Strach has no time for losers at Hampden
GORDON STRACHAN last night warned his Scotland stars that Saturday’s clash with England is a MUST-NOT-LOSE battle.
The Scotland boss will gather his players at their pre-Hampden HQ tonight and stress the importance of nicking at least a point against Gareth Southgate’s Group F leaders.
Strachan labelled the March clash against Slovenia as a must-win encounter and was rewarded with his all-or-nothing approach with a winner from Chris Martin.
Now he is eyeing at least a draw to keep the momentum going into the autumn finale to the World Cup qualifiers when wins against Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania and Malta would guarantee a play-off slot.
Strachan said: “This one is must not get beaten.
“As we sit here just now I am thinking about victory – but not getting beat keeps us in it.
“Of course, you never know with the rest of the scores and how they may go but that is my thinking.”
Apart from Kieran Tierney – recovering from a facial injury – there are no fresh injury concerns for Strachan ahead of the Auld Enemy.
Tierney will be assessed again by medics on Monday morning where it is hoped he will given the all-clear to play with a gum shield.
The Hoops defender is preparing to face England as an emergency right-back despite a bad injury in last week’s Scottish Cup Final.
Strachan said: “We need bravery in the team – be brave and stand up and win individual battles and don’t be scared of the occasion or what you are playing against.
“That is why Kieran is very important because he is not scared of anybody but he is not arrogant.
“He has a real belief in himself to go one-to-one with anybody which is very unusual in football.
“Everybody wants protecting.
“Everybody wants to go where they cannot be got at and go into hiding places. He doesn’t do that.
“It’s a certainty what will happen next week – he will get banged on the face somewhere down the line but he has got a real street mentality.”
Given a chance on Saturday, the Hull City full-back would love to hit the headlines and make sure his efforts against England are recalled for years to come.
Robertson netted his one and only goal for his country in November 2014 when he came off the bench to score in a 3-1 friendly defeat to the Auld Enemy at Parkhead.
The game came four days after Ireland had been beaten at the same venue in a vital Euro 2016 qualifier and was very much a case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show.
In football speak, Scotland did not turn up and were soundly thumped by an England team driven on by Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere.
On Saturday at Hampden Park it will be Harry Kane and Dele Alli pulling the strings for Gareth Southgate’s side in a World Cup qualifier.
But Robertson does not feel in awe of an England team running away with the qualifying group and is adamant that – unlike his first memory of the game – Scotland can come out of it with all the credit.
Robertson said: “It was great to score a goal for your country and against your biggest rival – it was the biggest moment of my life.
“But afterwards my first thought was that it came during a defeat.
“Looking back I do take pride in what has been my first and only goal for my country. I do like looking back on it.
“But I’d much rather it came in different circumstances.
“When I got back to Hull the boys were happy that England had won but annoyed that I had scored against them. At least I had that over them. But they had the result which was the most important thing.
“It will be tough this time because I