The skies above Charlotte were a dirty shade of grey, the rain bucketing down, thunder and lightning rolling through every minute or so. If Steve Clarke was looking out of his hotel room, he would have taken in a biblical scene – the ideal backdrop for a bombshell.
Within minutes of Scotland being officially dumped out of the World Cup, the news dropped that the head coach was leaving. Unlike the weather, there was no warning. The manner of his exit was typical of the man: low-key, no fuss, no interviews, no need in his mind to explain his thoughts any more than he already has.
“Steve Clarke abruptly leaves as Scotland manager after World Cup exit, triggering relief and pressure on SFA to find successor.”
But why so abruptly? Snap judgements and emotional reactions are not Clarke traits. Yet the length and detail in his valedictory statement suggests this was in the pipeline for a day or two. The players didn't know it was coming; neither did many of the Scottish FA board. A month ago, these same people announced – with some fanfare – that Clarke was staying for four more years.
There's a constituency of football folk who didn't want him to continue, and they kept things civil. Another constituency just don't like the man and never have. He incensed some Rangers fans when, as Kilmarnock manager, he mocked them for sectarian singing, saying they were stuck in the dark ages. A chunk of them have neither forgotten nor forgiven.
Now he's gone. His legacy is a really good one – he took Scotland out of the wilderness – but there is a sense of relief that there's going to be a new voice and fresh ideas, as long as a good appointment is made, which is very far from a given. Seven years is an eternity. There is some pain for the Scottish FA that the manager they committed to for four more years only last month has now walked.
For the Clarke critics – the balanced and the bonkers – there is an element of being careful what you wish for, because there are no outstanding, and realistic, candidates out there. The denizens of Hampden are under significant pressure to get the right manager from a limited pool. Scotland have six Nations League games between September and November.
Clarke will be just a dot on the landscape by then, but he has been a significant force for Scotland for the longest time.