Clarke’s preferred formation is usually some variation of a five-back formation. However, Scotland lined up with a back four against the Poles.

With no Kieran Tierney, Aaron Hickey or Nathan Patterson in the squad through injury, can we expect that to be the case again in Portugal?

Former Scotland manager Craig Levein: “I’m not 100% sure. We tried to crowbar [Andy] Robertson and [Kieran] Tierney onto the same side. I thought we had found a solution by playing a back five with one at left wing-back and one at left centre-back.

“However, Tierney isn’t available, so I’m not sure. The five gives us a wee bit more safety, but if you play a five, your wing backs have to be adventurous. If they’re not, then progress up the pitch is limited.”

Former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton: “I don’t think the personnel lends itself to a back five. I don’t think we’ve got a right-sided wing back.

“It’s not Anthony Ralston’s position. He needs to be deeper when receiving the ball.

“Max Johnston could be a wing-back, but he has not enough minutes played this season. Would it be reckless to start him?

“When you don’t have Aaron Hickey or Nathan Patterson, it’s a real struggle to go with a back five.”

Former Scotland centre-half Willie Miller: “It would be the three centre backs for me after watching us play with two on Thursday.

“I’m not sure about the personnel, or the formation, but you’ve got much more responsibility if it’s only the two of you.

“Another centre-back contracts the space that the opposition can expose and you need to do that at the top level. I would ask Grant Hanley to play in the middle, with Scott McKenna on one side and either John Souttar or Ryan Porteous on the other side.”

What pleased Wright most was his players’ application throughout the contest.

While Ben Futcher’s side enjoyed the majority of possession and opportunities, Pierce Charles was largely comfortable in the Northern Ireland goal and England created no gilt-edged openings. When NI used their high press aggressively, they forced England into mistakes and were a threat on the break.

“We want to try and develop a culture where Northern Ireland don’t just get 10 men behind the ball,” said Wright.

“At times we had to do that, but we don’t want to do it for 90 minutes because it normally ends up with the same result, a 1-0 defeat. Yes, they penetrated, yes, they had chances, but I wouldn’t say they had a glaring miss or anything.

“Pierce made good saves, maybe one exceptional save, we put bodies on the line and in the end with England pressing forward we knew we could hit them on the counter attack which we nearly did.

“Now going forward, can we have more possession? Can we do better when we win the ball back?”

Thirty years on from reaching the World Cup semi-finals with a team spearheaded by Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian football has fallen on hard times of late.

While it was not so long ago that they could call on the likes of Dimitar Berbatov – the former Manchester United and Tottenham striker played his youth football at Feeney’s old side Pirin – Martin and Stylian Petrov, Illian Illiev’s current squad does not possess the star power of old.

After Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Belarus, their only win in their last 16 games came against Tanzania and they finished bottom of their group in qualifying for Euro 2024.

Feeney, though, warns against underestimating their ability.

“When they finished fourthth at in the World Cup, they had some of the world’s greatest players at that time, [Hristo] Stoichkov, [Yordan] Letchkov. A lot of their players were out of the country, playing in Germany and Italy.

“But you just have to look at the [domestic] football as well. Remember Ludogorets, who are one of the top teams out there, beat Crusaders 9-0 [on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers of 2018].

“It is a big football country with very good players. You can’t underestimate Bulgarian football. It can be a lot slower, but they’re technically very, very good players.

“In my team I had players who had been playing for Aston Villa, Fulham, Dynamo Moscow, PSV. Top, top players.”

Chelsea’s co-owners are looking to buy each out amid a rift at board level.

Chairman Todd Boehly and majority owners Clearlake Capital are both prepared to take full control of the club.

Boehly has gradually lost power despite being named co-controlling owner after the club’s purchase from Roman Abramovich for £2.5bn in July 2022, with Clearlake – which owns a 61.5% stake – in primary control at Stamford Bridge.

Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali has become the most hands-on figure within the ownership group since Boehly stepped down as interim sporting director in January 2023.

Multiple figures in the senior hierarchy now recognise there is a rift between two main blocs – Clearlake and the group allied to Boehly, including billionaire partners Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter, which owns the other 38.5% of the club.

Any rift has previously been denied by sources at the club.

Clearlake does not want to sell any of its stake in the club and is open to expanding it.

But Boehly also wants to buy out that stake and is keen to see the situation resolved quickly.

The two parties have matching rights and blocking options, should third parties come to the table.

The issue has been kept from most involved in the sporting side of the club, but some senior figures believe work on revamping or moving stadium has slowed due to the situation.

As part of a written agreement, the chairman will change every five years, which is due to see Boehly step down in 2027.

Clearlake would need to approve any sale of Boehly’s shares to a third party.

Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea have spent over £1bn on new signings and were criticised for hoarding players during the summer transfer window, with 42 senior players on the books at one point, although that number was cut to 36.

Current manager Enzo Maresca was hired from Leicester in July to replace Mauricio Pochettino, who left Stamford Bridge after only one season in charge.

Pochettino, who departed by mutual consent, was the latest boss to leave under the new owners, who had previously sacked Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes has apologised to Aberdeen following his early season absence and says he “will work hard every day to try and help the team”.

The winger, 24, has not featured so far this season and the club took disciplinary action against the Cape Verde international when he did not report for training in July.

Aberdeen have confirmed Duk, who is out of contract next summer, is back in first team training “after a period of absence”.

And Duk said: “I would like to sincerely apologise to everyone associated with Aberdeen for my absence over the last period.

“I deeply regret being away. I am grateful to the club, the manager, my team-mates and supporters for giving me a chance. I will work hard every day to try and help the team.”

Chief executive Alan Burrows said Duk had recognised “his behaviour was not what we would expect from any Aberdeen player”.

And manager Jimmy Thelin, who took over during the summer, commented: “Duk has demonstrated his contrition over this situation and understands his behaviour falls well below the standards we expect here so it is our job now to work with him in training and get him ready to compete for a place in the squad again.”

Wales defender Neco Williams says they want to “dominate games” after drawing 0-0 with Turkey in new boss Craig Bellamy’s first game in charge.

The Premier League defender says it is just the beginning of a positive new chapter for Welsh football under Bellamy’s guidance.

Wales will be looking to build on their performance when they face Montenegro in the Nations League on Monday.

READ MORE: Urgency, energy and detail – Bellamy’s new beginnings excite Wales

At Euro 2024, every one of England’s starting XI throughout the tournament sang God Save the King.

However, this has not always been the case.

In 2022, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold was criticised by some for failing to sing the national anthem before a Nations League defeat by Hungary in Budapest.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney often did not sing the national anthem, particularly before he was given the armband.

The Football Association backed Rooney’s decision.

“Whether a player wishes to sing the national anthem or not is purely a personal choice,” an FA spokesperson said in 2012.

But former Manchester United captain Gary Neville says he chose not to sing the national anthem because he was told he “must” sing it by former FA chairman Geoff Thompson in 1995. , external

“I didn’t sing it the first time I played for England,” said Neville.

“Partly because I thought, I’m serious about my work and I’m not singing before a game.

“He [Thompson] only ever sought out one conversation with me.

“Did he want to pick my brains on World Cup preparation? Or ask how the FA could help behind the scenes? No, Mr Thompson wanted to know why I didn’t sing the National Anthem.

“I’m not being told by some suits what to do.”

Legendary former Liverpool captain Ron Yeats has died at the age of 86.

The ex-Scotland defender was part of the Liverpool side that won the Second Division title in 1962, before going on to win two top-flight titles, the FA Cup and the Charity Shield three times.

He played 454 games before joining Tranmere in 1971.

More than 400 of those appearances were as captain, a tally bettered only by Steven Gerrard.