Monday 13 October 2014 10:29, UK
Scotland midfielder Shaun Maloney feels the team’s mature performance in their 1-0 win over Georgia is evidence of how the team is evolving under Gordon Strachan.
Although the Scots needed an own goal from Georgia’s Akaki Khubutia to seal the win, they dominated large parts of the game and enjoyed 63 per cent possession overall at Ibrox.
Maloney revealed ball retention has been a particular area of focus for the Scottish coaching staff and the Wigan Athletic man is pleased with how the team are progressing in that area.
"It's something that we are not really known for, a nation that has a higher pass retention and more possession than the other team, but we are slowly trying to change that,” he said.
"We are trying to change that throughout the age groups but the most important thing at the moment is the first team and the manager has been speaking about it for the last 12 months or so.
"On Saturday night it probably came to fruition but I think it will be a completely different game in Poland, I don't think we will have as much of the ball as that, but it was certainly enjoyable.
"In the last 10 minutes we could have probably kept the ball a bit better and maybe not attacked every time we got it, and seen the game out a little bit more comfortably.
“But maybe I'm nit-picking. I think overall we have got to be pretty impressed with the first 70 minutes."
The pressure was on the hosts to claim three points after they opened their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 defeat in Germany.
Scotland’s next game is away against a confident Polish side, fresh off their first ever win over their German neighbours, and Maloney revealed the team will be adopting a different tactical approach for that game.
"It was a huge game for us to win," he said. "We have spoken about how well we have done in the last 18 months but now these games really matter, getting a home win was so important.
"We saw it out in the last 10 minutes. We should have got at least a couple more so the last 10 minutes we are a little bit uncomfortable.
"But it takes a little bit of pressure off us. The home games come with pressure from the fans and the expectations of trying to win your home games will transfer to Poland.
“I think we'll be tactically different and a little bit of pressure might come off us.
"Recently we have been pretty good away from home. The pace of (Ikechi) Anya has been huge and obviously Alan Hutton and (Andrew) Robertson, full-backs that pushed up on Saturday.
"It's a huge advantage if you've got pace in your side and at the minute we've got that."
