Jose Mourinho ‘loves’ Scotland and will be roaring them on tonight – with one eye on England – as they bid to make history at Euro 2020.
The Scots will qualify for the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time ever if they beat Croatia at Hampden Park.
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And the former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham boss will be getting behind the country he adores tonight, thanks to his connection with Clarke, Scott McTominay and others.
“I love the country and I love their mentality,” Mourinho told the talkSPORT Breakfast.
“I think every one of my friends in Scotland knows I am with them. A part of that, Steve [Clarke] is a friend and I know the responsibility that a national team manager feels in these moments.
“McTominay is one of these boys that always stays with me because they start with you and then you have this special feeling.
“So, I would love to see Scotland make history and go through. I believe what they brought a Wembley will help them. The mentality, that emotion, that empathy will help them.
“I believe it’s going to be a big match and to be honest it’s the one I am going to watch live with one eye on England and another eye on the other side.
“England, I believe, I have to watch because of the work I’m going to do with talkSPORT but, to be honest, I am much more comfortable with England winning the match and finishing top of the group. I don’t have many doubts about that.
“Scotland vs Croatia – wow. It’s a big game.”
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Mourinho admits it is a ‘huge blow’ for Scotland losing Billy Gilmour for their Group D decider after his man-of-the-match display against England, and feels they need two Scott McTominays in their side.
But Mourinho believes they can still beat their opponents thanks to their team spirit, no matter who comes in for Gilmour in midfield.
“The kid Gilmour not playing is a huge, huge, huge blow because he was responsible for the quality of their possession and the quality of their building up,” he said.
“It was clear with him in the second match it was totally different to the first so I think it’s a big blow for Scotland.”
Asked where Man United midfielder McTominay should play after the Gilmour blow, he replied: “That’s the problem with some countries that others don’t have but Scotland has it.
“Two Scott McTominays would be good. One to play centre-back, one to play midfield.
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“I think when he plays at centre-back he gives the possibility for [Grant] Hanley to play central and Hanley there is much more comfortable because he’s not super fast to deal with spaces on the right side where he played the first game.
“I think Scott there gives speed, gives balance, gives a way out under pressure. He can play, he can integrate with the midfield from behind so I think that option works so well at Wembley.
“In midfield there is only one Gilmour in that team. There is not another one. I probably imagine that Scott plays there but if he plays centre-back you can bring Armstrong into midfield.
“He is not a number six but you can drop McGinn to be more in position. I don’t know. Steve knows better than me.
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“I believe their mentality and their emotion will make half of the job, which is to try and beat a very good team. Don’t get me wrong, [Croatia] are not playing amazing but they are a good team full of experience with a very strong midfield.
“When you see what England did against them. They did very well by having Phillips and Rice both in midfield trying to be very strong and very compact.
“Scotland can do it with the kind of midfield players they have. They can try to dominate or at least not let Modric, Kovacic, Brozovic feel comfortable enough to take the game in their hands.”
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