In a departure from routinely low-key sentiment in the lead-up to significant fixtures, Gordon Strachan has admitted Scotland want to restore "respectability and pride" when facing England at Wembley. The manager added that the meeting had a "huge" meaning for the under-pressure Scots.
After a start to World Cup qualifying that has brought four points from three games and a wounding 3-0 defeat in Slovakia, the widespread expectation is that Strachan will depart if Scotland lose. The 59-year-old understandably attempted to switch focus away from his situation but conceded what is at stake.
“It really is a huge three points and it’s about trying to get some respectability back because I felt we lost that in the last couple of games,” Strachan said. “And a little bit of pride. It’s the one place you want to perform and put on a good show because there’s so many people there. We’re doing it for the group, the people who have travelled, anybody who has tapped us on the shoulder and wished us good luck and anyone who wants us to win. We’re doing it for them.
“It’s huge. Absolutely. It’s a huge game. We can’t beat about the bush on this one. I have got to say if anybody actually thinks that I am thinking about something else [Strachan’s own position] then they must be crazy because this is so big and so great. It could be so wonderful that this is what I want to do. I want to sit back and watch players.”
Strachan refused to point towards the glaring gap in quality between his squad and England’s. “We can’t talk about that just now,” he said. “Tomorrow we go on the pitch and genuinely believe we are as good as the team we’re playing against.”
The visit to Wembley has special meaning for Scotland's captain, Darren Fletcher, and not just because of becoming his country's joint third-most capped player, with 77. The last time the nations met in London, in August 2013, Fletcher was in hospital recovering from a third operation on his large intestine as he battled against ulcerative colitis.
“My biggest focus then was to be able to take my kids to the park and to step out of the house with no fear,” he said on Thursday. “That was my first challenge, to lead a more normal life. That was the reason I went for the operation. The next part, which I was desperate for, was to get back playing. But the first one was basically for life quality. That’s the biggest thing; you tick the box and move on from there.
“I went in that morning and woke up that night and tried to watch the game. I have vague memories of it. I was fighting bigger things than football at that point. It’s amazing that I got another chance. I’m very fortunate to be in that position.”
Fletcher swatted aside England’s tag of strong favourites. “The game’s not played on paper,” he said. “It’s 11 players going out there and going against another 11 where anything can happen. Talent alone can only take you so far. Desire takes you further. Tactical things are important too. There are a number of combinations that win football matches.”
(Guardian service)
