Champions League failure is killing Euro qualifier hopes

IT’S the hope that kills you.

The refrain is a familiar one. Given Scotland’s failure to qualify for a major tournament for 17 years, it could almost stand as the Tartan Army’s motto.

And as the country readies itself for another all-or-nothing qualifier this time against Poland on Thursday it again forms the backdrop for a big night at Hampden.

After the despair of Tbilisi last month when defeat to Georgia had many thinking, initially anyway, it was all over, a more comforting narrative has become common currency.

All Scotland have to do is beat, or even draw, against the Poles, while Germany secure victory over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

Then, Lewandowski and Co will have to see off the Republic in the last game in Warsaw on Sunday.

As they are doing that, Scotland will cruise to victory against Gibraltar in Faro and, just like that, passage to the Finals in France next summer will remain open, with a play-off to come.

It is, to be fair, a plausible scenario.

Gordon Strachan’s side did enough in the battling draw 2-2 against the Poles in Warsaw this time last year to suggest a win in Glasgow would not be beyond them.

Likewise, the atmosphere in that match was significantly intimidating as to leave no doubt Ireland would find it an uncomfortable venue to go to and chase a result on the final day of the campaign.

It does, though, rely on Gordon Strachan’s side securing a result on Thursday night, which the manager himself admits could prove tough.

Especially as the lack of goals from our front men contrasts sharply with the scoring machine that is Robert Lewandowski.

Listed an injury doubt a couple of weeks back because of an ankle issue, he responded by smashing 10 goals in three games from Bayern Munich.

With the haul including a record-breaking five in nine minutes, it was little surprise mention of his feats had the Scotland’s national coach sounding both a little wistful and apprehensive.

Will Scotland make it to the play-offs? Yes No“It would be great if we could get the same thing with someone who scores a lot of goals,” said Strachan.

“Someone who gets 30 goals a season and scores one every two games. But we don’t have that at the moment and we can’t find it.

“And I am very wary talking about Lewandowski because they have other really good players who will back him up.”

“We have got some good players ourselves. But world-class? No.

“They are not in Champions League football. I keep saying that. I look at other squads and they are all in Champions League football. We have a problem.

“If you look at our goals, we have nobody like Gareth Bale or Lewandowski.

“Everything has to be worked as a group, and within that you have six more chances of it breaking down if it’s a six-pass move. Some guys just pick it up and go bang, goal.

“We have to work at everything we’ve got. There has to be a lot of passes or work at a set-play or something like that.

“Shaun Maloney has pulled us out with a couple of good things recently, but it’s very hard to keep looking at the one guy and go: ‘Okay, you do it again’.

“It would be nice if other people took that mantle, and there are guys capable of producing that.”

Which ones to go for though?

Take out Steven Fletcher’s hat-trick against Gibraltar a European minnow by anyone’s standards in the spring and his last goal for Scotland came six years ago.

He offers the best physical presence, can hold the ball up and is good in the air.

Leigh Griffiths, by contrast, is slight and continues to work with his club, Celtic, on the development of both his upper body strength and his link-up play.

Yet what he does offer, as proved again with his opener for the Hoops against Fenerbahce in midweek, is goals.

They come from near and, potentially, from distance, with the 25-year-old having hit no shortage of individual efforts in his time.

Whether best to start Griffiths or play him on the bench is the question that will be playing on Strachan’s mind as the clock ticks down to Thursday.

If ever there was a game in which a gamble might be required, this is it.

Any doubt that Strachan would take it was surely quashed with the inclusion of Jordan Rhodes in the squad for the double header.

It was a tacit admission from the coach there may come a time on Thursday night when he has to throw the proverbial kitchen sink at the Poles to win vital points.

The bookmakers can’t split the teams, with Scotland as short as 6/4 to win on the night and, dependent on the result from Dublin, set up a potential glory night in Faro a week today.

It’s the hope that kills you.