FORMER Celtic striker Charlie Nicholas has accused Graeme Souness of 'looking for plaudits down south' after the Liverpool great suggested he would like to see Ukraine defeat Scotland to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Steve Clarke's side face the war-torn European nation at Hampden on Wednesday evening in the World Cup play-off semi-finals, where the victor will progress to a one-off final away to Wales for a place at the Qatar showpiece.
Neutrals will be supporting Oleksandr Petrakov's team, who have a tremendous amount of goodwill behind them. Souness would like to see Ukraine to play at the tournament, even if it meant his own national team missing out, because of the conflict in their homeland.
But Nicholas believes his fellow former Scotland internationalist is simply playing to the gallery.
"Graeme Souness says he wants Ukraine to beat Scotland tomorrow," he told the Express.
"We're all entitled to our opinions but maybe my old Sky Sports colleague is looking for more plaudits down south.
"I am certainly not in the Souness camp. I want Scotland to win their play-off semi-final at Hampden and advance to the make-or-break clash against Wales for a World Cup spot.
"I totally get why people would want Ukraine to make it to Qatar 2022 given what their people are having to go through.
"Scotland won't have many well-wishers among neutral observers.
"But in football you can't afford sympathy.
"When that first whistle goes at 8pm, Steve Clarke's players must forget about everything else that is going on in the world and concentrate on the next 90 or 120 minutes.
"There can't be any other thoughts in their minds.
"Scotland must put everything to one side and focus on trying to beat this talented Ukraine team.
"We know the passion and emotion that surrounds this fixture.
"But let's not forget it has been 24 long years since the Tartan Army last cheered on their heroes at a World Cup finals.
"We, as a nation and a team, are desperate to get back there.
"Clarke has handled the whole situation really well with his comments in the build-up to the play-offs.
"There is no doubt that his players fully grasp the importance and magnitude of this game and I'm sure that will stir them into action."
