Leigh: I’m not a certain starter for Scotland
Markmywords we must win or it’s all over
MARK McGHEE admits Scotland’s World Cup dream will be over if they slip up just once in the Group F run-in.
Gordon Strachan’s No.2 believes the Scots must end their qualifying campaign with four straight wins if they are to have any hope of reaching Russia.
Scotland sit fourth in the group and McGhee knows only a perfect finish will give them a chance of sneaking past rivals Slovakia and Slovenia to clinch second spot behind unbeaten leaders England.
The first test comes tomorrow against Lithuania in Vilnius and McGhee said: “We can’t afford any more mistakes. That is the position we’re in.
“I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Oh, if they slip up and we do this or that we might have a chance’.
“We have to assume we have to win all four games so we’ll roll our sleeves up starting on Friday night.”
But while Strachan’s men face an uphill struggle to climb back on to the kind of major stage they have not graced since 1998 McGhee reckons the fixture list does provide them with scope to build up momentum.
After tomorrow’s showdown with a team bossed by former Hearts frontman Edgaras Jankauskas the Scots then welcome Malta to Hampden on Monday.
McGhee hopes they can take maximum points from those two clashes and set up a dramatic section finale with Slovakia due in Glasgow on October 5 before a potentially decisive From Back Page Hampden in June during a thrilling 2-2 draw in the World Cup qualifiers.
The 27-year-old now looks set to lead the line in Vilnius tomorrow when Scotland face Lithuania in a must-win clash.
But Griffiths said: “In international games you can’t take anything for granted.
“I scored two goals against England but that’s gone now.
“Everybody was on a high trip to Slovenia three days later.
The former Motherwell boss said: “When I was a club manager I always said that the fixtures can affect your season.
“I remember my first season back at Motherwell and I had the players in training on a Sunday before certain matches.
“If you win games the players will believe that’s the right thing to do.
“We were fortunate that while teams like Hibs were playing Celtic, Rangers and Hearts we had all the teams we felt we should be beating like Gretna, Inverness and St Mirren.
“We had a run where we racked up something like 13 points from 15.
“We probably weren’t playing any better than Hibs but we didn’t have to face the opposition they were.
“What it did do though was give us a huge leg up and real belief.
“So it can be the same here and we have got to believe we can roll up the confidence.
“To have what on paper looks like the less difficult games at the end of the campaign is the right order.
“There is no doubt if we win these two games this weekend we will take some beating in the last couple.” after it, especially myself. But this is a new game now.
“If the manager decides to go down a different route I will be on the bench ready to come on.”
Scotland No.2 Mark McGhee believes Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers has worked wonders with Griffiths.
McGhee said: “Against England Leigh looked like a player who had gone up another level. Whatever Brendan is doing with him he has improved his game.” COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTL