Scottish Supporters Network
Hosted by Supporters Direct Scotland
Hosted by Supporters Direct Scotland
Date: 30th June 2020
Livingston striker Lyndon Dykes has a big decision to make when it come to picking which international side to play for, with both Australia and Scotland vying for his services.
Last week, Scotland boss Steve Clarke told the press that he had held ‘very positive’ talks with the Livi hitman regarding the prospect of playing for our national side.
The player himself has said that the decision that lies in front of him is a very tough one.
Dykes potential call-up has been received with a mixed response when it comes to Scotland supporters.
People have questioned whether or not he can make the step up and we’ve always been a tad protective of players that were born outside of our borders.
I think in all honesty the Tartan Army should and would welcome Lyndon Dykes with open arms if he chose to wear the Dark Blue.
Firstly he isn’t a player that’s made a name for himself in the lower leagues in England, who has a Scottish granny but who has never actually stepped foot north of the border.
Dykes’ family are Scottish, his wife is Scottish and his kids are Scottish. There’s definitely an emotional bond between himself and Scotland.
Plus this is the country that really gave him his big footballing break! He spent three years at Queen of the South and enjoyed a successful season last term with Livingston.
As a nation, Scotland in the main is a very welcoming one and I think the Tartan Army would support any player that gives there all for the jersey.
Now is Lyndon Dykes good enough for Scotland?
Well we haven’t got a huge amount of talented attackers to select from.
We’ll hopefully have a fully fit Leigh Griffiths to select once our next game come around. I don’t think we should give up on Oli McBurnie just yet, I honestly think strikers take between 15-20 games to get used to the international scene. Steven Naismith is getting on a bit and is injury prone but I wouldn’t discount him just yet and Lawrence Shankland has surprised me with his performances for Scotland thus far.
After that, we start to try and put square pegs in round holes. We like to shift wingers into central roles like Oliver Burke, Matt Phillips and Lewis Morgan. They never really workout in those roles in the long-term.
Some fans have been calling for Clarke to move Ryan Christie further forward and have him as a false nine. Are we really good enough to fully operate with a false nine? I’m not so sure. Plus is Christie up to the job? The best two false nines I have seen have been Roberto Firmino and Lionel Messi. They’re both forwards that already have that attacking instinct and are so dangerous that they will take centre-backs with them around the pitch. I am not sure a top class defence would be overly worried if Christie went deep, I don’t think they’d automatically fall into the trap of marking him and freeing up space.
Dykes would give Scotland a different option up top. He’s not scared to mix it up and battle it out with tough centre-backs. He runs all day and hassles defenders when they’re on the ball, much like Kenny Miller used to do. His performances against both Rangers and Celtic were well noted as he gave their defences a torrid time during spells.
Lyndon bagged twelve goals and created ten assists in thirty three games last season, helping Livi to an impressive fifth placed finish in the Scottish Premiership. His fine form has seen the forward now being linked with a move to clubs like Rangers and Cardiff City.
As for those that are worried about whether Lyndon Dykes is good enough for Scotland? Well we will only know for sure, if and when, he gets a chance. He won’t be selected on anything other than merit, just because he may choose us over Australia doesn’t mean he’ll become an automatic starter.
I think we have to wait and see if Dykes chooses to play for Scotland and then trust Steve Clarke’s judgement!
Posted in: Latest News
