Luck of the Irish can be with Scotland this time, says Stuart McCall

In their opener away to Georgia an Aiden McGeady striker in the 90th minute salvaged a 2-1 win, a John O’Shea leveller four minutes into added-on time grabbed the Republic a 1-1 draw away to Germany while a 1-1 draw at home to Poland was secured by Shane Long in injury time. Four points were earned in the dying seconds, enough to keep them three points in front of lowly Scotland to grab a play-off place.

For McCall, who was part of Gordon Strachan’s backroom staff during that campaign, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but one that he reckons could taste sweet this time around. Already Strachan’s side have netted late on to salvage a point against Lithuania and a win over Slovenia, and the Bradford City manager is hoping the omens are good for Scotland to have fate smiling upon them.

“We went to Germany in the first game and put in a good performance against the World Cup holders and gained confidence but Ireland scored in the 91st minute in their first game against Georgia,” said McCall, recalling Scotland’s 2-1 defeat in Dortmund to Germany.

“Even the Lithuania game we hadn’t been great but to score late on and sometimes you think it just might be, we deserve it and if anyone deserves a little bit of luck it’s us.

“Slovenia and Slovakia have both got to go to Wembley and Slovakia have got to come here, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

“In the last campaign we had 10 points from five games and we were talking about whether we’d finish second or third, there was never any talk that we wouldn’t get it. The expectation levels were different but sometimes it’s nice to come with a late run.”

Now just an onlooker, McCall will be working at Hampden on Saturday when England come to Hampden. He will also be celebrating his 53rd birthday.

It is an occasion for conservative optimism – the game that is, not his birthday – that McCall would have been hard to see in the wake of the last time the teams met for a 3-0 home win at Wembley in November.

“As managers we might be a bit deluded but you sometimes see things and think, you know what, we’ve still got a chance and there was enough in that game,” said the man who played against England in Euro 96. “The Slovakia game [3-0 defeat] was disappointing but the Slovenia game [1-0 win at home last time out] has probably put a spring in the step back in him, as it certainly did for me, and most people I speak to now are looking forward to the England game.

“Sometimes you see no way out and think it’s best for a change but Gordon’s not like that and when you hear players saying we’re better under him, training’s been better and we’re all behind him, it just gives you that belief.

“I’d have genuinely thought he was looking at the Slovenia game and thought we have to win it and if we don’t, it’s goodnight.

“Even after the game against England and the worst case scenario we don’t win, there’s still that belief we can win the remaining games, we beat Slovenia why can’t we beat Slovakia?

“Those couple of late goals might just prove key at the end of it. We used to look back at Ireland and think they’ve done it again, they’ve nicked a point. If we can nick a point next week brilliant but if not I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom.”

Turning his attention to England, McCall added: “You can’t explain how players might feel. Sometimes they’ll be 4-0 up at half time and the game finishes like that. You ask them to get a few more but it doesn’t happen. It’s a psychological thing.

“They will be watching the highlights and, although they’re good pros, there will be something in their psyche saying ‘it will be three or four’.

“As much as the manager will say that’s not going to be the case, that it is going to be the case.

“That’s maybe a slight, little advantage because we’ve lost nine goals to them in the last three games.”

Stuart McCall was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is a proud sponsor of Scottish football.