'We can't afford to repeat the mistakes of the Macedonia trip'

Published on Wednesday 1 September 2010 20:46

IT MIGHT be felt by the Tartan Army that James McFadden, of all Scotland players, has least reason to owe them an apology. He after all provided the fans with one of the most golden moments in the country's recent football history.

• James McFadden was left frustrated after the opening-day defeat in Macedonia two years ago Pictures: SNS

But it was a seemingly remorseful McFadden who stood in the departures lounge at Glasgow airport yesterday and reflected on a World Cup campaign that was doomed from the start following a 1-0 defeat to Macedonia. A similar defeat in the opening game this time, when Scotland face Lithuania tomorrow night, will mean Craig Levein's side face a task and a half to salvage their own qualifying hopes for Euro 2012.

Kaunas is a far cry from Paris, where McFadden sealed his place in the fans' affections with an outrageous winner. But that result was rendered redundant by a slip-up in Georgia later in the campaign. Scotland need to begin producing ordinary-looking wins again. One of these here tonight will be considered a decent way to begin atoning for recent calamities on the road.

"We've got a lot of making up to do after a bad campaign and poor defending in Sweden," said McFadden. "We'll be ready. Most of the boys have started the season well so it's looking good."

"We need to get back on track and make it up to ourselves, the manager, the fans, everybody," he continued. "We were so poor last time we need to get better and basically get off to a good start. We just never played very well last time. In the campaign before we were hard to beat and that wasn't the case last time."

It hasn't been the case for longer than the Tartan Army care to remember. Those who have travelled to places like Oslo and Stockholm in the past year have had to endure watching the concession of goal after goal. In these two trips alone seven have been lost, none scored.

But while the arena in which Scotland line-up tomorrow might seem a low-key place in which to post a statement of intent, McFadden is confident that the S Dariaus ir S Gireno Stadium can be the setting for a re-birth of hope. The team were greeted on arrival yesterday evening in Kaunas by a blistering red sunset.

Scotland have beaten Lithuania just once in three trips, but at least know what to expect. Their opponents, too, are more familiar than they might otherwise have been, with seven of the Lithuania squad having current or former ties with Hearts. This is not a step into the unknown, such as it was against Macedonia.

"If we were going into it blind it would be different but we've been here before and we know what it's all about," agreed McFadden. "We know how to win here. We need to take that confidence into it.We know what the conditions are going to be like so we just need to make sure we're ready for it.

"Last year in Macedonia we were told it was going to be hot but we didn't know just how bad it was going to be. They were terrible conditions to be playing football in but we know what to expect coming here. I'm sure we'll be ready for it."

The defeat away to Macedonia in September 2008 set the tone for a miserable campaign. It proved just how important it is to get off to a good start, although George Burley's side made some amends with a win in Iceland in the next outing.

"I actually think we played not badly in Macedonia and should have got something from the game," recalled McFadden. "If I remember rightly we should have got a penalty but didn't. In the second half we were the stronger team but the fact is that we never won the game and as you say it gave us a bit of a knock going into the rest of the campaign. Probably the biggest disappointments were the Norway games but it's a new campaign. It's time to move on and make sure that we start this one right."

The winger believes Scotland need to collect all six points from this first double header, with Liechtenstein to come on Tuesday night at Hampden: "If we don't get off to the best of starts then it's the same again, isn't it?" he said. "Six points is going to be the aim."

Worryingly, it would be understandable if McFadden had other things on his mind, with midfielder Alexander Hleb having joined his club Birmingham from Barcelona on loan on the last day of the transfer window. "Hopefully it doesn't mean I'll be sitting watching him," he said, although the Scot has made a good start to the season.

He will engage with the task of keeping his place in the Birmingham side when he returns from Scotland duty. For now, McFadden believes both he and his team-mates have a debt to pay.