Steve Clarke states Scotland need to defeat one of worldwide football’s’big boys’ if they are supposed to make fans feel in them.
The Scotland side of clarke are in European Championship Qualifying Group I before the double-header from Russia on Belgium and Friday on Monday, having won two and lost two of the four matches to date.
Victory over Russia in Hampden Park would take them flat on nine points with all the 2018 World Cup hosts and quarter-finalists – albeit to a – would help Scotland fans.
“We want a win. As a nation, it has been a long time since we turned over among those so-called large boys,” Scotland boss Clarke said before Friday’s game – live on Sky Sports.
“Russia, having been at the last eight of their last World Cup, are among the large teams.
“It is about time we as a nation, rather than being on the receiving end, would be the team dishing out an outcome that is deemed to be an upset.
“Hopefully Friday night may be the case.”
Scotland haven’t qualified for a significant tournament as the 1998 World Cup in France and Clarke knows the correlation between a perceived apathy among some of the nation’s supporters.
Clarke added:”Within several years, we haven’t managed to achieve a major finals.
“If you don’t reach a major finals, the more often it happens, the less people begin to think in it.
“One huge result can change the entire mindset of not just the squad but the entire nation and hopefully it occurs very soon.”
With Belgium top of this team with maximum points, a finish could be Scotland’s best chance of qualifying for Euro 2020, but Clarke was eager to stress that their attention should not just be on Friday’s match.
“Rather than put the pressure on a single match, I think you need to check out the subsequent few matches to make sure we’re still at the team after these three games,” said Clarke.
“Whether it’s Friday, Monday or even the off game against Russia [on October 10], then we must pick up some things and we are aware of this.”
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