THE controversy that has arisen as a result of the SFA's decision to arrange an international between Scotland and Qatar will have done nothing to alter Gordon Strachan's long-standing dislike of friendlies.

The build-up to a game that was originally viewed as ideal preparation for the Euro 2016 qualifier with the Republic of Ireland when it was scheduled back in April, has been dogged by an escalating outcry.

The alleged human rights abuses of migrant workers involved in the construction of stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup have been highlighted by politicians, supporters and trade unions.

Scottish football's governing body has been urged to abandon the meeting with the oil-rich Gulf state at Easter Road this evening and many members of the Tartan Army are set to boycott it in protest.

Strachan, the Scotland manager, has had an aversion to friendly matches since the early days of his career with Aberdeen and this unwanted sideshow ahead of an important fixture is unlikely to have changed his opinion.

"I hated them as a player," he said. "I think I got sent off five times in friendlies - and once in a competitive game in 867 competitive games. One was for a kick at an opposing player when I was at Aberdeen. Somebody kicked me sly and I wasn't so sly. Sir Alex sent me to Nairn for a reserve game the next again night for being so tricky.

"I just thought everything was wrong about them. There was an edge missing. The referees were usually local referees who got on my nerves. I didn't like them."

Strachan added: "I actually said to Howard Wilkinson (his manager at Leeds United) before a friendly game in Italy once: 'Don't take me. I'm just in one of those moods. I don't want to go. I'm 36. I've played so many games'.

"Howard said: 'But you have to go Gordon because the sponsors want you and Gary McAllister to be there'. Thirty six minutes I lasted and then I was off. I don't know what the problem was. I just didn't like them. I thought everything about them was false."

Strachan's attitude has softened since he has moved into management and he is optimistic Scotland's first game against Qatar in his home city tonight will, despite the furore to have blown up, be a worthwhile exercise from a footballing perspective.

"As a manager it is a wee bit different," he said. "You always try to experiment and see things as a manager. I can prepare them. They have the prospect of playing the next again week. It's a bit different. The intensity of training says to me they will be fine."

Many of Strachan's English Championship contingent, several of whom are likely to feature in the Scotland starting line-up for the Group D match in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin a week tomorrow, have not played competitively in over a month and are in need of game time.

Ikechi Anya (Watford), Gordon Greer (Brighton) and David Marshall (Cardiff City) have been regular starters for their country under Strachan while Barry Bannan (who has been on loan at Bolton from Crystal Palace), Christophe Berra (Ipswich), Craig Forsyth (Derby County), Matt Ritchie (Bournemouth) and Johnny Russell (Derby County) could all be called on.

Russell Martin and Steven Whittaker, meanwhile, both played for Norwich City in their Championship Play-Off final win over Middlesbrough at Wembley last week and so may be rested.

Elsewhere, Charlie Mulgrew, who was the Man of the Match in the 1-0 win over the Republic at Celtic Park in November, is also likely to be involved. The midfielder only returned for Celtic in the last two games of the 2014/15 campaign after a lengthy injury lay-off and needs to prove both his fitness and his match sharpness.

With the chance to stake a claim for a place in the meeting against Martin O'Neill's side in eight days' time with a solid performance, Strachan believes he may have to urge caution so none of his charges injure themselves unnecessarily.

He said: "There might be something, a ball in the air in the middle of the park, and they might think 'I might go for it, naw, maybe today I'll no'. I'm alright with that. That can happen. What I don't want is for the boys to think this is a trial match and go careering into tackles just for the sake of showing 'I'm trying really hard here' because that can be counterproductive as well."

Concerns that taking on this game could impact adversely on Scotland's seeding for the 2018 World Cup draw in Russia next month, and therefore their prospects of reaching the finals, were dismissed by Strachan.

He said: "The seeding makes no difference. When we played Belgium, they were in the third pot the last time. Suddenly, they became the fourth best team in the world. I don't think between pots three and four, or two and three, there is all that much difference."

Strachan has welcomed Stuart McCall, who missed the double header against Northern Irerland and Gibraltar back in March after being appointed Rangers interim manager, back to his coaching team this week.

The 50-year-old, who devised the move that led to the Shaun Maloney goal in the last game against Ireland, was helpless to prevent the Ibrox club being thrashed in the SPFL Premiership play-off final last week. His chances of being appointed on a full-time basis have suffered as a result.

But Strachan said: "He's in good fettle and that's the way he is. I think he rolls with the punches. It has helped having him back. It's nice to have another voice to listen to rather than the same one all the time."

Strachan's mother, who lives nearby to Easter Road, is set to attend the match this evening. The Scotland manager is, then, guaranteed not resort to any of the petulant behaviour that resulted in him falling foul of officialdom in friendly matches in his playing days.

"I don't want to embarrass my mum at the age of 58!" he said. "Since I was a kid she has only watched four or five games because she gets too nervous. But this one is just down the road for her."