Callum McGregor admits a ruthless streak and ability to put emotional sentimentality to one side arrived better late than never against Ukraine.
But the Celtic midfielder believes the agony of a World Cup semi-final play-off defeat at Hampden to the war-torn nation back in June was a lesson on not allowing universal sympathy over the horrors of the ongoing Russian invasion distract from the task in hand. A 3-1 loss to Oleksandr Petrakov’s side this summer denied the Scots the chance of taking a giant step towards Qatar 22 amid a wave of public support and empathy for a nation that washed Stevie Clarke’s men aside.
That disappointment remains fresh for McGregor. And after a 3-0 payback win in Glasgow, he aims to complete the double against the Ukrainians on Tuesday night in Krakow to secure top place in Group B1 of the Nations League.
He said: “It was a high-pressure game in the summer with the narrative around it. Everyone was hyping the game up. As a squad, we need to learn to deal with those situations better.
“In terms of high-pressure games, play-offs, semi-finals, there is a lot on the line so that’s something we need to learn to deal with as a group. When we had the chance on Wednesday to try to level the score a bit, there was probably more emphasis on the tactical side of the game and the football, actually going and playing the game properly.
“We will learn that as a group and that’s how you deal with things. When you get disappointment you have to go again and be strong.”
McGregor has targeted another huge win over Ukraine in Poland to not just gain a bit of revenge for putting paid to Scotland’s World Cup ambitions but also prove this national side is now capable of delivering on its promise. He said: “This is just the start, it’s a good result and a good performance but now we need to go again.
“We must recover well and bring that same energy and intent next time. This gives us the chance to try to level the score a bit against Ukraine. It was disappointing what happened in the summer.
“We were hurt as a group by what they took off of us in the summer but now we have another chance next week to go and back this up. Football is a good game in that sense as it gives you little chances to even the score and we need to try to frame it that way as well. When we go over there we want to be positive.”
Scotland’s emphatic 3-0 victory over the Ukrainians on Wednesday night was a welcome boost to our chances of once again using the Nations League as a route to the European Championship Finals in 2024.
And McGregor insists a win in Krakow is well within their reach. He said: “We want to finish this group positively and if we can qualify then that would be excellent.
“It gives you a safety net as we qualified the last time through the Nations League. When the campaign comes around we want to be on the front foot and qualify out of our group. But if we can finish this block successfully then it gives us a safety net, which we might need.
“It will be difficult going away from home but, as long as the intent is there to go and win and the performance is similar to Wednesday, then there’s no reason why we can’t succeed. That’s how football works. You need to stay calm, stay level-headed. It was a good result and performance but that’s it finished. We need to reset and go again.”
The Hoops skipper is convinced Clarke’s squad is now packed full of quality options across the pitch with players ready to step into the breach.
That was shown by Aaron Hickey, who was an early replacement for Nathan Patterson in midweek, as the Brentford full-back made a telling contribution. McGregor said: “The squad has been pretty strong for around 18 months now. There are really good options, you look at the bench and it’s really strong.
“That’s what we want – a strong squad with players who can come on and play their part, just as Aaron did when he was asked to come on. He was really tuned into the game and it’s going to take everyone to have a successful campaign.
“The best way to answer it is to come on and do your job for the team. It’s never selfish, it’s always for the benefit of the team. When you are asked to come on, you give everything for the team and that’s what the guys are doing. We just keep building and keep getting better.”
McGregor believes both Hickey and Patterson played pivotal roles during Wednesday’s win by keeping a check on Ukrainian dangerman Mykhaylo Mudryk to typify the all-for-one and one-for-all approach.
He said: “The two of them, Nathan and Aaron, were aggressive and when you deny him space to get in behind that can nullify the threat. You have to go and do that and the two of them matched him physically really well.
“That’s what we want from our whole squad, it’s to be alive when you are watching the game and when you are asked to come on you do your bit for the team. Aaron did exactly that.”
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