Captain Andy Robertson knows Scotland will be within touching distance of their Euro 2024 dream if they grind it out against Georgia.
Steve Clarke’s side are looking to make it four straight wins on the bounce when the Georgians come to Hampden in Group A qualifying tomorrow evening. Robertson knows if the national team could make it 12 points from 12 at the halfway stage then they would be taking a major step towards next year’s finals in Germany.
The skipper, who led the nation to Euro 2020, stated: “Four games and 12 points would be special and it would put us within touching distance of what we want to achieve. But, if we don’t then it probably blows it open again because Georgia – they get points against us – they’ll all of a sudden be lifted and the gap won’t be as big as it could be.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game. Everyone in the squad, plus the manager and staff, is focused on Tuesday.”
The Georgians won in Cyprus at the weekend and sit second, behind Scotland but in front of some much bigger footballing nations. Scotland have now a perfect start to their qualifying with big victories over Cyprus, Spain and Norway.
It has been a big spell for the Scotland team. Robertson has called for the Tartan Army to play their part in getting the side over the line on Tuesday. He knows it offers its own challenge at the end of a long, hard season and the mental and physical drains that came from Saturday’s energy-sapping win in Oslo.
The Liverpool star admitted: “It was immediate focus on Tuesday. It’s a massive game. Tuesday’s such a big game for us now. Look, we were able to enjoy beating Norway – and for sure, the Tartan Army who came over were able to enjoy it a lot more than us.
“We flew straight back and our full focus was on recovery. Tuesday’s another massive night. We’ll need Hampden in its full voice. We’ve given the supporters a reason to shout. There’s not a reason for them not to be singing! We need them to push us. That was a tough shift against Norway. We’ll need to recover and we’ll do that to the best of our ability.
“But, when you’ve got 50,000 fans shouting your name and cheering you on then it’s a lot easier to make those runs and things like that. We’ll need them because if we can get 12 points it’s massive for us.”
Georgia’s main threat will come from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. A player Robertson knows all about having faced him and his Napoli team in the Champions League this season.
He warned: “Yes, he played against us twice this season. He’s a special player. Obviously, they’ve got other good players and they’re hard to beat. Our analysts will be looking at them and giving us the run down on them.
“Georgia will be coming to Glasgow to win and they need to try and catch us. We need to be prepared for that, we need to get our bodies right first and foremost. Then our minds will get right and we’ll be ready to try and get another win. Hopefully it will be another good night at Hampden.”
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