By Ed Leahy
Scotland manager Gordon Strachan will be looking to secure all three points from the visit of Ireland to Celtic Park so the former Celtic manager should name a very attacking XI to face Martin O'Neill's side.
Formations have changed in Scotland's opening qualification as the Scots packed the midfield for the narrow defeat to world champions Germany, while they picked two attacking formations for the trip to Poland, where they drew 2-2 and the home victory over Georgia.
Expect the Scotland boss to name another attacking eleven to face Ireland and while Strachan will be aware of Ireland's attacking threat, he is sure to put out his preferred formation and not a team to cancel O'Neill's selection.
So here's a look at Scotland's probable XI to face Ireland in this vital European qualifier.
David Marshall
The Scottish keeper has cemented his place as his country's number one under Gordon Strachan. Marshall almost single-handedly kept Cardiff City in the English Premier League last season with a host of man of the match performances for the struggling Welsh side but they came up short and are now mid-table in the Championship. The 29-year-old keeper has proved to be one of the best shot-stoppers in the business and it will take a quality strike to beat him.
Steven Whittaker
The Norwich City defender has played at left back for his country, but should fill the right-back slot with Alan Hutton ruled out and Phil Bardsley ruled out. A player whose career was disrupted by the demise of Rangers, Whittaker has settled at Norwich and is mid-way through a four-year deal. The 30-year-old is a solid defender but neither James McClean nor Aiden McGeady will think twice about running at the experienced full back.
Russell Martin
The Norwich City defender will form the central defensive partnership alongside Blackburn’s Grant Hanley for the Celtic Park encounter. Martin spent a lot of his career playing as a right back and will be joined in the defence by club-mate Steven Whittaker. Three out of the back four are plying their trade in the English Championship, while the one Premier League player is the relatively inexperienced Andrew Robertson from Hull, so the Ireland attack will surely target this as a Scotland weakness.
Grant Hanley
The Scottish centre half plays his club football at Blackburn Rovers, partnering Ireland’s Shane Duffy in the heart of the defence. The Ewood Park side are currently seventh in the table, but have remained unbeaten in their previous seven league games. Hanley is only 22 but is already an experienced campaigner with over 100 Blackburn appearances including a stint in the Premier League. The 6ft 3in centre-half has also cemented his position with the national team since Gordon Strachan took charge and will deal with any long balls pumped into the box, should Ireland go that route.
Andrew Robertson
The Hull City youngster impressed Gordon Strachan in a training match and has been part of the Scotland set-up since, making his international debut against Poland last March. Robertson made his name last season with Dundee United before securing the move south to the English Premier League, where he has enjoyed plenty of first team action for Steve Bruce’s side. Robertson is a confident full back and has been competing with Ireland’s Robbie Brady for that left wing-back roll at Hull, and will look to get forward at every opportunity. But Robertson may find himself overworked facing Seamus Coleman at Celtic Park and is likely to spend most of the game on the back foot.
Shaun Maloney
A game-changing midfielder who can create an opportunity out of nothing and possesses an eye for goal from distance. Maloney is likely to be utilised on the right side of a four-man midfield, but the former Celtic man will drift inside, as fellow midfielder James Morrison is just as comfortable maurauding down the right flank. Maloney is another of the Scotland side languishing in the Championship as Wigan are struggling near the foot of the table, but the quality remains and he'll fancy his chances against Stephen Ward and the makeshift Ireland defence.
Scott Brown
Scotland need the Celtic midfielder to be at his brilliant best if they are to gain the upper hand against Ireland. The Scottish skipper possesses a great engine and it will be needed as he is likely to be outnumbered in the midfield, as James Morrison alongside him is fond of pushing on. Brown won’t get much help from Anya or Maloney and will need a very disciplined performance to give his back four any sort of protection. The Celtic man could really do with a fully-fit Darren Fletcher alongside him to make up for the lack of midfield bite but Strachan’s offensive mindset probably won’t provide it. An early yellow card for Brown could really put this Scotland midfield in trouble against their lively Irish counterparts.
James Morrison
The West Bromwich Albion midfielder was probably hiding under a rock as former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen let loose during the week about Scottish players playing for Ireland. Morrison, of course, represented England at underage level before joining the Scotland set-up but endeared himself to the Tartan Army after scoring against England last year. One of Scotland’s few Premier League contingent and will be a real attacking threat, linking midfield and the front men. Also a threat on the right flank but will need to help out defensively when Scotland lose possession.
Ikechi Anya
Scoring a wonder-goal against Germany in Scotland’s narrow defeat to the World Cup holders, Watford’s Anya is virtually undroppable for this clash with Ireland. Two good feet and buckets of pace, Anya will be a handful for any defender and is likely to spend most of the match on the left flank. It should be an interesting duel with Seamus Coleman to see if this Watford wanabee is really at the level the Scotland faithful believe he can achieve. It will be interesting to see how Anya works off the ball and if he can protect his full-back from the pace of Coleman bombing forward.
Steven Naismith
The Everton man has been a revelation at Goodison Park for the past two seasons and will be the main threat to Martin O’Neill’s unbeaten start to the Euro 2016 campaign. Naismith has bags of pace, works tremendously hard, puts himself about and is a supreme finisher. Often utilised on the flank, Naismith will do most damage against Ireland running at the heart of the defence. Scotland boss Strachan will need Naismith to drop into midfield when Ireland have possession and that can often work to his advantage as he can make his runs from deep, proving a very hard man to mark.
Steven Fletcher
The Sunderland striker is often described as an old-school centre-forward, but that is only one aspect of his game as he has very good feet for a big man and is well able to find the back of the net with both foot and head. Fletcher will come up against club team-mate John O’Shea and it should prove an interesting dual, although O’Shea may have more to worry about from Scotland’s other front man Naismith.
