Gordon Strachan: Gibraltar will not be pushovers

GORDON STRACHAN has warned the Tartan Army that Gibraltar will be far from the pushover everyone is expecting.

Gordon StrachanGETTY

Gordon Strachan insists bottom ranked club Gibraltar will not be a push-over

The Scotland boss believes Gibraltar, bottom of the UEFA rankings in 54th place, are a much more difficult challenge than when they began their international campaign.

Gibraltar conceded just four goals away from home against World Champions Germany in their last Group D match - they had shipped seven goals in each of their first two qualifiers.

You get over that initial excitement of just being there and you want to be hard to beat, and I think that's the stage Gibraltar will be at

Gordon Strachan

Strachan said: "You get over that initial excitement of just being there and you want to be hard to beat, and I think that's the stage Gibraltar will be at."

And Strachan has his own cautionary tale of under-estimating international newcomers when, in May 1991, Scotland laboured away to San Marino in a European qualifier.

It was Strachan who broke the deadlock from the spot in the 63rd minute, on their way to a 2-0 win.

He said: "We had some good players playing in that team and it took a corner-kick and a penalty." The Scotland boss knows the Tartan Army will turn up expecting plenty of goals - and quickly - against UEFA's newest members who are still unrecognised by FIFA.

But despite his words of caution, he will still be expecting a mature display and victory in their bid for qualification.

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?