McLeish aims to ruin the party
Complacency of 1978 won’t be repeated as Scots boss hopes to plot a path to victory
FORTY years since Ally MacLeod made the mistake of underestimating Peru, Scotland turn up for tonight’s reunion a chastened and wiser nation.
Call-offs and withdrawals help in that regard. Yet Sunday marks the anniversary of Ally’s Tartan Army being routed and gouged on the killing fields of Cordoba. That night, the glass half-filled with expectation of a run to the semi-finals of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina was instantly drained, the hangover lasting the best part of four decades.
Peru have a better understanding than most of how this feels. Teofilo Cubillas illuminated his last World Cup finals in 1982 at the age of 33. Peru almost made it to Mexico in 1986 before an Argentina striker by the name of Ricardo Gareca scored the goal which ended their hopes. By coaching Peru back to their first World Cup finals in 36 years, Gareca has made amends.
If there is complacency or over-confidence ahead of tonight’s friendly in Lima’s National Stadium, it won’t be expressed by anyone in a Tam O’Shanter tammy.
Through the smog of Lima’s heavily polluted streets the evidence of a galvanised footballing nation is evident in every window.
On Friday, an open training session was limited to 35,000 locals, with thousands locked out. Last month, the Peruvian FA received 700,000 applications for a Scotland game only 45,000 people can attend. It’s safe to assume the locals are not coming to see Chris Cadden and Oli McBurnie.
Scotland find themselves cast in a depressingly familiar role tonight. That of the warm-up act. The cannon fodder for a team looking to rattle in a few goals in their home send off before flying off to Russia.
For Alex McLeish, Peru and Mexico threatens to become a poisoned chalice.
Visibly upset by the death of his old pal and former team-mate Neale Cooper yesterday, Big Eck tried his best to paint on a brave face.
‘Maybe their fans might be expecting the team to put on a show,’ said the Scotland boss.
‘But the team will respect the opposition and we want to spoil their World Cup party.
‘We are going to have to be brave at some stages of the game. We are not going to go and play an open game in Barcelona style. ‘That would be sheer folly. ‘We are going to have to be organised and get close to their dangermen.
‘When we have the ball we have to keep it.
‘Giving the ball way in international football is sometimes a crime.
‘But we have a lot of young guys here and young guys need to be allowed to make mistakes.
‘It’s not a competition, but equally we want to come and get some kind of result in these two games.’
Through the thick stench of diesel and petrol, Lima has been overcast and dull since Scotland’s arrival. Heat and altitude will both be a factor in Mexico City. Yet neither comes into the equation here.
The biggest issues are personnel and motivation. Scotland have played these end-of-season friendlies before, losing 5-1 to the United States in 2012 and 3-0 to Euro 2016 hosts France two years ago.
With six call-offs, 18 fit outfield players and nine uncapped players, these games represent a hiding to nothing. A challenge so onerous that even MacLeod couldn’t paint lipstick on this particular pig.
Yet McLeish, as he must, wants his players to embrace and savour Scotland’s first game in South America since Archie Gemmill scored that goal against Holland in Mendoza.
For players who fancy themselves as international performers, this is a night to prove it.
‘It’s a cauldron,’ McLeish acknowledged. ‘And it’s not only down to players’ physicality and skill. ‘It’s a lot to do with temperament. ‘They have to relish it and embrace every moment of coming to play in this kind of atmosphere.
‘The boys have got to come and realise these are some of the best moments in their life and their young football days by making the best of it.
‘The Peruvian coach has said we play with intensity — let’s hope we don’t let him down on that one.’
Talk of Scotland’s last defeat to Peru usually ends the same way. In an ex-player or journalist accusing an over-confident MacLeod of failing to do his homework. If Scotland lose to the South Americans this time, it won’t be for a lack of information or preparation.
‘We know a lot about this team,’ claimed McLeish.
‘I think Alan Rough said in a recent article we did not know anything about Peru way back in 1978, because they were not world renowned.
‘But obviously with the research everyone can do now with the internet and the television coverage then, if you are an anorak, you can know every player all over the world.
‘These fellas have great technique, strength, individual skill and speed and have been playing together for a while.
‘They are above us in terms of where they are with their team and where they are with their squad. I think the coach did some building when he came in and had some teething problems and overcame them. The rewards of that are going to the World Cup.’
When Scotland lost to Peru in ‘78 the game was overshadowed by a post-match drug ban administered to Willie Johnston. So it is here, with home captain Paulo Guerrero out of the World Cup after a six-month ban for ingesting cocaine in a cup of tea was lengthened to 14 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Guerrero has asked CAS to reconsider their verdict, but there’s nothing McLeish (left) can do about the absence of so many of his top men. Hibernian’s Lewis Stevenson will make his debut at left-back in a team where captain Charlie Mulgrew might provide the only assurance it’s a Scotland team at all. ‘There will be new caps,’ said McLeish. ‘But let’s just relish it. ‘Let’s get something out of it. ‘The trip has been good, so has the challenge and the spirit. If it’s down to the spirit I’ve seen this week we’ll be all right.’