McCall to play for as Dark Blues eye a rub of the green
STUART McCALL can well remember the deflation felt after each encouraging Scotland performance. The creeping feeling of concern in the aftermath of picking up another important qualification point or three.
Why? Well, no matter how positive Scotland’s first phase of Euro 2016 qualifying was, Republic of Ireland were repeating rescue acts to remain clinging to contention. And McCall correctly recognised that as a most troubling sign.
When Scotland met with honourable opening-night defeat in Germany against the world champions, Aiden McGeady grabbed a 90th-minute winner in Georgia. As Gordon Strachan’s men were patted on the back for plundering a point in Poland, news filtered through of John O’Shea’s 94th-minute equaliser in Gelsenkirchen.
Just after the job was done against Gibraltar to the tune of 6-1 at Hampden, McCall settled down to watch Shane Long net a minute into stoppage time and deny Poland a victory in Dublin.
Three times they reeled in precious points from negative positions in the dying moments.
McCall could be accused of indulging in an extreme form of wishful thinking when he suggests World Cup 2018 qualification rivals might be rather deflated by the idea that unimpressive Scotland are somehow still hanging around in Group F contention. However, the former national first-team coach hopes that Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania will be after shining a light on Scotland’s late shows.
There was some embarrassment felt at celebrating James McArthur’s 89th-minute leveller against lowly Lithuania at Hampden. Chris Martin’s winner two minutes from the end against Slovenia turned a campaign and, perhaps, the manager’s tenure around in the nick of time.
For McCall, those strikes simply add up to four points that could prove so crucial when the Group F play-off spot is on the line this autumn. That approach, after all, did no harm to Martin O’Neill’s Irish team that reached the Round of 16 last summer in France.
‘The number of times I used to look at Ireland and couldn’t believe it, thinking: “They’ve done it again”,’ recalled McCall. ‘That first night we went to Germany, we came off after putting in a good performance. You think we’ve done well against the World Cup holders to go in there.
‘Even though we lost, we were still feeling confidence.
‘Then you find out Ireland score in the last minute in their first game. Ultimately, that was the fixture where we went on to let ourselves down — the Georgia one away. Then they nicked a point in Germany, they’ve got another late goal.
‘Well, we’ve had James McArthur against Lithuania, was that 89 minutes? Everyone was on a downer. The Chris Martin one, something like 88? The relief to everyone. It’s a bit like the last group we were in with Ireland. Every little bit can help you, just a point can be to your advantage. Sometimes it’s nice to come with a wee late run!
‘In the last campaign we sat at this stage and had a bit more optimism because we had 10 points from five games. We then only took five points in the last five games. We might need a little bit of role reversal. We have seven points now and probably need 10 more to get you there in second.’
With home games against Malta and Slovakia plus trips to Lithuania and Slovenia to follow, would accruing one of those points against England be a satisfactory start to the section’s second half.
‘It’s difficult to set up a team when you are home with a full stadium behind you to get a point but I’m sure if we were all going out after the game with a point we would be pleased,’ added the Euro ’96 veteran. ‘You’d take that now.
‘If we can nick a point against England, then brilliant, I’d take that now. Then it’s down to what we do in the other games that will count. If we don’t and it’s the worst-case scenario, I still don’t think it’s all doom and gloom.
‘As managers we might be a bit deluded but, sometimes, you see things and think: “We’ve still got a chance”. There was enough in that England game. Sometimes, you think it’s best for a change.
‘Sometimes you just know. I had it at Motherwell in the first 10-12 games of my last season and whatever we were doing wasn’t good enough. We were getting beaten by poor goals and you just get a sense it’s time.
‘I know Gordon is not like this and I know players will always come out and say we’re all behind him. But it does give you that bit of belief. I think he was looking at the Slovenia game saying: “We need to win it”. If we don’t it’s “goodnight”. Because we have done, it swings a little bit. Slovenia has probably put a spring back in his step — as it has with me and most people I speak to now.’
Stuart McCall was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.
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