Peter Houston wants Scotland to take advantage of playing their first World Cup games at home and get the Hampden crowd behind them and give the Serbs little chance to settle when they meet on Saturday. Serbia have not have much luck in their last eight friendlies - winning only once, drawing against Cyprus and the Republic of Ireland and losing to Spain and Sweden in their most recent four. However, they remain 35th in world, 11 places above Scotland, and are second seeds in the group behind Croatia. Serbia coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has been quoted as saying his team are better than Scotland and Wales and believes they can win their British double-header. Houston wants to ensure any such confidence among the opposition players is given a serious test.
Peter Houston (c) Ger Harley | SportPix Houston said: "We have to worry about ourselves. We know they are a good side but we have to put that to the back of our mind and determine how we are going to play and try to upset them, and play at a tempo that lifts the crowd and gets them behind us. We have played excellent teams at Hampden Park and been underdogs. It's about how we raise our game. We've got a talented team and it's about how we go about it. We'll be working at starting the game well and being on the front foot, rather than allowing them possession and allowing them to knock the ball about. I think we're at our best when we're in their faces and trying to win the ball back. That gives the fans a lift, and I'm sure the players can do that." Houston pointed to the 3-2 defeat by Spain in their Euro 2012 campaign, when Scotland came from two down before losing a late goal, as a perfect lesson. The Scotland number two said: "I thought against Spain we sat off them and gave them too much respect at first. They went ahead and we decided 'let's get in about them'. That's when we are at our best, playing at a high tempo. Spain was a great example, that's how we have to go about it. If we sit off behind the ball and allow them to knock it about, they gain confidence and get better. It's up to us to try and upset them and playing a standard of football that we're good at. If we can work hard and keep the ball, we have also got really good technical players who can keep possession. We have introduced young and exciting players." Scotland go into the game without the country's most expensive player, Steven Fletcher, in the squad. But Houston brushed off the reminder of what Scotland are missing out on amid the striker's continuing failure to contact manager Craig Levein after pulling out of a squad 18 months ago. He said: "You look at Jordan Rhodes, who has been in excellent form and got an £8million move. Kenny Miller has settled in well and another lad who has been with us, (Craig) Mackail-Smith, who didn't make the squad, his two goals were absolutely sensational at the weekend. It's a department we are well off in. We are thinking positive and looking forward to it with the group of players we have got. Ross McCormack scored in the Championship, what a goal he scored. There are guys who are naturally good goalscorers."Source: FOOTYMAD
