Former Scotland boss Craig Brown has backed Steve Clarke and his players to finish the job and secure a second place in the 2022 World Cup finals.
Scotland can take a huge step towards the play-offs with victory against Israel at Hampden and Brown, the last man to lead Scotland to the World Cup finals in France in 1998, is confident the class of 2021 can deliver qualification for Qatar next year.
He said: “A big result is always vital in a qualifying campaign and we got one in Austria last month so I’m hopeful we can go on to finish the job and secure a play-off spot.
“The remaining fixtures don’t look too intimidating either. The squad is stronger, there are more of them playing at a higher level and they have good experience too.”
Brown’s confidence stems from the impressive depth to the squad which Clarke has at his disposal.
He said: “We’re shaping up well. The way Scotland have been playing recently has been encouraging.
“We’ve got a good squad and a good manager so I’m optimistic we will qualify this time.
“Take a boy like Scott McKenna for example, who is not a first choice at the moment. He has been the captain of Nottingham Forest, is playing very well and they are unbeaten in the last three or four games.
“I spoke to his previous manager and even when they were losing he was their best player. It tells you the standard if the captain and best player at Nottingham Forest isn’t in the team.
“I think it’s unlikely he will start the game and that tells you a lot about the calibre of players we’ve got in the team just now.
“We’ve got a solid defence with options for every position, a terrific midfield with John McGinn and Callum McGregor, and attacking and goalkeeping options.
“In the past picking a team was the hard part, but now it’s deciding who to leave out. It’s a healthy position for the manager.”
Hampden support is ‘extremely helpful’
Hampden is a sell-out for the visit of Israel on Saturday and Brown insists the Tartan Army will have a pivotal role to play at the National Stadium.
He said: “Scotland, more than other countries, has a support which is extremely helpful. You look at the Danish support, the Austrians and Israel, it’s nothing like the enthusiasm we see among the Tartan Army.
“They have been starved for a while, so they are desperate to support the team and the game this weekend is a hugely important one for Steve Clarke and the team.
“I was out in Israel in the last campaign and saw the game at Hampden and I don’t see a lot there for us to be worried about.
“I genuinely think man for man we are better than Israel, so it would be a surprise result if Israel got anything from the game at Hampden.”
Aberdeen’s Lewis Ferguson has again been included in the squad after making his international debut last month.
Dons ambassador Brown hopes the midfielder can use the experience as a motivator to force his way into Clarke’s side in the months ahead.
He said: “Fergie is in the squad now and making a name for himself by scoring another goal at the weekend with a nice header against Celtic.
“I take it for granted that he is in the squad now. I’d be surprised if he started the game, but to be there is a great compliment to the player and Aberdeen.
“It gives him profile, experience and increases his value as an international squad player, but most important of all, if Scotland do go on to qualify for the World Cup next year, it gives him a huge incentive to try to go from being a member of the squad to in the starting 11.”
