EURO 2012 QUALIFYING GROUP I:SCOTLAND'S PROGRESS under Craig Levein means that their manager not only dares to dream but will look ahead confidently to a crucial meeting with Spain tomorrow night.
The Scots’ 1-0 win in Liechtenstein on Saturday means another victory, in Alicante, will guarantee a Euro 2012 play-off place. If that looks simple, of course that belies reality; the world champions have once again been imperious during a glide through qualification. Spain’s motivation will be to maintain a 100 per cent Group I record.
Yet in Levein Scotland have a manager who is genuinely upbeat. “The players know what this is about,” he said. “The experience of playing Spain at Hampden last year – when we gave as good as we got – helps them.
“We’ve won six and drawn once in our last nine games. When you sit down and look at that, the players have got to be confident. We played some difficult matches there but we’ve played some good football. There is a fearlessness about them which gives me a great deal of encouragement.”
Levein believes experience is also on his side. Eight of the Scottish starting XI against Liechtenstein ply their trade in England’s top flight. “Those guys are playing big arenas on big occasions on a daily basis,” Levein said.
“From my point of view I’d rather have that security behind me, people who have been over the course before. Okay, we don’t have a lot of guys like Liechtenstein or Spain who have 50, 60 or 70 caps, but we have guys who know what they’re facing.
“In the first half against Liechtenstein we passed the ball as well as we have done in a long time. That gives me encouragement that we have the players to do that against Spain. Maybe we have a long way to go but we’re heading in the right direction.”
Scotland could lose to Spain tomorrow but still claim a play-off spot. For that to happen, Lithuania would need to defeat the Czech Republic in Kaunas – an unlikely scenario, if more possible than an away victory for Scotland at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez.
Still, Levein disputes the notion that he would like to swap places with the Czechs. “Well, it’s in our hands,” he said. “I know everybody is talking about having to play against Spain but the bottom line is, it’s up to us. If we win then the Czech Republic can’t do anything about it.
“So, from my point of view, that’s something I can have a degree of control over. The other thing is, if you are the Czech Republic, you know 100 per cent that even if you win your last game you might not finish in second place. So I’d take our position every time because we can do something about it.”
Scotland fans will point to the meeting between the competing play-off nations at Hampden Park last month. Then, a late penalty awarded in error to the Czech Republic allowed them to leave Glasgow with a point. But for that intervention, Scotland would have clinched second spot on account of Craig Mackail-Smith’s winning goal in Liechtenstein.
“That’s done now, I made enough comment about it at the time of the Czech Republic game,” Levein said. “I’m a great believer in moving on. I have made my feelings over what happened that day perfectly clear. But we can’t do anything about it now, so there’s no point in looking back and dwelling on it.”
More prominent in Levein’s mind will be the fitness of Mackail-Smith. Kenny Miller remained with the Scotland party who left Zurich for Murcia yesterday but the Cardiff City player is almost certain to miss the Spain match because of a groin problem.
Mackail-Smith, who impressed as Miller’s deputy in the victory on Saturday, has a back injury which could also rule him out, although the Brighton man is confident he will recover in time to play.
Scotland will be boosted by Spain defender Raul Albiol missing the match after the Real Madrid centre-back fractured a cheekbone in training yesterday. Xabi Alonso is also doubtful after gashing a shin in Spain’s 2-0 win over the Czech Republic.
Guardian Service
