LET there be no doubts about it: tonight’s match in Lithuania represents last-chance saloon for Scotland. Any slip-up at all will bring an immediate end to our already slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup next year. We have to win this game as there is no longer any room for error.
The Scotland players have to be fully concentrated and ready to take on the challenge ahead. Gordon Strachan will have worked on his gameplan all week but no manager can account for the possibility of individual, careless errors. Scotland have to, therefore, be on it from the first whistle and stay focused throughout. This is a night where everyone has to be at the top of their game.
That certainly wasn’t the case when Lithuania came to Hampden in October and almost snuck home with a win. That could well turn out to the result that costs us in this qualification quest. We had been expected to win, the fans expected it, the players expected it and I’m sure Strachan himself would have had it earmarked as another three points.
If we had won that game we would be going into this round of matches only two points behind Slovakia and would them facing a difficult match against England at Wembley on Monday. So that home game against Lithuania is the one that has been massively detrimental to our prospects so far.
We saw at Hampden that the Lithuanians have some talented players in their squad. Fiodor Cernych, who scored their goal that night, looked a handful and there are others like Arvydas Novikovas, who we know from his time in Scottish football, and Vykintas Slivka and Deivydas Matulevicius who both signed for Hibs in the summer. But apart from that we’ve got players playing at a much higher level than they do. This is a game we should be expected to win as a nation. There’s been a lot of chat about the astroturf pitch and the fact that the stadium is tiny – none of that should be a factor. We need to win this game and there can be no excuses if we don’t. It will be a much-changed Scotland team from the one that lined up against Lithuania 10 months ago. No Celtic players started that match while five started in our last game against England. In total there were nine changes from the starting line-up against Lithuania in October. So Strachan’s team selection has changed dramatically since the start of the campaign.
In terms of his team for tonight, I have some concerns over the fact Robert Snodgrass hasn’t played competitively this season. He’s a big favourite of Gordon’s but can you chuck him right in to such a pivotal game? I didn’t think he was particularly great against England so that’s going to be a big call.
On a positive note, I thought Stuart Armstrong when he came on against St Johnstone the other day it was the brightest I’ve seen him this season. He looked dangerous and hungry. I think there’s a case for Strachan continuing with Armstrong alongside Scott Brown in the middle of the park, while in attack Leigh Griffiths simply has to start. The manager went with a three at the back against England but I could see him going back to 4-2-3-1 for this one with Kieran Tierney at right-back, Andy Robertson on the left, and Charlie Mulgrew and Christophe Berra inbetween. Berra has had a decent start to life at Hearts, Robertson’s settled in quickly at Liverpool and Tierney seemed to be fine playing on the right-hand side of the defence against Slovenia. I think a back-three would be a really attacking line-up but I wonder whether away from home if he settles for a back four again.
James Morrison is back in the squad but he’s been injured so you wonder if others may come into consideration before him. If you look at beginning to the Premier League season, Matt Phillips and Matt Ritchie have started all three matches for their sides so far. Both are forward-type players operating in the best league in the world and you can’t ignore that. Ryan Fraser is another doing well in England who could come into consideration for this game. So there are options there.
I hope the pitch doesn’t become a factor. Personally, I don’t think artificial surfaces should be used for any first-team matches nevermind international games but players are used to them now. The Scotland squad have been training on a pitch similar to tonight’s earlier this week so it shouldn’t be a surprise. And it’s the same for both teams. I don’t think it gives Lithuania any advantage. Again, we just need to get on with it. Should Scotland win tonight and Slovakia and Slovenia draw tonight then we could well be back in the running with three matches to go. But we have to make sure we take care of our own business first and foremost.
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