MULGREW IS GORDON’S GO-TO MAN

Rejuvenated Mulgrew is set to shore up Strachan’s defence and form a vital barrier against Slovenia in crunch qualifier

GORDON STRACHAN hopes a transfusion of fresh blood will help keep Scotland’s ailing World Cup campaign from flatlining but the national coach will also place some faith in the restorative powers of a familiar face.

The uncapped trio of Tom Cairney, Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Fraser have been added to the pool ahead of next week’s crucial visit of Slovenia, while there will also be a new coach on the training pitch in the shape of Aberdeen assistant Tony Docherty.

Strachan wants the new men to alter the dynamic of his squad but the presence of a rejuvenated Charlie Mulgrew might have the most crucial impact on his team selection next weekend.

Scotland’s defensive woes are long-standing and Mulgrew’s return offers a welcome alternative. He is no Willie Miller, nor even a Colin Hendry, but the Blackburn Rovers man has been playing to a good standard in the English Championship over the past few months and looks a certainty to play against Slovenia.

Yet to play in the current qualifying campaign, he was drafted into the squad just three days ahead of the last fixture against England last November, a night on which a makeshift central pairing of Grant Hanley and Christophe Berra was sent out to face Daniel Sturridge and Co and conceded three headed goals.

Mulgrew has since enjoyed his own headline moments with two winning goals against Championship leaders Newcastle United but, more importantly, has emerged as a key man for new manager Tony Mowbray, who has put together a seven-game unbeaten run since succeeding Owen Coyle.

‘Charlie is really looking good,’ said Strachan. ‘He gives us height and composure, which we’ll definitely need, and the ability to pass the ball.

‘The good thing about Charlie is about a couple of months back he played for a month in midfield for Blackburn, which helped get his fitness levels back up.

‘Now he’s back at centre-half and playing from there. So that’s good.’

Strachan’s admiration for Mulgrew grew through his contribution to some of Celtic’s biggest Champions League nights and it seems likely the 31-year-old will earn a landmark 25th cap in the warm-up match against Canada on Wednesday.

There could also be debuts for Fulham playmaker Cairney and Bournemouth winger Fraser at Easter Road, while Armstrong could also feature at some stage depending on his fitness following Celtic’s game at Dundee today.

Some may question the logic of taking a friendly on the eve of such an important qualifier but to Strachan the reasons are obvious.

‘It’s been a long period since the England game so, rather than go right back into an important game, it’s better if we have something else,’ he explained.

‘Everyone has seen Tom Cairney and Stuart Armstrong but playing alongside them is a different thing. It will be good for the regulars to get a feel for that and we might as well get the mistakes out of the way in terms of talking to people and how you can push people’s buttons.’

Helping shape the team will be Docherty, who has been given the chance to add to his CV on the back of some impressive work alongside Derek McInnes at Pittodrie.

‘We spent a lot of time in Tony’s company after the Celtic v Rangers game last Sunday and it was refreshing,’ added Strachan.

‘I could see somebody desperate to get working and give us his ideas. He’s got a really good way about him. He made his point but in a manner that was acceptable to everybody. He didn’t feel he had to shout and scream and what he said made a lot of sense.

‘Hopefully, the new players, with their ability and enthusiasm, will give us the same freshness Tony gave to the coaching staff.’

Strachan admits the Slovenia game represents win or bust for his team’s hopes of qualification for Russia. He refuses to discuss his own future but it is commonly held that his reign as manager is at a similarly critical point.

The 60-year-old gives every impression of being ready to rise to the challenge and will use the Canada game to fine tune his plans for Slovenia.

‘Canada are dogged and they are enthusiastic,’ he said. ‘They’ve got plenty of energy, which will hopefully make our players play at a high tempo.

‘I know how we want to play. There are a couple of systems that Slovenia use and we will prepare for both systems.

‘I’ve not picked a team, I never do that, but I’ve got an idea how we’re going to play against them.

‘I wouldn’t want anyone to think the Canada game has no consequences for the selection of the team. It has a lot of consequences, trust me.’

Charlie is back playing at centre-half. That is good for us