Scotland focused on “must-win” Ireland game

Thoughts of many in Scottish football may be turning to a post-Independence Referendum contest with England, but for Kevin Gallacher victory in Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifying tie with the Republic of Ireland is more important.

Gallacher, the Lancashire-based former Blackburn and Newcastle striker, believes Scotland must beat a side led by Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane at Celtic Park to enhance their claims of a place at a first major tournament since 1998.

“The Republic at home is a must-win game,” said Gallacher, who was speaking at the filming of the new Vauxhall Home Nations Football Show.

“In this qualification, I think you’re going to have to win games like that to at least have a chance.

“Germany, I think, will only get better, Poland have started fantastically and there’s the Republic of Ireland.

“We took a point in Poland, but we’re at home for this one and I think it’s a must to take three points.”

World Cup winners Germany were expected to advance to the finals in France with ease, but their defeat by Poland has made it more difficult not only for themselves, but for Ireland and Scotland, too.

“A spanner has been thrown in the works,” added 47-year-old Gallacher, who made 53 Scotland appearances, scoring nine goals.

“It’s opened up what possibly could’ve been a two-, maybe a three-team campaign to a four-team campaign.

“You have to win your home games, it’s as simple as that.”

Gallacher will be excited by next Tuesday’s England contest and more so if Gordon Strachan’s men can beat a Republic side which includes Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, who chose to play for Ireland rather than Scotland.

“As soon as you get the Republic of Ireland game out the way, I think the Scotland-England game will be even bigger,” Gallacher said.

“There’s a worry at the moment that we’d rather have the three points than win the England game, because it’s been a while since we qualified.

“Realistically all your energy has got to focus on the Ireland game, not the England game.

“I’m more excited about the Ireland game at the moment. If we can have three points in the bag, then we’ll switch to the England game and I’ll become even more excited; the atmosphere at Celtic Park will turn up a notch.

“(But) I don’t think politics and football mix. This is just another game of football.”