How previous Scotland managers have fared in their opening matches

Steve Clarke takes charge of Scotland for the first time when Cyprus visit Hampden on Saturday.

Scotland are in desperate need of victory in the Euro 2020 qualifier after losing their opener in Kazakhstan.

Here are five other notable managerial debuts from the history of the Scotland national team.

Bobby Brown

Brown was Scotland’s first full-time manager – teams were previously picked by a Scottish Football Association committee – and he began his reign in spectacular fashion with a 3-2 victory over World Cup winners England at Wembley in 1967. Scotland crowned themselves unofficial world champions after goals from Denis Law, Bobby Lennox and Jim McCalliog ended a 19-game unbeaten run for the hosts.

Willie Ormond

Like Brown before him, Ormond left his job as St Johnstone boss to lead his country after Tommy Docherty moved to Manchester United. But their starts could not have been more different with Ormond overseeing a 5-0 home defeat by England in a match to mark the SFA’s centenary. The Hampden pitch was sprinkled with snow and the Valentine’s Day match proved more of a centenary celebration for Bobby Moore, who won his 100th cap. Ormond lost his first six games in charge, including another defeat by England, but victory over Czechoslovakia in his seventh match sealed a World Cup place.

Craig Brown

Brown initially stepped up from his role as number two to Andy Roxburgh on a caretaker basis and suffered defeat to Italy before being offered the job on a permanent basis just before a World Cup qualifier in Malta in November 1993. The players were told in the dressing room before the game and went out and won 2-0 thanks to goals from Billy McKinlay and Colin Hendry, although Scotland’s qualification hopes had already ended.

Berti Vogts

The first foreign manager to lead Scotland suffered a 5-0 friendly defeat in France in his first game. The former Germany manager handed debuts to Gary Caldwell, Stephen Crainey and Steven Thompson in March 2002 as the world champions ripped Scotland apart. Zinedine Zidane, David Trezeguet (twice), Thierry Henry and Steve Marlet got the goals in Paris.

Alex McLeish

Clarke’s appointment came on the back of McLeish’s sacking but the former Rangers manager enjoyed a happier first spell in charge, which started with a 2-1 win over Georgia in March 2007. Walter Smith had left Scotland joint-top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group and Craig Beattie kept up the momentum with a last-gasp winner after Shota Arveladze had cancelled out Kris Boyd’s opener.