Charlie Adam is confident the ‘best Scotland team in years’ will end 22 years of hurt and qualify for a major tournament for the first time since 1998.
The Scots are just one win away from a place at next summer’s postponed Euro 2020, with Steve Clarke’s men facing Serbia in Belgrade in their play-off final on Thursday night – with full commentary of the match LIVE on talkSPORT 2.
It’s a huge game for the nation and hopes are high as the team go into the match looking to continue their longest unbeaten run since 1988, having not suffered a defeat in their previous eight games.
Getty Images - Getty
Scotland have a strong team on paper, but it’s up to the players to prove it on the pitch when it matters. Scotland’s last major tournament was all the way back at the France 98 World Cup, while their previous European Championship was in 1996.
And they’ll have the added carrot of knowing that, if they qualify, they’ll join the ‘Auld Enemy’ of England in Group D at next year’s competition.
They face a dangerous Serbia side ranked 15 places above them at 30th in the FIFA rankings, and one with plenty of recognisable names in their squad.
But Adam insists Scotland’s team of experienced and in-form stars from the English Premier League and Scottish Premiership – including the likes of Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay and John McGinn – have what it takes to seal their long-awaited return to the top level.
getty
“Serbia are a good team and they’ve got some good players, but they’re not unbeatable,” Adam told White and Jordan on talkSPORT.
“Aleksandar Kolarov is 35, Aleksandar Mitrovic is playing in a Fulham team that is struggling in the Premier League… Dusan Tadic at Ajax is a good player, and they’ve got some nice tactical players, but apart from that…
“Yeah they’re ranked 30th in the world, but their record is not as good as everybody thinks and there are problems we can cause them.
“We’re a good team, we’ve got a good manager who can set up away from home and we can counter-attack, we’ve got players who can hurt them.
“We’ve got some good players who are playing well at club level – Robertson won the Premier League last season, Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor at Celtic, these are good players.
“This is the best squad we’ve had in a long time, the lads are playing with confidence, they’ve won a few games, Steve has got a group of players now that look like they’re happy to be there, everybody is happy to go and commit and play.
“We have to be solid, we have to be disciplined and don’t go gung-ho, but I think we’ve got a good opportunity.
“It’s been a long time, 22 years, this is a feeling of a whole nation, the same kind of feeling Liverpool fans had trying to win the Premier League, we’re trying to get to a major competition again and it would be phenomenal.
“I do truly believe we can do it, and if we do there will be be some party in the houses in Scotland tonight!”
from Football - news, transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures https://ift.tt/35oQlMj
via IFTTT
No Comment