A SCRAP SUITS FIGHTING IRISH

Republic of Ireland legend RAY HOUGHTON, the Glasgow-born star still best remembered for his spectacular winner against Italy at the 1994 World Cup, gives Sportsmail’s JAMES RESTALL an expert overview of tonight’s clash

CAGEY ENCOUNTER

I see it being one of those matches that could be very tentative. I think players will go into it and will be a bit more reserved and a little bit more concerned because they know the importance of it, so I don’t see it being an open game.

I see it being very structured. Players will know they can’t afford to make mistakes, more so than any other game because of the rivalry between the two sides.

We’ve seen Scotland play in Poland, in Germany and they’ve got a bit of pace about them, and that’s where they will maybe be targeting the heart of the Ireland defence, if they can get through that.

But Ireland might play deep and negate that by not leaving the space for the Scottish players to run into. It’s all about tactics but, at the end of the day, it’s about the players and on the night you have to perform.

GLOVES WON’T GET DIRTY

I think the goalkeepers are going to be hugely important because it might be they are not going to have a great deal to do. When they do, that’s when you have to have your focus about you and make the big saves.

David Forde, in goal for Ireland, has been sensational. He’s really stepped up, when you think where he has been playing in the Championship (with Millwall) to go and play international football. He is very commanding and the sort of lad that looks better at international level than domestic level.

SOLID AT THE BACK

Both t eams have been defending reasonably well.

I think the partnership with Marc Wilson and John O’Shea was working well until Marc was injured. They were getting to know each other’s game very well.

All of a sudden, John’s going to have to fit i n with a new partner in that position, whoever it may be, so I think Marc is a huge loss.

Steven Fletcher can be a threat if you get crosses into the box. You’ve got to stop the source. If you stop the source, which is the delivery in, then you nullify what’s in the middle.

For I r eland, with Seamus Coleman being back, I think that could be important. Not only is he good going forward, he’s a good defender as well.

MIDFIELD DILEMMA

Scotland are strong depending on who Gordon (Strachan) plays in specific positions. You never know, he might change his tactics on the strength of hearing the news that James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan are out.

McCarthy has got legs. He is one of the players in the Irish team who can get box to box. If you’re looking at Darron Gibson, he is very much a sitting player. Whelan is very similar. He plays a little bit deeper, he isn’t given that licence or he doesn’t really go up the field.

James can, he’s got that energy about him that he can get up, cover to the right, cover to the left, so that will be a blow for Ireland.

Gordon might change it, he might go in there with smaller, technically better players to get in and around Ireland.

We did it in ’ 87 (when Ireland beat Scotland 1-0 at Hampden in a European qualifier). The day before the game, without anyone telling us anything different, Jack ( Charlton ) changed Ireland’s team. He put Paul McGrath at right-back, which no one had a clue about.

We hadn’t practised it, no one had talked about it. It wasn’t spoken about in training — Jack came in and said: ‘Right, Ronnie Whelan left-back, Paul McGrath right-back’ and everyone was looking round and wondering where that had come from.

But he wanted to negate the two wingers for Scotland. One of them was Davie Cooper. Big Paul was right-back, never gave him a kick and he came off at half-time.

But as a door cl oses f or someone, it opens for someone else. So whoever it is who is given the opportunity, adrenaline alone should get them through the game. If you’re not up for this, then you shouldn’t play.

TAKING YOUR CHANCES

Is t here more pressure on Scotland’s strikers? Yes, but you’re only as good as the chances that are created for you.

You can blame the strikers as much as you want but, if you’re not getting the ball into the right area for them, there’s nothing they can do. They can’t set the chances up for themselves.

They are reliant on the midfielders and the full-backs getting forward to put balls into good areas.

I don’t see there being a lot of goals in the game. I think it will be very tight.

We have been struggling for goals recently as well. We’ve got Robbie Keane, who has been a phenomenon. To score the goals that he has — in a team that doesn’t make that many chances — is quite remarkable.

What I love about Robbie is he reminds me of Liam Brady, back in the days when Liam was in Italy. He would take trains, planes and automobiles j ust to get back to play for Ireland. I see the same traits with Robbie at the minute.

TEAM EFFORT

I don’t think there will be one player (who makes the difference). To beat Ireland, it’s going to take a collective. Fletcher has hit a bit of form in front of goal so his confidence is up. He’s good in the air and that’s something Ireland are going to have to look out for.

There might not be a lot of chances but if there is one chance, and it fell to an Irish player, I’d want it to fall to Keane. Chances are he’ll score. I wouldn’t say untouchable but he’s captain, record goalscorer, playing well — it’s hard to leave him out.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

If it’s a scrappy game, I think it suits Ireland a bit more. Ireland don’t have to attack as much because they are the away team.

They can afford to sit back a bit and hit Scotland on the counterattack with players like McGeady, Shane Long and Jonathan Walters.

I t hi nk t he Irish t e am’s confidence is high. I think that draw against Germany has given them momentum, real belief going into this game but it’s going to be a really tough match.