Scott Brown has become just as influential for Scotland as he has been for Celtic - a leader at the heart of a team.

The midfielder's influence has grown steadily for the national side and although one of the strengths of the Scotland side has been the balance that is there, I do think that Brown has stood out.

He will be a key performer in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this evening, and it will be interesting to see just who he is lining up against.

Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane have both been declared a doubt for the game, but for very different reasons. And I suspect that Martin O'Neill will trust both players to declare themselves whether or not they are ready to play.

McGeady's situation is a bit more complicated since a hamstring injury can be a notoriously difficult problem to assess. Missing a training session yesterday could well have been a precautionary measure with the player happy to take to the field, but there is also the issue of whether or not doing so could aggravate the problem.

In that case, a proper tear can result in a six-week lay-off.

Keane, of course, is dealing with a double family bereavement that he has to cope with. In a situation like that it is an entirely personal decision and the striker himself will let his feelings be known.

Certainly, if he is willing to play I would image that O'Neill will have Keane in the starting line-up rather than on the bench as he was in Glasgow.

Keane is a striker of considerable reputation and not without good cause. He has a wealth of experience at the top level and he is a real talisman for the Republic of Ireland.

But whoever takes to the field for either side, I can only imagine that the game will be close as there is so little between the teams.

A draw would be a good result for Scotland, but I cannot imagine Gordon Strachan will set out his side to play for a point.

There is a need to play sensibly and, like the game against Poland, you can come away with a draw without actually setting out with that in mind.

I think Scotland will be positive, as will Ireland. But I don't buy into the theory that this game will decide anything because there is just too much football still to be played.

For me, the biggest game could be the one against Poland at Hampden in October. That is the tie that could be boom or bust. I don't agree with suggestions that the fact these Scotland players have never played at a major international tournament before can have a bearing on how they perform at this level.

Many of them have performed at the very top level with their clubs - the Celtic lads have all experienced Champions League football - and I think they have been together long enough to have gained enough experience throughout this campaign.

They have never been outplayed in any game in the group, except perhaps in patches rather than for the entire duration of a game.

They are cohesive and tight as a unit but more than that now is that there seems to be a belief and a confidence that they are capable of going out and getting results.

Tonight's game will give an indication of just how far they have come on under Strachan.