GORDON STRACHAN will make starving Robert Lewandowski, currently the most lethal predator in European and arguably even world football, of service a priority in Scotland’s penultimate Euro 2016 qualifier next week.
Yet, given the eye-watering scoring streak he has been on with Bayern Munich and Poland this season, starving Lewandowski of oxygen could very well be the only way to prevent him from netting at Hampden.
The striker has netted 17 goals in 12 games for club and country this season – including no fewer than five in an astonishing nine-minute spell in a Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg in the Allianz Arena last week.
The national team’s prospects of making it through to the European Championship finals in France next summer are slim enough as it is; they are four points behind the Republic of Ireland in third place in Group D with two games remaining.
The run of form their next opponent’s talismanic centre forward is enjoying at the moment complicates their attempt to finish in third place enormously.
Yet, Strachan, who has recalled Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes to his squad for this double header against Poland and Gibraltar, is confident his charges can nullify the threat Lewandowski poses and secure the result which keeps their hopes alive.
“I think we’re as good as Poland and the Republic of Ireland that’s for sure,” he said. “Absolutely. And we have proved that up until now. People point out that they have Lewandowski and that’s true, but they haven’t beaten us yet [the two sides drew 2-2 in Warsaw in October]. I still believe we are as good as them as a group.
“With most top, top players somewhere along the line they’ll do something in a game. That’s going to happen. But I remember Howard Wilkinson talking about us at Leeds once. He was getting asked about playing against all these big, tall players and the sort of problems we might face.
“His answer was if they don’t get any corner kicks then we won’t have a problem. And it’s the same thing for us against Poland. If we keep the ball longer than they have it then the less chance there is of Lewandowski doing something to hurt us.”
Gordon Greer, the Brighton centre half, performed well against Lewandowski last year away from home and limited the chances he received effectively. Strachan, though feels the way his side was performing overall at that stage in their campaign was more important in securing an invaluable away point.
After disappointing performances against the Republic of Ireland and Georgia away, he is hoping the standard of football produced at stages in the 3-2 defeat against World Cup holders Germany last month is attained again.
“If you look back to how we scored the first goal against Poland, it was all about nice passing,” he said. “We just need to recreate that. It’s four or five passes we need to get in there. Some teams have a Gareth Bale and they don’t need passes. They just need to give it to him and it ends up in the back of the net. Lewandowski is another one.
“We don’t have that kind of player so we need to work at everything we get. Look at the goal against the Republic of Ireland, there was eight passes before we put the ball in the net. The goal here against the Republic was an intricate passing move from a corner kick. There is no individual producing goals from nowhere, we’ve had to work at everything.
“We’re not scared of Lewandowski so long as we do our unit work well. And if we keep the ball longer than them then we’ll restrict his chances. It’s about cutting his supply off and keeping the ball ourselves.”
Strachan admitted that he had been heartened by the return to form shown by Steven Naismith, who was dropped for the Germany game after performing poorly in the costly 1-0 defeat to Georgia, with Everton.
The former Rangers player netted a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Goodison Park in his first game after returning to club duty and has started in the last two matches for Roberto Martinez’s side.
“It just shows you,” said Strachan. He was so disappointed he didn’t play against Germany. Life seems horrible – but within five days he is having one of his best days in football ever. I texted him and I told him: ‘Life is like that.’
“But he is one of the people that decides and determines where he goes in his career. He didn’t feel sorry for himself – he went out and did something.”
Ikechi Anya, too, has played for Watford in their last three Barclays Premier League games and has helped the Vicarage Road club record victories over Swansea at home and Newcastle United away.
“He’s on form,” he said. “The step-up has been no bother, and he played against [Bakary] Sako, and then [Yannick] Bolasie [against Crystal Palace on Sunday] went over and he didn’t seem to have any problems there.”
Strachan, who will be without James Morrison for the Poland game due to the West Bromwich Albion midfielder being suspended, appreciates the magnitude of the task awaiting Scotland at Hampden on Thursday. But he believes if his side perform to the best of their limited capabilities victory and qualification can be achieved.
“I’m always optimistic, but not blindly optimistic,” he said. “I know what the consequences are. I’ve been the same since I was a kid. I do believe we can win every game, but I also understand we can lose every game. That way you can prepare for both things.
“We have to be at our best. There are no world class players. There are very few playing Champions League football and most of the sides we play against have Champions League players. But I am happy with them.”
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