Trevor Steven: Scotland would love to beat them but England need this win more
I remember the first time I faced Scotland as an England player, at Hampden Park in 1989. In the dressing room we had Chris Woods, Terry Butcher and Gary Stevens, who played north of the border and could not over-emphasise the importance of not losing.
It has always been a big fixture and we all wanted the bragging rights, but for those three Glasgow-based players it mattered even more. Their lives would have been hell and, as someone from the borders who was about to join them at Rangers, I was fully aware of that.
We won 2-0 in the end. It wasn’t a classic but, as usual, it was a tough physical contest in which both teams wanted to dominate their opponents. Tonight’s meeting will be the same – and another really good challenge for England, for several reasons.
Despite his very good record, so many people remain unconvinced by Gareth Southgate, as the reaction to Saturday’s draw with Ukraine has shown, and that means England and their manager go into this match under a bit of pressure.
My concern is that Southgate hasn’t moved on from picking Harry Maguire, despite his lack of game time. It is indicative of his thinking and why some get frustrated. You can’t argue with what he’s done but ultimately this group should be winning something. Is he the right man?
Scotland are playing with incredible confidence following a five-game winning streak that included a watershed victory over Spain. They now believe they can go toe-to-toe with anyone so I don’t think heads will drop even if they go behind.
Steve Clarke has got a squad full of players who play regularly at a high level. That brings a fearlessness and if you have enough of them it removes any inferiority complex. They are well organised too and Clarke deserves full credit.
What has really impressed me, though, is the way they have bounced back from just missing out on a place at the World Cup. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves they have picked up where they left off and that’s a great sign.
The build-up to this friendly has suffered from it coming after Euro 2024 qualifiers, but the rivalry is still strong and come kick-off the game will feel massive – especially for the Scotland supporters inside Hampden, who will certainly be up for it.
For all that it may be bit of a William Wallace moment, there is something more tangible riding on this match. For Scotland, it’s a yardstick for their development; for England it’s a chance to restore faith in their direction under Southgate.
If the Scots can win it will remove a glass ceiling and their self-belief will go sky-high. But they have nothing to lose, unlike the visitors, who are vulnerable and probably need the win more than their hosts do.
Were England to finish the international break with a defeat and a draw, the scrutiny of the team and manager would be long and severe. If they can win, on the other hand, it should silence the critics for the time being.
For those reasons, I expect England to deliver the dominant performance that they need to stem the negativity starting to build again around the team, reassure fans and the media, and take the heat off Southgate. It’s in their hands.
Trevor Steven is a former England footballer who played at two World Cups and two European Championships. @TrevorSteven63.