STICK HAS FIRED UP MY BOYS
tonight get the chance to avenge that traumatic 2-1 defeat when they take on Israel again at Hampden, knowing victory will secure a pathway into the play-offs for Euro 2020.
The manager has endured a nightmarish few weeks since the sides last met, culminating in a chaotic build-up to Saturday night’s rescue mission in Albania.
But a storming Scotland performance in Shkoder and an emphatic 4-0 win has fired Big Eck’s qualification hopes back on track and he insisted yesterday the recent torrent of adversity has brought the best out of his bunch.
McLeish said: “Yeah, I think so. Hell hath no fury like a Scotsman scorned, you know.
“I think the DNA of the Scotsman comes out. The players don’t like to be criticised, I don’t like it. Because we don’t like to fail.
“But out of a failure, which was Israel away, we had to show the resilience and look at how we approached Albania.
“It’s never easy away from home at any level. Look at Liverpool recently going to Red Star Belgrade.
“You have to earn it and we certainly earned it on Saturday with performance levels that were extremely good.
“But it’s about consistency now. That is the only way we can raise the bar in terms of FIFA rankings and getting to a major tournament.”
A win tonight would also see McLeish’s side promoted into Pot Three for next month’s Euro qualifying draw.
Despite the importance of the match Scotland look set to play in a half-empty Hampden with only around 20,000 tickets sold as of yesterday afternoon.
But McLeish is hoping for a late rush to the turnstiles.
He said: “I think there will be more than the figure quoted. I met guys at the airport the other night and told them, ‘Call all your pals and get them to come and be the 12th man!’
“Does having more fans and loud fans give you a bit of extra energy? Yes, of course it does and we would love to see that because Hampden needs it.
“We have just won the fight to keep it and now we have to win the fight to fill it again.
“Let’s get behind these guys and make sure they perform to the levels they can. I can see it in their stature at the moment, the way they are walking about.”