Gordon Strachan says Scotland will need more than just passion and a ‘get into them’ attitude if they are to beat England.
The two sides meet at Hampden on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1, with the hosts looking for a win over the Group F leaders to keep their World Cup 2018 qualification hopes alive.
Strachan knows that Scotland supporters are desperate for the players to show passion but insists the rugged ‘get into them’ approach does not exist in the modern game and says his team will need to show more if they are to take anything from the match.
“The ‘get into them’ kind of theory, which a lot of people in Scotland are desperate for us to do when I meet them, died with the backpass rule, tackling from behind and better pitches,” he said.
“That weapon Scotland had years ago where ‘get into them’ was well and truly used, it is not used as much now because you can’t do that. You have to think your way through games, interceptions and being brave on the ball.
“I wish we could use the ‘get into them’ theory but we cannot use that anymore.”
Scotland are fourth in Group F, six points behind England and two points behind Slovakia, who occupy the play-off spot, and Strachan says he wants his players to play with freedom and bravery against Gareth Southgate’s side.
“We give people freedom to wander and do their own thing at times. It is not set in stone, which way you attack and which way you defend. The defending is quite easy, it is when you attack you give them freedom.
“We hope we can do that tomorrow. We are looking forward to doing that tomorrow, having freedom in our play and being brave on the ball and that determines how you play really, and where the space is, where the space is determines where you want to play.
“If the space is not there you go play somewhere else.”
Asked if he felt as though he could go three at the back or push more players up front, Strachan added: “It depends. People say you play with one striker but you play two off them, getting past them.
“People think ‘he is only playing with one striker’ but sometimes you play with three and two of them are wide.
“We’ve had [Steven] Naismith and [Shaun] Maloney, they were strikers rather than midfield players playing wide so, again, it is all about us having the ball and then we determine where the weaknesses are in play.”
Scotland lost 3-0 to England at Wembley in November but Strachan said he was pleased with many aspects of his team’s performance on that occasion and he wants to take that into the return fixture in Glasgow.
“I must take a lot of the things we did there, I must take them on board, that was encouraging,” he added. “What we have in our group is enthusiasm, fitness, determination, so we must use that.
“Within that we have to relax when we have the ball and have no fear when we have the ball. You have a fear when you don’t have the ball of getting beat.”
The England squad were put through an intense boot camp last weekend, with a trip to the Royal Marines’ Commando Training Centre but Strachan said he was not concerned about their preparation.
“I’ve not got a clue what they have been doing. I’m sure they enjoyed themselves, they went to boot camp,” he said. “We’ve got the tartan army anyway, so we’ll use them. We’ll get together with them and see what we can do.”
