As the hype revs into overdrive over Scotland's recent performances and results, may I be so bold as to urge a note of caution.

It isn't that I want to be a party pooper or pour cold water on the excitement of last week's 2-0 triumph over Croatia but, let's be honest, we have all been in this movie before. Yes, I'd love to be jumping up and down and saying that I fully expect us to be at France in 2016 for the European Championships, but in truth I think we need to have a bit of perspective. The last few performances have been good and the results have been excellent. I have no quibble with that. But what I do still wonder is whether or not Scotland can do it when the pressure is on.

That is when it will really count. Like every other Scotland supporter, I can't wait to see who comes out of the hat in February when the draw takes place. A decent draw and we could really be fancying our chances, but so much will depend on those first couple of games, on getting points on the board and making sure the confidence is high.

This is why I think the two forthcoming friendlies against the USA and Norway will be greeted with enthusiasm by everyone connected to Scotland. It provides an opportunity to keep some momentum going because, make no mistake about it, had Scotland lost to Macedonia and Croatia, these are games the players would have been dreading. Instead, Gordon Strachan seems to have succeeded in bringing a strong camaraderie into the dressing room, although the bottom line is always that if you are winning games then the atmosphere takes care of itself. Still, I do love the fact that we look like a team who can attack, who can keep the ball, who can create chances and who can start with a system and stick to it. God knows we need that.

It looks positive, but it is still early days. What we are seeing are dark blue shoots of recovery and, as heartening as that is, you don't want to over-hype it. The two wins over Croatia were excellent and were welcome, but you would also have to say that we played them at good times - once when they had turned their attention to their summer holidays, and then last week when they were already assured of a place in the World Cup play-offs.

Let's take a look at some of the personnel Strachan has to hand. Grant Hanley is a lad the Tartan Army have warmed to because of his endeavour, his honesty and his willingness to give his all. Yet in every game there are two or three mistakes that could be more severely punished, depending on just who you are up against.

Russell Martin has been a find, a real gem, and we have been crying out for a strong and imposing centre-half for a while now. Gordon could also do with Alan Hutton getting a regular game somewhere. The boy is a natural athlete which means his fitness is good, but he is not playing week in, week out and that has to be a concern. He is frozen out at Aston Villa and while they appear prepared to allow him to go out on loan, it seems there have been no offers to take him. The other big positive for Strachan is that he still has Steven Fletcher and Darren Fletcher to think about, while Shaun Maloney and Steven Whittaker will also come back in.

So on paper it is all looking good, but we do need to be able to turn it on when it really counts and playing under pressure in matches with something genuine at stake is what it is all about. If we can do that, then we will give ourselves a right good chance of making it to the European Championships, but there is still a long way to go in our recovery before then.

Overall, I am pleased for Gordon. He can be cheeky and off-hand at times, but I think over the years he has earned that right. He is proving he is capable of turning things around, but I would just stress that we cannot get overly carried away - and he would be the first one to say that. There is a long road ahead of us and I think we have to embark on that journey with a little bit of realism.

The Rangers off-field issues lurch from one embarrassment to another. The boardroom turmoil has become a joke and the fact that so much is being leaked is a real concern. The Ibrox punters are sick to their stomachs reading about these petty squabbles as various egos battle it out through the media.

Whoever ends up in control of the club needs to get one thing straight from the off: what happens in the boardroom must stay in the boardroom.

All of this nonsense over the last few months of people falling out, attacking one another in public, putting the boot in and, let's not forget, making big sums of money in the process, is mortifying for the club.

Get the boardroom sorted out with people who have the club's best interests at heart. But airing their dirty laundry in public needs to stop.