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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 09 Sep 2006 Hearts 0 St Mirren 1 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Herald ------ Report | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Valdas Ivanauskas | <-auth | Darryl Broadfoot | auth-> | Douglas McDonald |
| Bednar Roman | [S Kean 83] | |||
| 4 | of 068 | ----- | L SPL | H |
Weir’s way is slow and steadyDARRYL BROADFOOT September 08 2006 David Weir warned of the perils of over-optimism as he reflected on a landmark achievement beyond his wildest expectations. The Everton defender produced a vintage display of defensive expertise on the occasion of his 50th international appearance to drive Scotland to the top of European Championship Group B. The 36-year-old surveyed the remarkable sight with intense satisfaction, especially after his well-documented and reluctant "retirement" during Berti Vogts' maddening reign. Not for Weir an indulgence in celebratory crowing, rather a sober reminder that Scotland's perfect start will be rendered irrelevant if they fail to maintain their steady progress against France and Italy. Raymond Domenech will bring the losing World Cup finalists to Hampden next month on the back of a successful revenge mission against Italy, now under the stewardship of Roberto Donadoni. Scotland's challenge will become apparent after the October double-header against the French at home and Ukraine in Kiev. Weir summed up a nation's renewed optimism yesterday as he analysed the 2-1 victory against Lithuania and suggested a finals appearance in Austria and Switzerland is more than a pipe dream. Yet, he cautioned against unrealistic expectation. "It was a great night and a great victory in Lithuania. It is a tough place to go to but I thought we played really well there and deserved to beat them," he said. "As a group, we are starting to believe in ourselves a bit more, although there is still a long way to go. We have not achieved anything yet but we have begun to believe qualifying is possible. There were a few hiccups in Lithuania but, hopefully, there won't be too many more of them. "Our away record [seven games unbeaten] is fantastic for any international team, especially when you consider how tough games are at this level, but it means nothing unless we qualify for a tournament and that is what our aim has to be. "We have started the group really well and have to be happy with our performances so far. It is exciting but we realise France are one of the best teams in the world. We won't get carried away and we have to keep doing the things we are good at. We need to keep working hard because even if we do that, it will still be very tough." Weir was a reluctant focus of Wednesday night's efforts. Scotland's latest entrant to the Hall of Fame not only rendered Tomas Danilevicius, Lithuania's main threat, impotent but offered guidance and reassurance to those in dark blue who had flirted with danger. Such a performance vindicated Walter Smith's ongoing faith in a player who will be in his 39th year come Euro 2008. "I had more responsibilities as the captain in Lithuania and, with it being my 50th cap, the spotlight was on me a little bit more," he said. "That is not really my kind of thing, but it was nice to come out of the game with a win to round things off. They came at us and really put us under pressure for the first 25 or 30 minutes but we managed to withstand that. "In the dressing room at half-time, we said they had given their all and that it was time to turn things around and start creating a few chances of our own." And how they did. Christian Dailly, a player in danger of short-circuiting during an uneasy first half, redeemed himself with a majestic header soon after the restart, while Kenny Miller overcame his caution and subsequent suspension for France's visit with a poacher's goal to complete Smith's initial objective of maximum points from the opening two games. Not unexpectedly, Scotland endured an anxious finale when Darius Miceika scored a ridiculous overhead kick. Having survived the late trauma, Smith will now spend the next month contemplating yet more change. Miller's absence for the France game need not be the handicap initially feared. Against an accomplished and experienced defence, Scotland require a certain je ne sais quoi. It can be argued that neither Miller nor, for that matter, Kris Boyd, possesses the ingredients required to succeed in the toughest test yet. Miller is not at his most comfortable when asked to retain possession with his back to goal, while Boyd's predatory instincts are dependent on regular service. James McFadden, then, could be the key to Scotland's continued prosperity. He has reiterated his desire to be seen as a striker and has the kind of awkward, maverick qualities that could throw William Gallas and Lillian Thuram off guard. By then, Barry Ferguson is likely to have regained full fitness, enabling Paul Hartley to operate further forward. Against such varied opposition, consistency of achievement will be sought without consistency of selection. Step forward, Walter Smith, the Tartan Army's feted Tinkerman.  Taken from the Herald |
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