McLean should start against Brazil - Scott Allan

Former Celtic and Heerenveen midfielder Scott Allan says Kenny McLean should start alongside Lewis Ferguson in Scotland's World Cup match against Brazil, which is considered crucial in deciding the team's fate in Group C.

Allan added that McClean performed well with his passing when he came on as a substitute in Scotland's 1-0 loss to Morocco. He pointed out that controlling the ball in midfield will be vital in light of the intense heat in Miami.

“If we can't keep the ball for certain periods of the game, it will have a big impact,” Allan told the BBC Scottish Football podcast.

Allan made it clear that he believes McLean should be a regular part of the line-up, saying: "For me, Kenny McLean should start alongside Lewis Ferguson. Ferguson has been an outstanding player, especially defending the ball during this tournament, showing great energy levels and winning second balls."

Additionally, Allan noted that McLean adds "that little bit of calm." Allan, who correctly predicted Kieran Tierney's start in the match against Morocco, expected coach Steve Clarke to stick to a defensive formation made up of four defenders instead of returning to five. He considered that this was effective "except in 70 seconds" when Morocco scored the winning goal.

“I would like us to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation, then move to a 4-5-1 – flooding the midfield,” Allan said, noting the importance of pressuring Casemiro, the Manchester United player who was careless in keeping the ball under pressure from Morocco.

Allan also expressed his desire to see Lawrence Shankland play up front, but added: "I think he might prefer Lyndon Dix because of his strong presence, he is the best at passing the ball to John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Ben Gannon-Dock."

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