Walter's recipe puts Scotland in mix

THE first thing we have to do is to congratulate Walter Smith on a job well done. Too often we have failed, and sometimes quite miserably, against opposition we should have overrun, but that did not happen yesterday.

In the past we have not managed to deliver expectations, but thankfully on this occasion, albeit against a poor side, we got the anticipated result.

We should be beating teams like the Faroe Islands by several goals and we should also be keeping clean sheets against them. Therefore 6-0 was the right result, and furthermore it was achieved with the correct attitude so a lot of the credit must go to the manager who sent out an attacking side.

He did not come out with the usual cliches about 'no easy matches' - he knew this game had to be won well and he sent out a team and formation to achieve that.

Having Kris Boyd play through the middle and Kenny Miller and James McFadden interchanging on the wings was just the right system - their movement was excellent.

Just look at the first couple of goals.

Miller's speedy break wide and then laying it on for Darren Fletcher was just what Walter ordered, and the ball breaking from Miller for McFadden's excellent strike gave the side a real cushion and allowed them to go and express themselves.

We pushed on from there, whereas in the past we might have sat back and settled for three.

This side wanted goals, however, and it was important that all four strikers got on the score sheet. That is great for their confidence, as it is always good to have the goals spread among your strikers.

There were some good individual performances and Boyd in particular looked as if he could score at any time. He's very much the man in form and indeed the second goal was similar to the opener he scored for Rangers against Kilmarnock at the weekend. He might not be too often involved in the build-up outside the box but he is the first player we have had in years who you would fancy to score against anyone.

Fletcher proved in the first half just how important he is to the cause. In the last four or five matches he has been immense. When Barry Ferguson is not playing, he seems to relish the extra responsibility. It will be interesting to see what Walter does when Barry is available again because when Darren is in that role he is very influential.

But my man of the match was Gary Naysmith.

Admittedly he had no one to defend against, but he took full advantage and over the 90 minutes he was up and down the pitch sending in crosses and generally proving a real threat all the time.

But the important thing for me was the desire of all the team to score. Now at one point that did take a wrong turn as the players fought about who was taking the first penalty - something the coaching staff should have sorted out on Friday. But at least they showed they desperately want to score. And the growing club spirit in the side, with genuine camaraderie encouraged by Walter, Tommy Burns and Ally McCoist, was shown at the second penalty when Fletcher appeared to insist that Miller be allowed to take the spot kick. It doesn't matter how it went in, it was a still a goal and that will do wonders for Kenny's confidence and pay dividends for Scotland and maybe Celtic, too.

That was one example of the willingness of players in the squad to sacrifice the personal aspect for the common good, a hallmark of all the best teams.

The icing on the cake was Garry O'Connor coming on and scoring - I wonder how long it is since four Scottish strikers scored in a match.

Over the last 20 years we have had decent players and been well organised at times, but now we look as if we have a threat in front of goals.

They are all young players too, and that's really reassuring.

Yes, they can still improve and they have a lot to learn, but they are all playing top level football and for the first time in a long time we have a side which has a good chance of getting goals.

We should not get carried away, and I would expect Walter not to do so. He will probably revert to a more solid formation in Lithuania, playing 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 and perhaps leaving only one striker up front at times. So be it.

A result over there and we will be in the mix in this most difficult of qualifying groups.

We simply cannot ask for any more.

Taken from the Scotsman