Scotland boss plans defensive tactics for Euro 2012 qualifiers
Scotland national team coach Craig Levein has revealed his game plan for the upcoming UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying matches against Czech Republic and Spain.
Levein has decided to take a page out of Rangers boss Walter Smith’s book and will defend in numbers against the Czechs and the reigning world and European champions.
The Scottish Premier League champions have chosen to play very defensively in their UEFA Champions League adventures this season. While not exactly making for attractive football, the decision has reaped the rewards for Smith’s men as they clung on for a
creditable goalless draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford and picked up a 1-0 victory over Turkish champions Bursaspor at Ibrox earlier this week.
Levein has been heartened by those results and has revealed that he will adopt a similar approach.
He told reporters that: “I don't make any secret of the fact, as I said from day one, that my first priority is to become difficult to beat. I am thrilled to bits for Walter, his backroom staff and the players, after the good start to the Champions League.
I will pick the team that has the best chance of getting a result against the Czech Republic. That is a difficult match and the tactics to be used here will be similar in thought in particular to the Manchester United versus Rangers match but I don't think
that is any great secret.”
The main problem that Levein will have in deploying such tactics is that he will have no recognised defensive midfielder available for the match against the Czechs. Aberdeen’s Paul Hartley is injured, while Rangers’ Lee McCulloch is suspended for the first
game of the double-header.
Levein has the option to deploy Wigan Athletic defender Gary Caldwell in the role with the player previously playing in the position with Celtic. However, questions remain over Caldwell’s fitness as he has only played reserve team football this season while
he makes a comeback from hip operations he underwent over the summer.
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