Liverpool legends helped Big Jock.. Celts’ Euro stars can help get me to the World Cup
SAYS GORDON STRACHAN Watering pitch will help us all
JOCK STEIN relied on his Liverpool core of Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen – now Scotland manager Gordon Strachan is doing the same with Celtic stars.
Iconic former national boss Stein made good use of the Anfield legends’ European Cup-winning experience nearly four decades ago.
Strachan was part of the Scotland squad in those days, an era when Scots regularly played in the biggest games football had to offer.
It’s a different story now but he’s counting on Scott Brown, Leigh Griffiths, Kieran Tierney and Stuart Armstrong’s Champions League exploits with Celtic to help get our World Cup qualification bid back on track in Lithuania tonight.
Strachan said: “You have to use the experience of the players that are there, like the boys in the Celtic team.
“I am sure Stein used all the Liverpool boys’ experience in that way when they were winning things. I am no different.
“I look at Darren Fletcher, who unfortunately has had to pull out. He’s a fantastic example of what it means to be an international player.
“It makes me think of how I watched the likes of Dalglish when I came through with him. I watched everything he did.
“Obviously, I failed spectacularly to hit the heights he did but I watched and learned from him.
“International games test you in different ways. You have to be ready for anything that comes up.”
It’s a good thing Strachan is preparing his men to be ready for anything as the artificial surface in Vilnius has been the cause of some serious debate – even among the home players. The Scotland boss sought assurances from the Lithuanians that the pitch would be watered identically for training last night and for the warm-up tonight to kick-off time, having been caught out as Celtic manager with Spartak Moscow’s plotting 10 years ago.
He said: “After we did the warm-up, they went out and watered it an immense amount and our players were slipping all over the place for the first 20 minutes.”
The stadium in Vilnius is quaint. Empty behind one goal. One of the humbler arenas you’d expect to be facing a crunch qualifier.
The opposition is also basic. Limited. Yet the Lithuanians were good enough to get a point at Hampden and Scotland have failed in such situations before. Often. Strachan, though, has a more positive outlook to all of the hurdles placed in his path.
He said: “People keep saying that about Scotland but look around at all the nations, everybody has slip-ups everywhere.
“It’s not unique to us. If you go to England they’ll say the same thing about how they slip up against the wee teams. Wales will say the same. These days, pitches are so good. Or it goes to an astroturf where you’re not up to your neck in mud like we were in the old days. “That’s why you don’t get the shocks in the FA Cup now because the surfaces are a lot better. So, if you ask me whether I’d like to play out there or the pitch we had in Serbia, I’d prefer the one out there.” Strachan played and scored the last time the Scots were on a plastic pitch in Canada 34 years ago and he added: “That was not like a plastic pitch then. That was cement! It was completely different. “It was like playing on a snooker table, that’s how bad it was. Even that was too quick for carpet bowls. it was really hard.” If Strachan is feeling the pressure of the realisation that every game now could signal the end of the Road to Russia and possibly even his reign, it doesn’t show.
The Scotland manager has been encouraged by his found the answers against both Slovenia and England with their backs to the wall.
He said: “It doesn’t surprise me. It’s weird. You can look back on the England 3-0 game and think that technically that was a far better performance than the 2-2 game.
“They only had three headers at goal. They had more attempts in the 2-2 game. You never know what’s going to help. What helped us against England? It was Griff battering in two great free-kicks.
“I never planned that. I never sat him down and said: ‘By the way Griff, if we’re in trouble, could you knock two balls in the back of the net.’ It’s all about players.”
“Leigh is like that and the Celtic players as a whole are like that. Andy [Robertson] will probably be feeling like that after signing for Liverpool.
“There are one or two feeling good about themselves.” EDGARAS JANKAUSKAS has ordered a soaking of the artificial pitch in Vilnius to avoid injuries in tonight’s World Cup showdown.
The Lithuania boss is aware the surface for their clash against Scotland at the LFF Stadium is not ideal.
And Hibs star Vykintas Slivka confessed even the hosts “are not happy” with playing on the pitch.
Lithuanian chiefs were forced to switch their games from Kaunas and Jankauskas said: “We asked for the pitch to be watered to prevent injuries.
“If we ask for that it will benefit the game overall. If it is dry it can be dangerous.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a big choice. It’s different to Scotland. We didn’t have enough time to build another stadium!”
Jankauskas sees danger everywhere ahead of the tie and insisted Scotland are stronger than when they toiled to a 1-1 draw with the Lithuanians at Hampden 11 months ago.
James McArthur’s lastgasp leveller rescued Gordon Strachan’s team.
And Jankauskas added: “We analysed their last game against England and saw a strong Scotland. We saw their high pressing style, their dynamism and attacking ability.
“The result was good although they conceded a goal at the end. I rate Scotland highly and would not be surprised if they qualified from the group.” LAND... 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