Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Scots ‘relishing’ World Cup shot
S C OT L A N D m a n ag e r Gordon Strachan can sense his players are relishing their date with destiny next month.
Strachan’s side go into their final two World Cup qualifiers knowing victory over both Slovakia and Slovenia would guarantee second spot in Group F and a potential play-off.
There was a stage when even the Hampden visit of Slovakia on October 5 risked being a meaningless encounter for the Scots after they took four points from their opening four matches.
But 10 points i n their subsequent four games ensure Scotland go into the double header with belief.
Strachan has picked a familiar squad, with uncapped Leeds defender Liam Cooper the only player not to have been included for the recent games against Lithuania and Malta.
“This squad and these players have shown that they can deal with big games,” he said. “And that’s why they have been picked again.
“I’m looking forward to catching up with them, it’s always good to catch up with good players who are feeling good about themselves. It’s a privilege to work with these guys.”
The Scotland manager added: “If we didn’t have belief i n each other we wouldn’t be at the stage where we could talk positively understanding that our destiny is in our own hands.
“If there were any people who didn’t believe in what we were doing or didn’t trust us then we wouldn’t be here. But we are here and we are all relishing it.”