The Scotsman

GAME PLAN

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were busy watering the pitch before and after Lithuania trained. So it looked slick by the time Scotland set foot on it at 8pm local time to play a short game between themselves.

The manager has sought to play down fears the underfoot conditions will be a factor in the outcome. He referenced a game against Serbia four years ago that was played on a muddy pitch which he felt was far more damaging to his players’ chances of winning.

“These days the pitches are usually so good,” he said. “Or it goes to an Astroturf – where you’re not up to your neck in mud like we were in the old days. That’s why you don’t get the shocks in the FA Cup these days because the surfaces are a lot better.

“So if you ask me whether I’d like to play out there or the pitch we had in Serbia then I’d say I’d prefer the one out there.”

But Strachan did accept fate could well play a significan­t part tonight no matter how detailed Scotland’s preparatio­ns – the players have been training on a pitch near their Mar Hall base judged to be the

“You never know what’s going to help. What helped us against England? Griff battering in two wonderful free-kicks. I never planned that”

GORDON STRACHAN nearest in quality to the synthetic turf in Vilnius.

“You never know what’s going to help tomorrow,” he said. “What helped us against England? It was Griff (Leigh Griffiths) battering in two wonderful free-kicks.

“I never planned that! I never sat him down and said ‘by the way Griff we’re in trouble, could you knock two balls in the back of the net’. It’s all about players.”

But he knows by now how it goes. If Scotland fail to secure three points it will be all about him, again.

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