Scotland defender Ryan Porteous has revealed manager Steve Clarke’s words of caution for the Euro 2024 campaign.
Clarke’s in-form Scots top their qualifying group with a 100 per cent record of four wins from four games.
It is the first time a Scotland team have won the opening four matches of a qualifying campaign.
Scotland have beaten recently crowned Nations League winners Spain and a Norway side with goal machine Erling Haaland.
They have also overcome a Georgian side with £100m-rated Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Cyprus.
The Scots are within touching distance of qualifying for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany next summer.
However Clarke took the squad back to earth with a post-match talk inside the Hampden dressing room after the 2-0 win against Georgia.
Porteous said: “It is very important that we stay grounded.
“We’ve had a fantastic start to the first half of the group with big results against Spain and Norway.
“It is brilliant and this team continues to make its own history every time we get together.
“But there are still massive games to come.
“The gaffer said in the dressing room that when you think you are doing well, that is when football can bite you.
“So we can’t take anything for granted because we haven’t done anything yet.
“We want to keep progressing but we are not there (Euro 2024).
“We know we have to keep concentrating and keep taking it one game at a time.”
Retaining focus during long delay
Manager Clarke’s insistence that the Scots retain focus was also pivotal during the extended rain delay against Georgia.
Hampden had been battered by torrential rain in the build up to the Group A qualifier.
Callum McGregor fired the Scots ahead after six minutes but soon after referee Istvan Vad suspended play due to a waterlogged pitch.
The game was delayed for more than 90 minutes as ground-staff worked to disperse the surface water.
Hampden was finally passed playable after a second pitch inspection – with play resuming more than 90 minutes after being stopped.
Porteous said: “The manager told us to stay focused.
“Credit to all the staff as well as we had physios and sport scientists who kept us ticking over.
“They gave us food at the right times and that was important as we ate three-and-a-half-hours before kick-off.
“When that gets disrupted it can have a knock on effect.
“We had carb drinks and bananas
“We are just delighted we got through it with no injuries considering the conditions.”
Ensuring game continued for fans
After the referee deemed the pitch playable the rescheduled kick-off time was set for 9.15pm.
However there was a further delay as Georgia did not come out onto the pitch.
The game finally restarted at 9.33pm.
Watford defender Porteous said: “You always hope that the game is going to go on regardless, even before we scored.
“There were 50,000 people in there and we wanted them to enjoy the game and their day.
“We had 50,000 people come out so it was a case of lets do the most we can to get the game on.
“That was our message. I think Georgia were a wee bit different as they were a goal down.
“From their point of view when the pitch is like that it is probably a good opportunity to mix it up and get at us.
“It was difficult but we got there in the end.”
Defensive work paying off for Scots
Scotland have yet to concede a goal from open play in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
The only goal against was a penalty, converted by Haaland in the 2-1 defeat of Norway in Oslo on Saturday.
Georgia were awarded a penalty in injury time for hand-ball by Aaron Hickey following a VAR review.
However Napoli’s Kvaratskhelia blasted the spot-kick over the bar.
Former Hibs defender Porteous, 24, said: “It is something we have worked on and are trying to limit shots, especially from within the box.
“Even against Spain and Norway they only had one or two shots within the box.
“I’m delighted that work’s paying off.”
