ALEX McLeish is refusing to panic and will not make wholesale changes to the Scotland team that lost 1-0 to Costa Rica on Friday evening in
the friendly against Hungary here in Budapest tomorrow night.
McLeish’s second spell as manager of the national team got off to a bitterly disappointing start at Hampden on Friday night when his team conceded a 14th-minute goal to Oscar Ramirez’s side and then failed to equalise.
Many members of the Tartan Army were opposed to the appointment of the 59-year-old, who spent 10 games in charge back in 2007 before leaving to take over at Birmingham City, and the performance and result did little if anything to win them around.
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But he is looking to try out different players and formations as he builds towards his first competitive matches in the inaugural Nations League later on this year and will not overreact to the result.
Grant Hanley and Matt Ritchie, who started the game at centre half and on the wing respectively, have both returned to Newcastle United and Norwich City respectively due to injuries, while captain Charlie Mulgrew, whose clubs side Blackburn Rovers play Bradford on Thursday evening, may be rested.
However, there are unlikely to be extensive alterations to the Scotland starting line-up as McLeish is keen for a full-strength side to record a morale-boosting triumph.
“This is not the time to panic,” he said. “I was never panicking in the first place, but I want to win the game first and foremost. I’m not going to hand out caps for nothing. I’ve got to play to win.
“I’m aware we are losing one or two players so there are factors that will come into consideration. Grant Hanley has gone because he has shin splints so can’t play two games in a week. We had agreed that beforehand.
“Matt Ritchie is also away because he has a groin problem and has to go back to Newcastle for treatment, but we have a few options for that position.”
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Meanwhile, McLeish will urge his players to go on the offensive from kick-off against Hungary in a bid to record the first win of his second spell in charge of Scotland.
The former Hibernian, Rangers, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Genk manager felt his team had stood off the visitors in the first half on Friday evening and paid the price for that.
However, he was pleased with how his charges had performed in the second half against opponents who were preparing for the Russia 2018 finals and will urge them to take the same positive approach in the Groupama Arena
“Having watched it back again I’m still very disappointed in the way we went about our business in the first half,” said McLeish.
“The players were instructed to press the Costa Rican defence, but they were a little bit shaky in the way they went about it.
“It only takes one player not to do it and the whole plan falls apart. That made it look as if we weren’t on the front foot and that was disappointing.
“We had a chat about it at half time and we moved up on them in the second half. I told them not to worry about what was behind them, leave that to the other guys and we sorted it. That was very encouraging.
“There are a few things I have learned and a few things I’ve picked up. We have to do it as quickly as we can.”
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