YOU always want to beat England.

That never changes. It usually means more to us than it does to them. Even now. But it shows just how well Scotland are doing that Gordon Strachan might rest some important players for the friendly at Celtic Park on Tuesday night.

In years gone by everyone would have been jumping through hoops to play in this one. They will still want to play, but I think they will understand the way Gordon is thinking if he gives some of them a rest and others a chance to play.

Friday's win against the Republic of Ireland was such an energy- sapping, bruising game that some guys who would probably have played against England may now be on the bench. Although the England match was never, strictly speaking, a competitive game, Friday's result has eased the pressure for Scotland. It really has become one to go and enjoy. And I think it is a game we will do well in.

What struck me the most about Friday night was how brilliantly Scotland handled the pressure. The Republic of Ireland would have been happy with the draw and quite rightly so. They were hard to break down, but we didn't panic and start trying to lump the ball up the park. We knew we would get a chance and would just have to take it.

The way the match was going, it needed one of the five or six flair players on the park to step up to the plate if there was ever going to be a goal. Aiden McGeady didn't do it, thankfully, but Shaun Maloney did.

There is no doubt Martin O'Neill thought Scotland's Achilles' heel was our central defence and he tried to expose it by playing two physical boys who could run and had a presence. Ireland did look dangerous at times, but we handled them well.

It was a big ask for Andy Robertson to cope with McGeady, but he did the job magnificently. Gordon left him out of the Poland game because of his lack of experience, but it is games like these that are going to give him experience. I watched him closely defensively and I thought he was excellent. Barring injury, the left-back position is going to be his for years, so I am delighted for him.

Charlie Mulgrew was my man of the match, though. He kept it nice and simple, was dogged in midfield breaking things up, and never let up even when he got clattered by Stephen Quinn at the end.

And then there was Maloney. Gordon has always made it known how highly he regards him and the Wigan player just seems to thrive under him. Sometimes you get flair players whose attitude is not quite right, but his is unbelievable.

Everybody throws that line at Maloney - has he fulfilled his potential? - but he has played in the Premier League and won the FA Cup. If it wasn't for the injuries that have hampered him, he could have achieved even more.

I was starting to get niggling worries about our chances of qualifying for Euro 2016, not because we were doing anything particularly wrong, but because Ireland and Poland were doing better than you might have thought they would.

That put us under pressure, but Friday night was such a big result that I think it does give us a platform to go on and do what we need to do. We have turned the tables on Ireland because a draw would do us in Dublin in June and the pressure will be on them.

We will have some sticky moments along the way and nothing is guaranteed, but we have put ourselves in a much healthier situation and I now expect us, touch wood, to finish in the top three.