Wednesday 25 March 2015 18:20, UK
Kevin Gallacher says the impetus is on Scotland to score as many goals as possible against Gibraltar in their European Qualifier this weekend as they aim to keep pace with the top teams in Group D.
But Gallacher, who scored nine goals in 53 appearances for his country, is convinced Gordon Strachan's side will not change their style against the group's bottom team, who have conceded 21 times in their four matches.
Gallacher, who was speaking at the Ball Street studios filming of the Vauxhall Home Nations Football Show, said: “Gordon Strachan has stuck to his guns with the way he wants his team to play and I can’t see that changing.
We’ve got to score over three goals in the Gibraltar game to keep up with the trend of the way we’ve been winning.
“Gibraltar will have banks of four or five in midfield to try and stop us while the emphasis is on us to create things. I think he’s expecting something very similar in the Northern Ireland game so it’s a good friendly to have beforehand.
"We’ve got to score over three goals in the Gibraltar game to keep up with the trend of the way we’ve been winning.
“When you look at the way that Gibraltar have started with two 7-0 defeats then a 3-0 and 4-0 defeat I think they’re getting better but we’ve got to score as many as we can. There’s a bit of pressure for Scotland there but I can’t see us having any problems.
“Jordan Rhodes, who hasn’t been in the squad, has been brought back into the fold. We’ve seen the lad Matt Ritchie who has come out of the wilderness and is getting an opportunity too. It’s great that different players are being given a chance.
“Gordon’s squad is almost like a club squad now. He knows probably 16 players and then another seven or eight players are invitees into the squad when they’re playing well for their teams.”
'Confidence'
After Gibraltar, Scotland travel to Dublin then Georgia for crucial fixtures and Gallacher reckons they are capable of taking points from the sides around them as they bid to reach a first major finals since the World Cup in France in 1998.
He expects Germany to go on to win the group but is hopeful of picking up more points from current leaders of the pack Poland when they visit Glasgow in October.
“We’ve got three games now that I think are very winnable, two against Gibraltar and one against the Republic of Ireland, and they are massively important.
“If we get those nine points on the board when other teams are taking points off each other that will give us confidence when we’re playing the likes of Poland and Germany. It gives you an appetite when you’ve got three big games; let’s give it our best shot.
“Scotland have a difficult group, fingers crossed that we take the next nine points and the play-offs could be reachable for us. Everyone was hoping that Germany would run away with it but Poland have thrown a spanner in the works for that.
“Germany will get stronger; I think they’ll beat Poland in Germany. Scotland took a great point back from Poland and I don’t see why we can’t take all three points off them at Hampden.
The Tartan Army are hungry to get to a major tournament. It’s been too long for them and they deserve to be there.
“The Tartan Army are hungry to get to a major tournament. It’s been too long for them and they deserve to be there. They make friends with every nation at every competition they’ve been at and they’ve all been highly spoken about.”
Watch the Vauxhall Home Nations Football Show with Ian Wright, Gerry Taggart, Kevin Gallacher and Iwan Roberts – subscribe to VauxhallFootball TV on YouTube or go to www.vauxhallfootball.co.uk
