Gary Caldwell hopes to keep World Cup dream alive

By COLLEEN STRACHAN
Published on 22/03/2013 12:00

SCOTLAND skipper Gary Caldwell admits that nothing less than a victory will do for Gordon Strachan’s side when they take on Wales tonight.

But the defender reckons that’s the case every time he pulls on the dark blue jersey for his country.

The stakes are high at Hampden, with Scotland currently rooted to the foot of Group A and needing a victory to have any hope of progressing.

The Scots have taken just two points from their four qualifying matches so far and Caldwell concedes they can’t afford to drop any more points.

Scotland face Wales tonight and then travel to face Serbia on Tuesday night and Caldwell, right, is keen for his side to keep their World Cup dream alive with two victories.

He said: “We need to win this game and if we win that one, go and do it again to see where it takes us.

“We have to win all of the games left if we are to have any hope of finishing second. We have worked a lot on a strategy, on a gameplan to win the game. Hopefully that goes right on the night and we get a win and confidence to take to Serbia.

“But whenever you play for your country you are out there trying to win. So, forgetting where we are in the group, this would always be a game that we have to go out and win.”

Tonight’s match will be Gordon Strachan’s first in charge of Scotland and Caldwell would love nothing more than to give him a victory to mark it with.

The Wigan defender admits the Scotland players were disappointed to see Craig Levein leave the post, but is hoping that they can now move onwards and upwards.

“We all liked our last manager”, he said. “We all had a good relationship with him – and we were all bitterly disappointed that it didn’t work out. But we have to move on and when a new manager comes in he bring new ideas, a fresh approach and freshens up the players, gives the players a new impetus to go on and win games.

“All of a sudden the new manager not only gets the backing of the players but also the country as a whole.

“The fans, the media can see that he is the right man for the job and he is getting 100 per cent backing. When we feel that kind of backing it can only be good for the team.”