If we are being honest, the Clarke era got off to a shaky start.
It took an Oliver Burke goal in the 89th minute in front of only 30,000 fans at Hampden to see off Cyprus in a tense European qualifier.
Despite the passing of six years, a glance at that line up still shows some familiarity to the current squad.
Scott McKenna, Andy Robertson, Kenny McLean and John McGinn all started. A fresh-faced 22-year-old Scott McTominay had to settle for a spot on the bench.
According to Transfermarkt, Clarke’s starting XI had a squad value of £70m, with a bench of £40m. Fast forward to now, the team which started against Greece in March had an purported value of £130m, with the substitutes totting up to £60m.
What does these estimates indicate? Simply, the quality of player at the former Kilmarnock manager’s disposal has significantly approved during his time in office.
“The squad’s always evolved,” Clarke told Match of the Day’s Kelly Cates.
“If I look at my very first squad, I think I’ve got six or seven players, maybe eight, that are still involved in the international scene.
“So, there has been an evolution of the squad even going into the last set of matches this summer, I tried to introduce a few more younger players because you try to get depth within your squad.
“Is this the best squad that we’ve had? We’ll find out when we get to the games.”
