Post by C@rly - WHU on Sept 12, 2007 9:46:22 GMT 1
France v Scotland
Parc des Princes, Paris
Wednesday, 12 September
Kick-off: 2000 BST
Live coverage on BBC Radio Scotland & the BBC Sport website; highlights on BBC One Scotland @ 2240 BST
Alex McLeish insists Scotland will throw some caution to the wind in their daunting Euro 2008 qualifier against France in the Parc des Princes.
With the Scots sitting second top of Group B, one point behind the hosts, McLeish was upbeat about his team's chances of causing another upset.
"We want to be able to try to get up the pitch in this game," said McLeish.
"We don't want to be camped in our own 18-yard-box and I need players who can get the ball down and use it."
McLeish says he will forego an ultra-cautious 5-4-1 formation and repeat the more imaginative system that served Scotland well - two goals aside - against Italy in Bari earlier in the campaign.
To this end he will employ a lone striker, likely to be Garry O'Connor or Kris Boyd, with support coming from a player operating in the hole just behind the main striker - Everton's James McFadden is the prime candidate.
"We are more likely to play the way we played in Italy," McLeish continued. "We didn't play with a sitting midfielder.
"We played with one midfielder further forward and as a result we managed to get over Italy's half-way line, as opposed to times in the past when we never got out of our own half."
Scotland pulled off one of the major upsets in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign when they beat the World Cup finalists 1-0 in Glasgow last October.
And McLeish believes Scotland's bid to upset France again could be helped by the hosts desire to avenge last year's shock defeat at Hampden.
"They were smarting about it and I know they've placed a lot of importance on this game," McLeish said.
"If that can tweak on the nerves a bit, we will take any advantage we can get."
Scotland's 3-1 win over Lithuania on Saturday leaves McLeish's side one point behind France.
Italy are in third place with 17 points, one behind the Scots with Ukraine a further four points back with a game in hand.
France drew 0-0 in Italy, while Georgia grabbed a late equaliser at home to Ukraine at the weekend.
And McLeish added: "They said before the Italy game that this was even more important, so that shows you how much they're thinking about it."
A positive result for Scotland at the Parc des Princes would represent a huge step towards qualification for next year's finals.
But McLeish accepts that represents an extremely tall order.
"The French would be firm favourites for any game in Paris against any team in the world, never mind Scotland," he said.
"France are a terrific side. They've got players right through the team who can get forward and score goals.
"The list of household names is endless and they are all terrific, world class players.
"But we just have to concentrate on our own strategy and tactics and team work ethic. That will suffice.
"If we play to our capabilities, then it is a one-off game and you never know."
France will be without Thierry Henry, who is suspended but McLeish played down the signficance of the Barcelona forward's absence.
"They will miss Henry, he is a match-winner, but we know they have quality to bring in," he said.
The weekend's combination of results led French coach Raymond Domenech to conclude that: "As the group stands right now Scotland are the best placed side to top it."
However, Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher was quick to laugh off that claim, given France and Italy played out the World Cup final last summer.
"I've heard a lot of quotes coming from the French camp but to say Scotland are favourites for the group is just ludicrous," he said.
"In a group with France, Italy and Ukraine, how can anybody, even at this stage, turn around and say Scotland are the favourites?
"We know it's mind games. France are by far the favourites for the group and by far the favourites for the game.
"In this group we are very much the underdogs and even though we have got ourselves in to a reasonable position, we haven't achieved anything yet.
"We just have to go there and compete, hope that they have an off day and that we have another really good day like we did at Hampden when we beat them.
"To get a point in Paris would be an even bigger achievement than the victory at Hampden."
BBC Sport
Parc des Princes, Paris
Wednesday, 12 September
Kick-off: 2000 BST
Live coverage on BBC Radio Scotland & the BBC Sport website; highlights on BBC One Scotland @ 2240 BST
Alex McLeish insists Scotland will throw some caution to the wind in their daunting Euro 2008 qualifier against France in the Parc des Princes.
With the Scots sitting second top of Group B, one point behind the hosts, McLeish was upbeat about his team's chances of causing another upset.
"We want to be able to try to get up the pitch in this game," said McLeish.
"We don't want to be camped in our own 18-yard-box and I need players who can get the ball down and use it."
McLeish says he will forego an ultra-cautious 5-4-1 formation and repeat the more imaginative system that served Scotland well - two goals aside - against Italy in Bari earlier in the campaign.
To this end he will employ a lone striker, likely to be Garry O'Connor or Kris Boyd, with support coming from a player operating in the hole just behind the main striker - Everton's James McFadden is the prime candidate.
"We are more likely to play the way we played in Italy," McLeish continued. "We didn't play with a sitting midfielder.
"We played with one midfielder further forward and as a result we managed to get over Italy's half-way line, as opposed to times in the past when we never got out of our own half."
Scotland pulled off one of the major upsets in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign when they beat the World Cup finalists 1-0 in Glasgow last October.
And McLeish believes Scotland's bid to upset France again could be helped by the hosts desire to avenge last year's shock defeat at Hampden.
"They were smarting about it and I know they've placed a lot of importance on this game," McLeish said.
"If that can tweak on the nerves a bit, we will take any advantage we can get."
Scotland's 3-1 win over Lithuania on Saturday leaves McLeish's side one point behind France.
Italy are in third place with 17 points, one behind the Scots with Ukraine a further four points back with a game in hand.
France drew 0-0 in Italy, while Georgia grabbed a late equaliser at home to Ukraine at the weekend.
And McLeish added: "They said before the Italy game that this was even more important, so that shows you how much they're thinking about it."
A positive result for Scotland at the Parc des Princes would represent a huge step towards qualification for next year's finals.
But McLeish accepts that represents an extremely tall order.
"The French would be firm favourites for any game in Paris against any team in the world, never mind Scotland," he said.
"France are a terrific side. They've got players right through the team who can get forward and score goals.
"The list of household names is endless and they are all terrific, world class players.
"But we just have to concentrate on our own strategy and tactics and team work ethic. That will suffice.
"If we play to our capabilities, then it is a one-off game and you never know."
France will be without Thierry Henry, who is suspended but McLeish played down the signficance of the Barcelona forward's absence.
"They will miss Henry, he is a match-winner, but we know they have quality to bring in," he said.
The weekend's combination of results led French coach Raymond Domenech to conclude that: "As the group stands right now Scotland are the best placed side to top it."
However, Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher was quick to laugh off that claim, given France and Italy played out the World Cup final last summer.
"I've heard a lot of quotes coming from the French camp but to say Scotland are favourites for the group is just ludicrous," he said.
"In a group with France, Italy and Ukraine, how can anybody, even at this stage, turn around and say Scotland are the favourites?
"We know it's mind games. France are by far the favourites for the group and by far the favourites for the game.
"In this group we are very much the underdogs and even though we have got ourselves in to a reasonable position, we haven't achieved anything yet.
"We just have to go there and compete, hope that they have an off day and that we have another really good day like we did at Hampden when we beat them.
"To get a point in Paris would be an even bigger achievement than the victory at Hampden."
BBC Sport
mcfadden in the 64th minute, COME ON SCOTLAND 
