Caledonian Craig

Agreed. I would say though that Germany will qualify by hook or by crook automatically. It is something in their psyche or genes that ensure they don't do play-offs to qualify. True they have tough games coming up but they have that uncanny knack of getting exactly what results they want when they need them.

Absolutely not. Like someone else said I have had enough of these local derbies for now.

Before this group begun I am sure Scotland AND Ireland fans were of the same thinking that key was the games between us and what we could pick up against Poland/Germany would help the cause but our match-up was key. That fact and the media hype made our games against each other pressure filled to the hilt and we came out of it much the better yet you are questioning Scotland's bottle. How very peculiar don't you think? Those two games shine out our ability under pressure so it is up to you to show me the evidence (that is relevant to the here and now) that we cannot handle the pressure. And no tinted glasses from me as you will be able to read when I note it will be tough in Georgia. Plus pre-match I tipped a draw on Saturday and I was correct.

How do you analyse performing under pressure then? Is it not getting results when the pressure is on to get them, fighting back from behind as well to get them and getting them when you are far from at your best. Scotland have done them all in this campaign.

But you surely should be questioning Ireland's bottle even more should you not? Lost a crunch game away to us and drew a crunch game at home to us in a game you were winning - that displays either a lack of bottle from your lads or bottle from ours? You cannot have it both ways.

I see you miss out the two games between us conveniently. Which if it doesn't display the ability to get results under extreme pressure then what does it display? Previous campaigns are irrelevant here as it was largely a different set of players and different managers but if you really want to go by that criteria then look at results we got under pressure for 2008 World Cup qualifying. We went to France and won and drew at home to Italy and that was at the business end of that campaign and the last campaign (pre-Strachan) when we had a competent manager.

I disagree about us being unproven under pressure. We most certainly are under Strachan. At the end of the last campaign (when hopes of qualifying had long since gone) our priority was a desperate need to protect our seeding for this draw and we went to Croatia and won, were leading against Macedonia away and they equalised late on but we dug out a late winner and then we beat Croatia at Hampden to protect our seeding. Not convinced? In this campaign we went a goal down to the world champions and equalised and lost out late on, we were under pressure to win a must-win game at home to Georgia and did it, we went a goal down to Poland away and fought back to lead before being pegged back for a draw. We then had the pressure-cooker game at Parkhead which all Scots were saying was a must-win and we showed again we perform under pressure and won. On Saturday we suffered the severe setback of conceding an offside goal to fall behind in Dublin. Did we crack? No we fought back for the draw. Is that enough evidence for you of our bottle under pressure?

As bossman says there is virtually no way Germany can have qualified automatically by the time they play Ireland. In fact I'd go as far as to say it may be more likely that they will travel to Dublin knowing three points qualify them automatically so they'll target that. The reason why they can't take a point off Germany at home? Well for the reason I pointed out earlier - when Germany have a goal in a match they are the most efficient country in the world at getting what they need from a match even in adverse conditions at the business end of a group. Plus look at Ireland's goalscoring record of late (aside from group minnows) and it says they don't or can't score which also counts against them and lack the creativity to carve open defences of Germany's ilk. Until they lose the blitzkrieg approach of aerial bombardment I'd despair of I were an Irish supporter. Now I am not fully ruling Ireland out of it and you can't when they have two of their easiest fixtures coming up so they will still be in the shake-up (on paper) going into October but then they hit the brick wall in terms of tough fixtures whilst out last two fixtures are nowhere near as tough. Ireland's best hope I'd say lies in the scenarios of us losing in Georgia all three of our meaningful fixtures that are left and even the most pessimistic Scot or pundit can't see that happening. The better scenario (though looks unlikely at the moment granted) is that Poland lose in Germany and at home to us. They'll beat Georgia so going into their last game would be on 17 points. Ireland would themselves be on 15 (after likely wins V Gibraltar and Georgia and loss V Germany) going into their final fixture and a win in Poland would take them into a play-off spot. I'd say that scenario is likelier than the Scotland screwing up one.

No. Does drawing England give you a raging hard on? We have played them twice under Strachan and been beaten twice so why on Earth would we want to draw them. It is akin to wanting to draw Netherlands if we reach the play-offs - lunacy. Stick to drawing them on your paper but suggest if you are using red and white then use coloured card so you can see the white.

Another reason a Poland defeat V Germany is better for us that by the time they play us we could easily be within striking distance of them cranking the pressure up on them when they could be on a downer.

Of course it is still on a knife edge and could go either way. However, if we are purely going on our results under Strachan then we have won matches we have been expected to such as Macedonia (away) and Georgia and Gibraltar (both home) which suggests a up is less unlikely than if we were in the form we were under Levein and Burley.

End of the day the equation is simple we have to win in Georgia to avoid any building up of pressure that is a certainty. However, I think even in recent years when we have struggled we still have this knack of getting results off of higher ranked teams at home. In recent years I recall us beating Croatia, France, drawing with Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany and beating Ukraine among others so there is a good chance we will take even a bare minimum of one point in our matches against Germany and Poland as well. In recent times as well we have had similar type games against sides like Georgia recently and won away to Macedonia so we do have recent form of getting results when expected.

You can dress it up in anyway you want but it is odds on you will need to get some sort of a result at home to the world champions (very unlikely for reasons I have mentioned elsewhere) and/or way to Poland. The very minimum amount of points I see us picking up is 4 points (and that is me being as pessimistic as is possible) that means we will finish with bare minimum of 15 points and so if I remain in Irish pessimism mode then most points you will pick up is six (against Gibraltar and Georgia) and would mean you also finish on fifteen but finish below us on head-to-head. As for Martin O'Neill's 'style of football'....err strike that as there is no style in it then I presume you love football played in the air. Niall Quinn on Sky conceded Scotland play the better football and the RTE panel were damning about Ireland's lack of creativity and their lack of any craft in midfield. That is seasoned Irishmen speaking not Scotland supporters.

Well we can't chuck it all away for you if that is what you are hoping. By that I mean that we will get a bare minimum (and that is being pessimistic) of four points more. Definitely three in Gibraltar and being as pessimistic as I can be then only a point from three games away to Georgia and home games to Poland and Germany. Now that isn't going to happen but that is the best Ireland can hope for. This would put us on a total of fifteen points and Ireland then even conceding you win against Gibraltar (a certainty) and Georgia (likely) would also put you on fifteen which would still not be enough as we are ahead on head-to-head. So you'd need to get at least a point at home to Germany or away to Poland. Unlikely scenario I'd say.

Well a draw in Poland may suffice for them. I cannot see them beating Germany who are better than Poland.

Also another reason a German win would be better is (assuming we concentrate on doing our part of the bargain winning in Georgia) then Ireland will still hold out remote hope of catching Poland as they (most likely) would be back to just two points behind Poland and playing them in their final fixture which is better for us for them to go to Poland with a real purpose. That group situation after the next round of matches will also ratchet the pressure up on Poland for their game against us and perhaps make them more happy to settle for a draw.

I would say that if it is a draw then Poland are certain to finish on a bare minimum 18 points and more likely than not to squeeze out at least another point here or there such as at home to Ireland. That would mean we would need a minimum of eight points from our last four games to finish above Poland. A defeat for Poland - for us is the best result as it would mean if we beat Georgia and Gibraltar away and Poland at home we have qualified without a doubt.

It would in one way but bad in another. Statistically, Germany are ruthlessly efficient at qualifying - they don't do play-offs. Now that being the case then if Poland beat them then I can't see Germany slipping up against us as well and putting them more favoured for a play-off spot if you see what I mean.

Only a win will do in this game. No doubt about that.

Precisely. Best option for us from Pot 1 is Romania. They didn't strike me as that great in their match V Northern Ireland at the weekend and they haven't got a player of Gareth Bale's quality that can turn games.

Blatter never received his fat $1 million cheque from them.

For all this talk (and it is true) of us being poor in the last few games. However, I have always been a firm believer in the old addage that a mark of a good side is one with the ability to get results even when playing poorly. If we play poorly V Georgia on this vein of form it certainly does not rule us out of winning. If we qualify playing gash I'd take it but prefer classy performances but qualification is the name of the game.

Andy beats Lu in straight sets. Not his best but adequate. Looked like he was coughing a lot so perhaps still not over the virus yet.

Yes I totally agree with this. Aside from players like Mackay-Stevens and Armstrong I don't see any major changes or breakthroughs into the squad.