Calmac picks Mctominay as key to Scotland’s plan to pressurise the opposition
Callum Mcgregor contends controlled aggression is the key as Scotland chase a return to another major Finals.
After the three-goal win over Ukraine, Steve Clarke’s men will look to make it a double when the countries meet again in Poland on Tuesday.
Succeed, and they will be in with a good shout of clinching a route back to the Euros once again.
“I think Wednesday was our best for a while,” said Mcgregor who, in tandem with Scott Mctominay, does so much to link the side up from both a defensive and an attacking perspective.
“It was really positive. There was good intent to press the game higher up, and we spoke about that earlier in the week.
“We want to progress our game and become more of a front-foot team, and more aggressive in our defending.
“I think you could see that. When we got the ball and turned it over, we looked after it really well.
“We created a lot of good chances, and by the end we could have won by more than three.”
Scotland’s bright victory came on a night on which the country returned to a back four for the first time in nearly three years.
It was not, Mcgregor believes, a coincidence.
“In terms of pressing the game, you can then free up another number to go and press higher up the pitch,” he said.
“We spoke about trying to be more aggressive as a team.
“In a back-five, you have one less player pressing, so a four gives you another player to press at the top end of the pitch, and be more aggressive.
“You also concede fewer set-plays as you are defending higher up the pitch. We want to try to progress, and get even better at that.”
The Celtic captain believes Mctominay (inset), his partner in central midfield, has a key part to play in the system.
“Scott is such an intelligent footballer,” Mcgregor continued.
“He sees the pictures, he’s athletic and can get about the pitch. He is good on the ball as well.
“Against Ukraine, he helped provide us with a good balance, especially with the attacking players going down the outside.
“We had Kieran joining in at times, Nathan early on and then Aaron when he came on. It was a good box of four, which locked out the game.”
As much as he is upbeat about the future, at 29 years old and his halfcentury of caps just round the corner, Mcgregor is well aware football can be a game of snakes as well as ladders.
“We know Wednesday was just the start. It was a good result and a good performance, and we now need to go again,” he said.
“We need to recover well, and bring that same energy and intent into the game in Poland.
“After the game against Ukraine in the summer, this gives us the chance to try to level the score a bit.
“It was disappointing what happened in the World Cup play-off. We had to show that we were hurt as a group by what they took off of us in June.
“Now we have another chance next week to go and back that up.
“Football is a good game in that sense as it gives you little chances to go and even the score, and I think we need to try and frame it that way as well.
“When we go over there, we want to be positive.
“What we want from our whole squad is to be alive when you are watching the game, and when asked to come on, you can do your bit for the team.
“Aaron Hickey did exactly what the manager wanted in the first game against Ukraine, as did Lyndon Dykes and all the other substitutes.
“If we can match that performance, there is no reason why we can’t beat
them again.”