THE POWER OF SCOTLAND
McGinn: Team spirit is why we are winning - it’s like a club feel... shame we don’t meet up more often!
SIMON BIRD JOHN McGINN admits Scotland have gone from bickering to best mates as they bid to end their 24-year World Cup nightmare.
The Aston Villa striker revealed the secret of his side’s remarkable spirit after conjuring a brilliant secondhalf display to overcome Israel.
Scott McTominay’s 94thminute winner put the Tartan Army in pole position to finish second in Group F, which can be clinched with wins over the Faroe Islands tomorrow and Moldova next month.
McGinn and Lyndon Dykes hauled them level twice and the second 45 minutes was one of the Scots’ best displays in recent years.
“It’s a club feel. It doesn’t come overnight. We’re all mates,” said McGinn. “I know it’s easy to say that but it’s very easy to get on everyone’s back.
“I was making mistakes, others were, and previously there might have been a bit of negativity and a bit of arguing.
“But we’ve all got belief in ourselves. It’s just a great dressing room to be in. It’s sad we only meet up once or twice every few months.
“It’s definitely a big reason for the results we are getting. We’re just hungry players hungry to succeed for our country. When you look at it selfishly, you dream of going to a World Cup, and every player in there wants to do that.”
It is not all pats on the back. Harsh words were spoken at half-time with Israel 2-1 up, after Dykes’ missed penalty, and Scotland lacking aggression and tempo.
McGinn said: “They are always strong words from the gaffer, even if you’re getting praise! But he was measured with what he
was saying – some tactics, and he stressed we had to be braver. He told us we had to show our personality on the pitch, and we did that.”
The atmosphere at Hampden past with 50,585 was at a new high, especially given how late McTominay scored the winner.
Eran Zahavi had put Israel ahead and though McGinn’s fine strike brought them level, Mu’nas Dabbur put Israel back in front. Dykes made it 2-2 before McTominay’s late drama. Manager Steve Clarke, bidding to lead Scotland to the finals for the first time since France ’98, says his players are feeding off it.
“When you score late, you get that adrenaline rush, everybody’s still buzzing and excited about it. The crowd go away happy. The Tartan Army were fantastic,” said Clarke.
“It was my first experience of a good win at Hampden with the full crowd and the players enjoyed it. They can feed off each other.” Southampton striker Dykes, who got Scotland back in it at 2-2, but also missed two other chances, has been taken off penalty duty.
“I’ve already told Dykes that he’s not on the next one,” said Clarke. “It just puts extra pressure on him.”
On to the Faroe Islands, and Clarke was already warning against complacency, but maintaining his players have the desire to reach a semi-final and final play-off games in March. He added: “I’ve been saying for a long time that this is a group of players who want to do well for their country and be successful.
“Every time they go on to the pitch, they show it – and they showed it again in the second half.
“The pleasing thing is people say we can’t score goals. We have 17 shots, nine on target and when we needed to score three goals we did.
“It is only three points. We have to go to the Faroes and cement it with another win.”