McGregor now sets sights on securing safety net

THE scorer of Scotland’s only major tournament goal this century, Callum McGregor needs no reminding of the importance of UEFA’s Nations League. A play-off spot secured from the inaugural instalment of the competition provided the pathway for Steve Clarke to guide his country to Euro 2020 and a similar prize is up for grabs if Scotland can top Group B1 when the ongoing edition concludes on Tuesday night.

Official qualifying for the Germany-based 2024 tournament begins next year but McGregor is urging his team-mates to secure the point against Ukraine in midweek that would seal at least a play-off berth.

‘Last time we qualified through the Nations League so we know how important it is,’ he said. ‘When the campaign comes around, we want to be on the front foot and get there automatically but if we can finish this block successfully, then it gives us a safety net which we might need.’

Currently mining some of the best form of his career, McGregor revelled in the challenge of executing a new gameplan as Scotland took out retribution on Ukraine in midweek. He readily admits that Clarke’s men had been affected by the sentiment around the sides’ previous meeting in a World Cup play-off in June.

And provided the team continues to place the emphasis on the technical ahead of the emotional, he reckons they can pull off another significant result against Oleksandr Petrakov’s side in Krakow this Tuesday. This will be a second trip to Poland in the space of a few weeks for the Celtic captain. Shakhtar Donetsk have made Warsaw the base for their Champions League matches as war continues in their homeland, and the national team, too, have found a base across the border.

Celtic claimed a point from their clash with Shakhtar and a similar result on Tuesday would be enough to see Scotland top their group.

Yet having beaten the Ukrainians 3-0 with a commanding performance in Glasgow in midweek, McGregor expects their opponents to come out looking for their own piece of revenge.

‘That’s how football works,’ he said. ‘You need to stay calm, you need to stay level-headed. Wednesday was a good result and performance but that’s it finished. We need to reset and go again on Tuesday.

‘We want to finish this group positively and if we can qualify then that would be excellent.

‘It’ll be difficult going away from home, as long as the intent is there to go and win the game, and the performance is similar to Wednesday then there’s no reason why we can’t win.

‘It was a high-pressure game in the summer with the narrative around it, everyone was hyping the game up. As a squad, we need to learn to deal with those situations better. In terms of high-pressure games, play-offs, semi-finals, there is a lot on the line, so that’s something we need to learn to deal with as a group.

‘On Wednesday there was probably more emphasis on the tactical side of the game and the football — on actually going and playing the game properly.’

A surprise change in shape from Clarke helped Scotland take a grip of the game. Out went the back three, in came a new shape that saw Scott McTominay help anchor midfield behind the marauding John McGinn.

Previously paired with Billy Gilmour in midfield, McGregor enjoyed dovetailing with the powerful Manchester United man, who revelled in being released from his previous duties at right centre-back.

‘Scott’s an intelligent footballer,’ he continued. ‘He sees the pictures, he’s athletic and can get about the pitch. He’s good on the ball too and that provided a good balance in the game, especially with the attacking players going down the outside.

‘We had Kieran (Tierney) joining in at times, Nathan (Patterson) early and then Aaron (Hickey) when he came on. It was a good box of four which locked out the game.

‘It was really positive, there was good intent in the game to press the game higher up and we spoke about that earlier in the week.

‘In a back five you have one less player pressing so a four gives you another player to press at the top end of the pitch and be more aggressive and you also concede fewer set-plays.

‘We want to progress the game and become more of a front-foot team and more aggressive in our defending.

‘I think you could see that. When we got the ball and turned it over, we looked after it really well.

‘We created a lot of good chances and by the end we could have won by more than three.’

As forceful as Scotland were in the first half, it wasn’t until the second period that they edged in front through McGinn’s goal.

The arrival of Lyndon Dykes as a substitute added an aerial threat that yielded the second and third goals. McGregor (right) insists there had been no panic at the lateness of the breakthrough.

‘The good thing was we were creating the chances and we had people in the areas that we wanted to. We just have to believe that if we keep getting in there, that one will drop for you. One of them did with John and then we go on and get two set-play goals as well.

‘This is just the start, it’s a good result and a good performance and we now need to go again. We need to recover well and bring that same energy and intent into the game.

‘After the Ukraine game in the summer, we had to show that we were hurt as a group by what they took off of us. Now we have another chance to go and back it up.’

If Ukraine are depleted by the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko, a clear man of the match in June, they retain the threat of Mykhaylo Mudryk.

The scorer of a thumping equaliser against Celtic earlier this month, Mudryk was kept quiet at Hampden but showed flashes of his explosive talent off the left flank.

McGregor was especially impressed by how well substitute Hickey took up the challenge after Patterson went off injured.

‘Both Nathan and Aaron were really aggressive and when you deny Mudryk space to get in behind then that can nullify the threat,’ he said. ‘The two of them matched him physically really well.

‘That’s what we want from our whole squad, to be alive when you are watching the game and when you are asked to come on you do your bit for the team and Aaron did exactly that. He did exactly what the manager wanted him to do.’

On the other side, Tierney was back at left-back. Having broke through at Celtic around the same time, McGregor enjoyed linking up with the Arsenal man.

‘It was nice to fire passes out to him, reminiscent of four or five years ago,’ he smiled. ‘I love playing with Kieran anyway, as he’s a top player. I know what he can do. Every time he plays out there he always plays a great game.

‘I think the squad has been pretty strong for

around 18 months now. There are really good options, when you look at the bench. We want players to come on and play their part just as Aaron did when he was asked to come on.

‘He was really tuned into the game and it’s going to take everyone to have a successful campaign.’

We showed we were hurt by what they took from us. Now we can back that up