These games are tough because, with respect, we know we should win them
Kenny Mclean knows all about the difficulties of rolling over San Marino.
The midfielder believed he had put Scotland on the road to winning heavily by scoring early against the Sammarinese in Stadio Serravalle seven months ago. It was not to be.
Johnny Russell added a second late on. But the scoreline didn’t come close to mollifying a support still angry from the capitulation in Kazakhstan three days earlier.
The Tartan Army dissenters who chanted for the manager’s head got their wish, with Alex Mcleish sacked before he could take charge of another match.
When the two teams renew acquaintance this evening at Hampden, Steve Clarke will have to figure out how to deliver a victory of sufficient swagger.
And it will have to be done without Mclean, who was forced to withdraw from the squad through injury.
The Norwich City man will be an interested spectator, and said: “Games like these are tough because, with all respect, we know that we should be beating these teams comfortably.
“Fans are going there, expecting to see us scoring four, five, six goals, and we want to give them that.
“They travel all over Europe to watch us, but we are not putting on good enough performances for them.
“Even though we got the result away to San Marino, we were poor.
“When I got the first goal early on, I did think we might be on course to score a few. Maybe a bit of complacency came in because we were ahead, and felt like the job was done.
“But that is not on. While we are wearing the jersey, we need to give everything we have. That is what playing for Scotland has always been about.
“You can see we have the quality. The supporters know that, and I think sometimes they get frustrated because they see we are not getting the best out of ourselves.
“It is up to us to step up and get the fans excited about coming to games again.
“I have no doubt they’ll keep travelling in their numbers. But we need to make sure we keep them coming.”
Hampden is likely to be more than half- empty tonight, and if it is hard for fans to get themselves up for what is effectively a dead rubber, what about the men on the pitch?
“It is down to us as players to handle the situation,” said Mclean.
“We are professionals. We are the ones going there to do a job.
“We are desperate for the fans to get behind us, and to get a real relationship with them so we have everyone pulling in the one direction.
“I won’t be out there myself, but I know the lads who are will be looking to give the fans a performance they can enjoy.
“We just want to do as much as we can for the nation.
“The atmosphere might not be the best, but it is up to the players to create one and get the fans onside.”
The former Aberdeen and St Mirren star has been experiencing a similar situation at club level, with Norwich only one place off the bottom of the Premier League following three successive defeats.
“Results haven’t been going perfect for us but I am feeling confident enough,” Mclean continued.
“I am biased, but I think we should have more points on the board based on our performances.
“That is the way the Premier League is. It is cut- throat, and you won’t get any favours from anybody.
“We have had a crazy injury list, but the same was true before we played Manchester City and we took three points off of them!
“That game was pretty unbelievable, a but we have taken nothing since so we can’t keep going back to it.”