Scotland keen to shape own destiny ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers
The Tartan Army have the chance to book their spot at next summer's tournament
Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith says the national team is aiming for nothing less than maximum points from this month’s fixtures as they look to take control of their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Having last reached a World Cup in 1998, the Scots are seeking to end more than a quarter-century of absence from football’s biggest stage.
They will host Greece on Thursday before welcoming Belarus to Hampden Park on Sunday.
After taking four points from their opening two matches in Group C, Naismith insists Scotland are well placed to push on and ensure their fate remains “in our own hands.”
“The getting to major tournaments, that is massive,” said the former Scotland forward, who won 51 caps for his country.
“That we’ve managed to do two Euros, to get to the play-offs for the previous World Cup and narrowly miss out – it all builds a determination, an anger for not making the last World Cup.”
The final two qualifiers for Steve Clarke’s side will come in November – away to Greece and then at home to Denmark – and Naismith says the squad’s belief is stronger than ever.
““”Knowing that you can get there, it all feeds in, it all feeds in on top of the players and the individuals progressing at their clubs. Definitely the confidence is as high as I’ve seen.
“In the first camp, we’ve done a lot of good work. This camp we need to continue that to make sure we’re in that position in November so that we’re really confident it’s in our own hands and we believe we can do it.”
The 37-year-old also praised the depth and fitness levels across the squad, noting how much the current group has matured through recent qualifying campaigns.
“I don’t think we’ve been in a better place in terms of players getting minutes,” he said. “For an example of where they’re at, look at Aaron Hickey, who’s coming back from what’s been a torrid couple of years and looking like a different animal.
“You’ve got John McGinn, Robbo (Andy Robertson) who are leading it and they’ve had real success at club level. So in everything around performance, we’re in a great place.”
Learning from Greece Defeat
Thursday’s meeting with Greece comes with an added layer of motivation.
Earlier this year, the Greeks handed Scotland a 3-0 defeat at Hampden Park, a result that relegated Clarke’s men to the second tier of the Nations League.
Naismith admits the memory of that loss still stings – but believes it has strengthened the team’s resolve.
“We’ve got a clear idea of what needs to be better, what we’re really good at as a team,” he explained.