Scotland’s stuttering start to the World Cup qualifying campaign appears to leave them playing for second place in Group F at best but defender Grant Hanley insists that was always his target.
The campaign got off to a bright start for Gordon Strachan’s players when they defeated Malta 5-1 in Ta’ Qali but Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Lithuania at Hampden Park and Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat by Slovakia have quelled much of the early hope.
Scotland face group favourites England in their next encounter at Wembley next month but Newcastle United defender Hanley claims catching their rivals, who are three points ahead of his side at the top of the table, was never his realistic aim.
Scotland are a point behind second-placed Lithuania but the position might not be enough to secure a play-off spot for the finals in Russia, with the runners-up with the lowest points total from the nine European groups missing out.
Hanley, nevertheless, is focused on silencing his side’s critics by finishing second, which he reckons Strachan’s men are still on course for.
He said: “The group is still wide open. We’re only a point off second place and that’s probably what we’d have been aiming for at the start of the campaign.
“We’re still right in there. We’re down right now but I’m positive about our chances.
“We can’t afford to let ourselves be negative because there’s everything to play for.
“At times like this we have to be thick-skinned because people are going to have opinions and they won’t always be favourable. So, the lads have to stick together, to work hard for each other and keep moving forward.
“All that matters is finishing in the top two, which we’re still capable of. Whatever anyone says, we’ll all be aiming for that.”
With just three matches played each team in Group F has dropped points, following England’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia in Ljubljana but Hanley says a return to form for his own side is his only concern.
The 24-year-old added: “I don’t know if the other results in the group matter. Maybe England dropping points in Slovenia is good for us going to Wembley next but then again we maybe want England to beat everyone else so they’re all dropping points.
“When it comes down to it, we can’t rely on other teams or look for other results, we’ve just got to look after ourselves.”