Oli McBurnie’s return to the international fold may not have seen him break his duck, but his performances prove why he’s so valuable to Hull City and his new Scotland boss.
McBurnie started all four of the Tartan Army’s Nations League games, after being recalled by new boss Sebastien Pocognoli, five years on from his last international call-up, a spell which included being left out of this summer’s World Cup by Steve Clarke, despite bagging 19 goals for City on their way to the Premier League.
In those four games McBurnie was unable to get himself on the scoresheet, though he did claim an assist for Ryan Christie’s 31st-minute opener against Slovenia on Tuesday night, albeit McBurnie will know he should have scored himself. Across his 20 games for Scotland, McBurnie is yet to get off the mark in the 1,000 minutes he’s been on the pitch.
While the stats may not be in his favour, those who watch Scotland regularly will point to the fact that McBurnie is feeding off scraps, for the most part. Yes, he had a couple of good chances in the opening Nations League game against Slovenia in Ljubljana and should have buried at least one, but generally, Scotland are not giving him much to work with, and it’s perhaps unsurprising he’s snatching at the odd opportunity that may come his way.
Pocognoli himself has acknowledged McBurnie’s work rate, and while strikers are judged on goals, the 30-year-old has proven time and time again in his career that he can find the back of the net.
“Maybe I see it differently because I do not look to the past,” the Belgian explained. “For me, when he started, it was like bringing in a player with zero caps. In the first match against Slovenia, he had a great game. He should have scored once – he knows that – and against Switzerland it was difficult to judge because we went down to ten men so early in the game. But he produced something that the crowd appreciated.
“They saw that and they are now maybe more in love with each other. That was like scoring a goal for him. In Macedonia, he produced a lot of good action to be dangerous, and maybe he should have scored one if we gave him the cross, but that moment will arrive. I don’t make an issue out of it.
“And Oli fought like a lion alone on an island against Switzerland. That cost him a lot of energy. He did well in the first half against Macedonia but he also looked tired. So I substituted him and left Kieron (Bowie) in attack.”
Crucially, he’s got the backing from his international boss and will be desperate to get off the mark next month when Scotland host North Macedonia next month, by which point, he will have expected to open his account in the Premier League.
The City talisman may have gone five games without a goal in the top-flight for Sergej Jakirovic’s Tigers, but his influence on the way they operate cannot be underestimated, and he will be keen to get back into familiar surroundings in Cottingham to prepare for the visit of Everton this weekend.
Nobody will be more frustrated by the fact he’s yet to score for club or country than McBurnie, and he will be desperate to get off the mark this weekend, in whatever way that comes.
McBurnie is proven, his work-rate is second to none and at City, he knows he has the backing of his manager, his teammates and the supporters to continue what he’s been doing, and the goals will come.