Scott Walker Column

Published 8 Sep 2010 09:30 0 Comments

THERE will be no pep talks needed to motivate many of the lads when Brian Reid’s Ayr United visit Recreation Park on Saturday.

A few of our players, including yours truly, used to play for the Somerset Park club and I can tell you it wasn’t a great place to play your football.

They have left a bitter taste in my mouth as well as a few other former Ayr men now playing at Alloa after the way they treated us when we were released. That lack of respect hasn’t been forgotten, and it will be good to lock swords with Reid and his side at the weekend - hopefully we can pick up all three points.

Ayr United have fallen away in recent times and aren’t the force they once were but it will still be a tough challenge for us, make no mistake about that. We have not hit a consistent level yet this season and that’s a concern for everyone at the club but we always fancy our chances on the artificial surface.

It is vital we get back on track after the poor performance and result we had last time out against Brechin City - we need to start working harder as a team and defend better.

Craig Levein’s Scotland side worked tirelessly for the jersey in our scoreless draw away to Lithuania in the opening game of our Euro 2012 qualifying campaign last week.

To some extent it was a missed opportunity failing to pick up maximum points but I think there were plenty of positives in the way Levein set the side up - they looked a strong unit.

I would still have liked James McFadden thrown into the game earlier than he was in Lithuania because Faddy can always produce something special and that’s what we needed, especially when they were tiring in the second half. The result means that, presuming we defeated Lichtenstein last night, we will need to get something from the game in Prague against the Czech Republic next month. They are our main rivals for second spot and a place in the play-offs.

Whatever way you look at it, with Spain and the Czechs in the group, it is going to be a tough group but I am still optimistic we have enough good players to get to a major tournament.

Lets be honest though, we’re never going to score a lot of goals so first and foremost the team must be hard to beat and I believe the former Dundee United gaffer is capable of making us just that.

Next week, I’ll give you my reaction to the Ayr United game and tell you what my thoughts are on Manchester United star Darren Fletcher’s - who should have won his 50th cap and entered Scotland’s Hall of Fame after last night’s game at Hampden - performances in the dark blue of Scotland.

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