Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Griffiths must lead Scots line
Here we go again. The excruciating, nerveracking, nail-biting quest for World Cup qualification.
It’s like going to see a horror movie on a first date – except we’ve been on this one countless times in the past.
There’s the initial foreboding warning: we know this isn’t going to be pretty and will be difficult to watch.
And despite our hopes – let’s face it, deep down we’re all romantics – it always ends in heartbreak.
But this is Gordon Strachan’s last chance to entice the country to fall in love with the endeavours of the national team at a time of civil apathy.
And despite the tide seemingly flowing against Strachan’s boys, there are positives. Albeit a few – but there are.
Step-up Mr Leigh Griffiths. He’s been outstanding for Celtic over the past 18 months and it is now time for him to be given a proper opportunity in a dark blue shirt – one he must take.
Griffiths isn’t just scoring goals; he’s scoring stunning goals.
His strike against Aberdeen at the weekend showed tremendous awareness to create yards of space by nutmegging the approaching Kenny McLean before lashing home an unstoppable strike from 20 yards.
If you were to stick Griffiths, Steven Fletcher, Chris Martin and Steven Naismith beside each other in a line-up, the large majority of Tartan Army fans would pick the Celtic star out as Strachan’s No 9.
Forty goals for the Hoops last season quickly followed by seven this term before the end of August – it’s a no-brainer.
Strachan recently bemoaned to the media that he was essentially waiting on a stork to drop Scotland’s next football wonderkid on his doorstep.
Well, he may arrived sooner than we all thought.
Nineteen-year-old Oliver Burke became Scotland’s most expensive footballer of all time at the weekend when Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig acquired his services for £13million.
The ex-Nottingham Forest winger has two cameo appearances for Scotland under his belt in friendlies against Denmark and Italy earlier this year.
And after a stellar start to the season with Forest and a record-breaking transfer, the youngster will be champing at the bit to get on the pitch for his country.
Could there be a more timely opportunity to let him off the leash than Malta away?
We’re talking about a team who are placed at 176 in the world rankings. Let him run riot.
Fans’favourite Robert Snodgrass is back in the picture, James Forrest is in good club form, Barrie McKay is one of Rangers’ most important players, Callum Paterson and Kieran Tierney are providing stern competition for the wing-back places... and Steven Whittaker hasn’t been called up!
Shaun Maloney and Ross McCormack may be absent – but let’s focus on the positives, eh?