TEAR WE GO AGAIN!
Christie hoping there won’t be a dry eye in the house at Hampden next March
FThis is definitely the best Scotland squad I have been a part of
ROM the man who had a nation blubbing like babies, a bold declaration about the soul-stirring impact of Scotland’s most recent rush of joy — and a promise of even greater euphoria on the horizon.
Ryan Christie, forever associated with his choked-up interview immediately after Scotland had secured their place at the European Championship on a magical night in Belgrade, certainly wouldn’t mind losing his shape in similar style next March.
Monday night’s professional and deeply pleasing 2-0 win over Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark, a result the Scots needed to secure a place among the seeds in the World Cup play-offs, had most of us searching for superlatives.
In terms of achievement and enjoyment, Christie puts the Group F finale ‘definitely up there’ with the dramatic play-off win over Serbia. Which is saying something.
And, given everything achieved on home soil, he’d like to think that no rival nation would be overly keen to visit Glasgow on the road to Qatar. ‘I hope so — especially at Hampden,’ said the former Celtic attacker, now with English Championship leaders Bournemouth.
‘Everyone’s absolutely buzzing walking out for the start when the place is full, singing the national anthem.
‘I think it’s the best the atmosphere’s been in here for a long, long time. So, it’s just those one per cents that are going to help us go a long way.
‘The Denmark game definitely would be up there with anything else (I’ve experienced).
‘We’re riding a good wave at the minute. We went into the game on the back of five wins on the trot and we also wanted to put right the away game in Denmark. We didn’t think we did ourselves justice over there.
‘The gaffer kind of touched on it as being like the next step. We saw how well Denmark did at the Euros and we want to start competing against these kind of teams, show what we are capable of. And we went one better by winning 2-0.’
The play-offs are already shaping up to be quite some series, with major countries — including reigning European champions Italy — being forced to scrap for a place in next winter’s controversial World Cup. But Scotland aren’t in next Friday’s draw just to make up the numbers. As Israel and Serbia can testify. ‘Beating Denmark also gives us a great belief going into the play-offs, although there’s a bit of break now until the games in March,’ said Christie. ‘But we’ve done everything we can — and we were on a similar kind of run going into the last play-offs, which suited us nicely. It’s nice to be able to do the same for the World Cup. ‘Obviously, it was a bit different the last time. We had to wait that bit longer due to the whole Covid thing. It was our first experience of it. But I think those past play-offs will serve us well for this time. That experience will help us. ‘Now everyone’s buzzing for the draw and we will see where it takes us.
‘Listen, I also think the Euros gave us a load of experience. Everybody said what a long time it had been for us to be in a tournament. None of us had experienced any time at a tournament, so it was a first for us. I think everybody said on the back of it that we didn’t want it to be a one-off, that we wanted to get it again. ‘And even with the kind of frustrating start we had to the World Cup qualifying, we managed to spark it again and now we’re seeded going into the play-offs. We’re flying at the minute and the only frustrating thing is how far away March is.’ Christie played a vital role in Monday night’s win, his energy on the left of a front three crucial in disrupting the Danes. Tellingly, he brushes aside talk of the sweeping pass — played with the outside of the left boot from a tight position inside his own half — to lead the counter-attack that, one bad and one good corner later, produced Scotland’s first goal. In Christie’s mind, that was all about the attacking flexibility of a 3-4-2-1 formation often inaccurately derided as overly defensive. ‘A lot of people will look at five at the back and view it very negatively,’ he said. ‘But it’s almost kind of modern football these days, especially at international level.
‘With the boys we’ve got — Stephen O’Donnell, Nathan Patterson and Andy Robertson on the other side — we’re such an attacking side. I think it was Andy on the end of my pass, so it just shows you how well a five at the back can work from an attacking point of view.
‘It’s nice to play against teams like Denmark and cause them threats. It could have been three for us at the end.
‘Every single player delivered. I was buzzing for Che Adams after how hard he’d worked and then you’ve got John Souttar coming in. It was ridiculous for him to get a goal and everyone’s just buzzing for him. Liam Cooper was absolutely solid.
‘I think we know what everyone can give and that’s us with a few boys missing. It doesn’t hinder us in any way having such competition
‘It doesn’t really matter how many minutes you’re going to get on the pitch, it’s just the collective attitude everyone’s got to push as a team. It’s getting better within the camp.
‘I know it’s a cliché, but it’s definitely the best Scotland squad I’ve ever been a part of.’