Sir Kenny Dalglish: We now trust in Steve Clarke’s Scotland and the fans are saving up for Wembley

I wouldn’t be surprised if, over the past couple of days, some of the “wee saving plans” have started again in households across Scotland to save up for Wembley.

That’s the way it used to be 40 and 50 years ago, to make sure you were in London for the weekend.

And if you had a ticket for the match, then all the better!

After Scotland’s fantastic win last Thursday night, we all want to see the Tartan Army at Wembley on June 18 next year, for the match against the Auld Enemy.

They can’t miss out on that.

We also hope the fans are allowed into Hampden Park for the games against Croatia and Czech Republic. They deserve to be there.

As a proud Scotsman, I was delighted see Steve Clarke’s players beat Serbia in the most dramatic of circumstances.

I watched the game in the house, and when Ryan Christie scored, I was on my feet, punching the air with joy.

When we conceded that last-minute leveller, however, I started to sink deeper and deeper into my armchair.

But that was only for a few seconds.

The negativity disappeared very quickly, and I still had belief that Scotland would emerge victorious.

When David Marshall saved Serbia’s fifth penalty kick from Aleksander Mitrovic, I was on my feet again.

It had been a long time coming!

Credit to big Marsh. What a save it was.

But could he not have made it easier on all of us, and saved the third or the fourth penalty!

Seriously, he has been a true hero for Scotland, and has really played his part. They all have.

That result has helped wipe away 22 years of hurt and pain, and the whole of Scotland is buzzing.

There’s a spring in everyone’s step. It just goes to show the feelgood factor that comes with a successful national team.

It’s exactly what a lot of the people have been needing after such a torrid time with Covid-19, and the various degrees of lockdown.

UEFA will most definitely want the Finals to go ahead as planned, and have the Finals games all over Europe, from Baku to Bilbao and Amsterdam to Dublin.

But the governing body isn’t totally in control of the situation, and they will be guided by various Governments and scientists.

So let’s see what the next few months bring to us, and hopefully there is an all-round improvement in the Covid situation, and we see numbers decreasing and the world moving again in the right direction.

I just want as many of the Tartan Army to be there as possible. They deserve the opportunity.

But the health and safety of the country will always need to come first.

Steve will want the fans there, for sure. He knows how important they are, and the phenomenal backing they will give to the players.

This will be an occasion to be shared, for the whole country to be together.

We will go into it feeling optimistic about being able to get the right results.

Much of the belief from the nation is down to Steve’s managerial ability, the way he sets up his teams and gets the best out of the players.

He made some really big calls in the past few games, such as going with Scott McTominay at centre-back and sticking with him. It paid off.

He persuaded Lyndon Dykes to choose Scotland over Australia, and then gave the lad a chance.

He has taken it with both hands, and he was brilliant on Thursday night.

Steve has made decisions he believed were right for the good of the team and the nation.

He didn’t make calls to win popularity contests, or gain favour with the media.

When he was on my coaching staff at Liverpool, his training sessions were first-class. They were organised and educational.

The players wanted a purpose behind every drill, and Steve provided that.

The Scotland players clearly bought into what Steve was trying to do, just as the Liverpool players did.

Led by Andy Robertson, the Scotland players gave their all. They showed a willingness and desire to do well.

They are now unbeaten in nine games, and just achieved something that no other squad was able to do in the previous 10 attempts.

Just let that sink in for a second or two.

It’s really special. They deserve all the praise going.

But it moves on, and today is all about trying to get a positive result away to Slovakia, who are also on a high after defeating Northern Ireland to reach the Euro Finals.

We hope to win the game to secure first place in the Group. If we don’t get three points, then there is another chance away to Israel on Wednesday.

I think we will get there in the next two games. This manager, and his players, know how to get a target over the line.

They are all very good at their jobs.

And this morning, more than ever, we trust and believe in them.