per our analysis of the best multi-eligibility players in Pocognoli’s sights, Hayden Hackney would be a great addition to the Scotland squad if he were to switch back his allegiance.
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Hackney is a squad player for Everton, usually subbing on from the bench. However, last week he delivered his best Everton performance so far, providing a goal & an assist in the 2-1 League Cup home win v Newcastle. However, that is currently moot from a Scotland perspective. Specifically, there is no indication he is switching allegiance to join the ranks in the Scotland midfield.
Jordan Holsgrove
| Age | 27 (10.09.1999) |
| Current club | Estoril |
| Current club division | Portuguese 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 81.2 (9th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
Edinburgh-born Holsgrove had a good season at Ian Cathro-managed Estoril last season. In that season, Holsgrove peaked when named player of the week in Portugal’s game week 11.
Holsgrove missed the first 3 games of this season through injury. In the 2 games since, new boss, Vasco Matos, subbed Holsgrove on for 45 mins in the 2-1 loss at Benfica. Holsgrove then played 87 mins last weekend in the 0-0 at home versus Arouca. Holsgrove has attracted plaudits as a talented footballer playing in a division that is highly rated. His start stop to this season though makes it very unlikely that even with a new boss in charge, that Holsgrove is announced in the Scotland squad next week.
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On Friday Graeme McGarry published an interview in which Holsgrove stated:
“I spoke to Robert Doherty [the Scottish FA’s Head of Talent ID] just before the first international break just to catch up and see how things were. With the change in manager and how things are going, he said things are changing and they have got things going on.“
“The message was pretty much to keep going and keep doing my thing. I had that conversation with him and caught up with him, which was nice.“
“It is something I would love to experience, to have that call-up for Scotland. At the end of the day, I am just doing whatever I can on the pitch myself and hopefully the head coach can see that too.“
Hence, there has since been speculation in some quarters that Pocognoli will call-up the left-footed Holsgrove tomorrow. Holsgrove also revealed in that interview that as well as his connection with Edinburgh, he has strong family ties in Bishopbriggs via his half-brother.
Marc Leonard
| Age | 24 (19.12.2001) |
| Current club | Birmingham City |
| Current club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.6 (10th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
Leonard was widely praised for his performances on loan at Hearts in the 2nd half of last season. However, his late-season Achilles rupture is expected to keep him out of action until January. He thus won’t be in the Scotland squad announced on Tuesday.
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No change.
John McGinn
| Age | 32 (18.10.1994) |
| Club | Aston Villa |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 93 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | Yes |
13 September update
After the euphoria of last season’s Europa League win, this season has been down with a bang for Villa so far; 1 point from 4 EPL games. Only pointless Coventry are currently below Villa at the bottom of the division.
McGinn, though, broke his sequence of 3 poorly rated individual performances when winning 3-2 at Brugge in midweek in the Champions League. He scored the opener in a performance rated by at least one algorithm as the best of the match. McGinn, like Andy Robertson, is closing down on 100 caps. Barring injury, his omission from the Scotland squad on Tuesday is unthinkable.
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93 cap McGinn surpassed Jim Leighton in the last international break to now be 3rd in the all-time SMNT appearances list. Another player in good club form, FotMob currently rate him at 7.02. Similarly, Flashscore rate him at least 7.0 in 6 of the 7 Villa games since the last international break. Further, Flashscore rate him at 8.0 or higher in 2 of those 7 games that include thumping Fenerbahçe 6-0 and defeating Manchester City 2-1. McGinn has been on the losing side only once in those 7 games, with Villa now 9th after poor early season league form.
Kenny McLean
| Age | 34 (08.01.1992) |
| Club | Norwich City |
| Club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.6 (10th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 61 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
The Norwich captain continues to churn out consistent performances for his club. While it is early in the season, Flashscore have him on track to attain a seasonal rating of 7.0 or better for the 5th time in 7 seasons. Part of Pocognoli’s brief though is to bring through new talent. 34-year-old McLean at the World Cup, may well have been in a Scotland squad for the last time. 61 caps is an excellent tally for anyone. 3 strikes made him an infrequent SMNT goalscorer. However, his last-minute winner in Oslo & especially his halfway-line worldie against Denmark, will always be remembered fondly by those in the Tartan Army who saw them.
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Injured McLean dropped out of Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad. McLean attempted his comeback 9 days ago, subbing on at HT in the 3-1 win at Charlton Athletic. However, McLean was subsequently reported as experiencing further discomfort with the same troublesome ankle. Then, McLean missed the 3-2 home win v Watford on Saturday. He thus looks very doubtful for an international recall tomorrow.
Scott McTominay
| Age | 29 (08.12.1996) |
| Current club | Napoli |
| Club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.4 (4th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 73 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
So much running & so much effort from McTominay at the World Cup, yet so little to ultimately show for it.
McTominay underwent a pulsed field ablation (PFA), on 8 September in Manchester for a mild benign arrhythmia. PFA is described as a minimally invasive technique used to treat heart arrhythmia. He won’t though be in the Scotland squad that Pocognoli announces on Tuesday. All being well, McTominay will be available for the 2-game international break in November.
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McTominay returned to action for Napoli immediately after the last international break, following the heart procedure described in the previous paragraph. In his 7 Napoli games since the international break he has scored 4 goals; 2 in a 4-3 win v Bodø/Glimt & 2 in a 3-3 draw with Roma. FotMob currently rate him at 7.01.
Kristi Montgomery
| Age | 22 (31.05.2004) |
| Club | Blackburn Rovers |
| Club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.6 (10th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
This is Kristi Montgomery’s first mention on this website. Born in Leeds to a mum from Edinburgh, he is a product of the Blackburn Rovers youth setup. He played in 21 league games last season for Rovers, developing nicely so that this season he has started all 7 Blackburn league games so far. He scored his first senior goal in midweek, a tremendous effort in the 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United. However, like others in this list, he has a challenge with midfield being the toughest part of the Scotland squad to break into, due to the standard of other MF players available.
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Montgomery was Pocognoli’s late call-up to the last squad to replace injured Kenny McLean in the Scotland midfield. However, Montgomery was unused from the bench in all 4 of those games.
He is another player whose stats indicate good form. E.g., FotMob currently rate him at 7.24. The highlight of his form since the previous update is another example of his determined pressing. Specifically, 2 weeks ago v West Bromwich Albion, he harassed a first & then a 2nd opponent forcing the ball to break free. However, unlike Montgomery’s wonder goal against Sheffield United mentioned above, this time the loose ball was curled from outside into the far corner by Andri Guðjohnsen. Worryingly for Blackburn fans, they gave up a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 in that game.
Lennon Miller
| Age | 20 (25.08.2006) |
| Current club | Udinese |
| Current club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.4 (4th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 4 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | Yes |
13 September update
Miller is by no means a first team regular at Udinese. He does though accrue minutes. In 5 Udinese league & cup games this season, Miller has subbed on in 4 of those with the 2-1 home Coppa win against Venezia 11 days ago being his only 90 mins game so far this season. Many were surprised when he was omitted from the World Cup Scotland squad. Let’s see if the new boss recalls Miller next week.
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Miller as a squad player this season has delivered far from convincing stats for Udinese, e.g. FotMob currently rate him 6.2. He was though at least given a rare 90 min run out at the weekend in the 5-2 home defeat to high-flying Roma, currently 3rd in Serie A.
Like Montgomery, Miller was unused from the bench in all 4 games in the last international break. Also, with only 2 games in the forthcoming break, Pocognoli could potentially name a smaller squad than the 28 players he named in September. Miller’s Scotland midfield squad place has been suggested in some circles as thus being under threat.
Josh Mulligan
| Age | 23 (12.11.2002) |
| Current club | Hibernian |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 75.3 (43rd globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
A January ankle injury subsequently ruled Mulligan out for all but the last 2 games of a season in which he had impressed until then. Good performances in recent games against Gent, Dundee & Hearts suggest he is starting to find form again. It seems a stretch though to think he has done enough to merit Tuesday being his first full Scotland squad call-up.
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Mulligan is another player currently producing unconvincing stats in what has largely been a difficult season so far for bottom of the table Hibs. However, the League Cup in contrast has been a bright spot for them this season. Further, Mulligan played his part yesterday in the semi-final, 2-1 derby win v Hearts in that competition.
Elliot Watt
| Age | 26 (11.03.2000) |
| Current club | Samsunspor |
| Current club division | Turkish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 78.8 (19th globally) |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| In most recent SMNT squad? | No |
13 September update
A stop-start career in Türkiye so far for the ex-Motherwell midfielder. After serving a one match suspension in his first game in Türkiye, he then played against Samsunspor & Fenerbahçe. However, he hasn’t made the matchday squad in the 2 games since then. Similarly, he isn’t expected in Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad next week.
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In contrast to the excitement of his PFA Team of the Season performances with then high flying Motherwell, Watt this season is in a relegation battle. And that battle isn’t going well. 10 games into the campaign they have only one win & one draw to show for their efforts, in 17th place in an 18-team division.
Despite that, Watt has been playing reasonably well. His current 6.93 FotMob rating is 3rd highest of anyone in the Samsunspor squad. However, with the Scotland midfield widely considered the strongest department of the squad, it remains to be seen if Watt can force his way into the squad.
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