Levein to switch setup against Spain
Scotland manager Craig Levein will adopt a “different game plan” against Spain after being criticised for playing a 4-6-0 formation in the 1-0 defeat to the Czech Republic on Friday.
The world and European champions travel to Hampden Park on Tuesday night, and Levein insisted that he will shake up his tactics to try and get a result.
“It’s a different game and a different game plan,” Levein said. “I thought we were aggressive against the Czech Republic.
“Spain play an attractive brand of football and they do have players of a technical quality that has to be admired.
“Their recent results show, and the competitions they’ve won lead me to believe they are possibly the best team Scotland have ever played.”
Despite coming under fire for his striker-less setup against the Czechs, the former Hearts boss is full of confidence ahead of Vicente del Bosque’s Spaniards.
“I'm very positive about the match,” Levein said. “In fact I'm excited and looking forward to it and I know the players are as well.”
One of those players is skipper and Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who is relishing the challenge of playing against a team he describes as “the greatest of all time.”
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“It's an exciting challenge when you play against the best players in the world and the best team in the world like Spain,” Fletcher told Sky Sports.
“You are talking about the European and world champions and I think nobody can argue with the football they play. It is a massive game to be involved in.”
The Tartan Army have fitness doubts over Alan Hutton, Gary Caldwell, Steven Whittaker and Graham Dorrans. Rangers striker Kenny Miller will almost certainly return to the starting line-up.
By Luke Nicholls
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.