Andy in rally cry: It’s do or
ANDY ROBERTSON has urged fans and players to rally behind Scotland for two of the most important months in the last 20 years.
The national skipper believes the next four games are absolutely vital to the future of the squad as they aim to bust their major championship hoodoo.
With qualification from Group I now virtually impossible, Steve ANDY ROBERTSON will board the flight to Moscow next month in search of points – he’s hoping to make the return trip with a plan.
Progression from Group I may be a no-go but as far as Scotland’s skipper is concerned their Euro 2020 qualifier away to Russia is not merely a fixture to fulfil.
It’s a chance to rip a chapter out of their rivals’ book and use the blueprint to finally map a way back to a major finals. Three years ago Russia were
in the depths. With the 2018 World Cup en route to their backyard, the national team were in a dismal state.
Just like Alex McLeish, coach Leonid Slutsky had left as they feared being reduced to a laughing stock at their own party.
Just like Steve Clarke, Stanislav Cherchesov was put in place to mastermind a turnaround.
They had no qualifiers, just almost two years of friendlies to find a formula.
By the time the finals came around Russia were still 70th in the world, the lowest-ranked of the 32 sides in the tournament.
However, the work they had put in over the previous 22 months suddenly bore fruit as they reached the quarter-finals.
Robertson is fully aware the last four games in this section cannot rescue the chance of reaching Euro 2020 via the top two automatic spots.
Momentum is another thing entirely.
Scotland do not have 22 months – they have two in which they will take on Russia, San Marino, Cyprus and Kazakhstan. But BY CRAIG SWAN Clarke’s team have two Euro 2020 play-off matches in March, secured via the Nations League, to bust a 22-year jinx and reach a finals.
Clarke will use the next nine weeks and remaining four games of the section against Russia, San Marino, Cyprus and Kazakhstan to try to find the set-up to get through those