Butcher plots way to exploit Macedonia's vulnerability

TERRY Butcher's three favourite possessions are housed in a trophy cabinet he commissioned a joiner in Bannockburn to make for him several years ago. They are the light blue caps, adorned by gold braid and the three lions insignia, awarded to him for representing England at three World Cup final tournaments.

For the man who made his 77th and last appearance for his country when they lost on penalties to West Germany in the semi-final of the 1990 competition in Turin, they are cherished reminders of the highest points of his playing career.

This weekend, Butcher returns to World Cup combat again. This time he is on the sidelines, wearing the lion rampant on his chest as assistant to Scotland manager George Burley.

The former Rangers and England captain had believed his involvement on the biggest stage of all would be restricted to that of a media analyst, a function he performed for the BBC at the three most recent World Cups.

Now he is relishing the prospect of being in at the sharp end once more with Scotland in South Africa in 2010, a participation he says he would perhaps regard as his most significant World Cup experience of all.

"There is nothing like being in an international squad, particularly when it comes to the World Cup," said Butcher. "This is what it's all about for me, it's the biggest stage you can ever play on.

"I've been to six World Cup final tournaments, three as a player and three as a pundit. I'd love to go to one as a coach; that would cap it all for me. For Scotland to get there would be a wonderful achievement."

His adopted country may not have enjoyed a summer in the spotlight since the 1998 finals in France, but Butcher is supremely confident that barren sequence will come to an end when the dust settles on the Group Nine campaign which kicks off against Macedonia in Skopje tomorrow.

He only has to look across to the opposition's technical area at Srecko Katanec, the Macedonian head coach, to underline that belief. "People say it might be pie in the sky for Scotland to get to the finals, but hold on a minute," added Butcher. "It can be done. Katanec did it with Slovenia, a country of 1.2million people, back in 2002. So it can be done if a team is well organised and believes in themselves. I look at this Scotland team and squad and I see the makings of a strong side who can make it. I've got a lot of confidence in these Scotland players and there is no doubt they will play for the jersey with pride."

Butcher is unperturbed by some of the negativity which has surrounded Burley's first three games in charge of Scotland this year, the friendlies against Croatia, Czech Republic and Northern Ireland, and insists their failure to win any of them is irrelevant to the challenge which now lies in front of them.

"We've been very pleased with the progress we have made," he said. "Those three games were not about results for us, they were about looking at the strengths and weaknesses of various players to see what they could add to the squad.

"You have to decide whether to discard one player or promote another. You have to look at how they all gel together, to see if there is a good mix or if there are any cliques. That's what we have done.

"We have now got good options in the squad, despite the withdrawals of several players. There is a versatility to the way the team can play. There is a strong unity in the squad. You can sense the difference this week, now that its competitive matches we are about to play. Training has been excellent and the players are certainly fired up. We had to tell them not to be too fired up, to save it for Macedonia. They have generally been very focused on the job in hand.

"It has been a steady build up to the campaign. We have had a look at a lot of players, we have played difficult opposition and that can only help us in our selection for the eight important games to come in the group."

Butcher has prior experience of the sweltering conditions Scotland can anticipate in Skopje, having been there in a media capacity when England faced Macedonia in a European Championship qualifier in September 2003. A penalty from David Beckham earned England a 2-1 win after Macedonia took the lead and they were similarly stretched when they returned three years later, Peter Crouch scoring the only goal of the game.

"That game five years ago wasn't great and England just scraped through," recalled Butcher. "It is a warning to us and Macedonia are even stronger now.

"It is a rigid 3-4-3 system they play and everyone in the team knows what their job is. They have players who can just slot into it if they get injuries or want to change personnel. Goran Pandev is their star player, but Katanec quite often brings him off. So it is all about their team system.

"They are full of confidence. They've got the Dutch at home next Wednesday, so it is two huge games for them to start off with. They are looking for at least four points from them.

"They have got a good pedigree, with excellent results against Croatia, Poland and England in recent times, but then they have also lost to Andorra. So there is a reverse side to them and hopefully we can make that reverse side come out.

"We watched their recent friendly against Luxembourg on DVD the other night and Craig Brown, who was there for us, gave a very good talk on the Macedonian strengths and weaknesses. His report was very thorough.

"You can talk and talk and talk, though, but it comes down to action on the pitch. The lads will be well prepared physically and mentally. They will be properly hydrated, the sports science side of things is first class with Scotland.

"We can't go gung-ho and chase the ball in that heat. We have to be conservative, because they can cut you open otherwise. We have got to be robust and strong, play to our strengths and keep the ball as well as we possibly can. We have players who can do that."

Head-to-head: Katanec's team hold aces in experience and results

• MANAGERS

Srecko Katanec boasted a decent pedigree as a player with Stuttgart and Sampdoria before embarking on a career in coaching with NK Gorica in 1998. A successful spell with Slovenia followed, qualifying for the 2000 European Championships and the World Cup two years later. His time in Greece with Olympiacos was less impressive and he was also a candidate for the Croatia job before taking charge of Macedonia in 2006, penning a two-year extension last December.

George Burley heads into the clash in Macedonia still searching for his first win since succeeding Alex McLeish in January. A decent CV at club level with Ipswich, Derby, Hearts and Southampton saw him beat off strong competition from Mark McGhee, Graeme Souness and the late Tommy Burns for the job. Faces huge expectations after McLeish took the Scots to within touching distance of this summer's European Championships.

• PLAYERS

Katanec has managed to keep together the bulk of the squad who played together in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, where they earned a draw with England and defeated Croatia. Having such a strong unit at his disposal for this campaign will be his biggest asset. Goran Pandev, regarded as the golden boy of Macedonian football, will be the main threat against the Scots, having spent most of his career in Italy with Inter and Lazio.

Burley suffered his fair share of withdrawals for his previous three friendlies and the qualifier against Macedonia has proven to be no different. A total of six players have pulled out this time, with the Scots already without two key men in the shape of skipper Barry Ferguson and Alan Hutton.

• RECENT FORM

If Macedonia are confident ahead of this game, it is with good reason – they have not lost a game at home in more than 14 months, with Serbia and Poland both leaving with a draw from friendlies this year. Form on the road is not bad either, with Katanec's men clinching an impressive 4-1 friendly win in Luxembourg last month.

The Burley era got off to a decent start with a draw against Croatia at Hampden in March, before the heat and skills of their hosts proved too much for the Scots who slumped to a 3-1 defeat in the Czech Republic in May. Most recently, Northern Ireland came calling in a friendly which ended 0-0.

Ten facts you might not know about Macedonia

1 Macedonians celebrate independence day on Monday next week, 17 years after splitting from Yugoslavia. The landlocked country has a population of two million.

2 The republic's most famous son is Alexander The Great, who conquered Greece at 25, Egypt at 30, and then died at 33. The higher they climb...

3 Most famous daughter is Mother Theresa. You might think she was from Calcutta, but she was born in Skopje on 26 August 1910 – when the city was part of the Ottoman Empire.

4 Tartan Army veggies should pack a picnic. "If it's vegetarian food you're after, tough," says the Simply Macedonia cultural heritage website. "This is a serious meat-eating society."

5 The local currency – the dinar – can only be purchased within the country, but the euro is also accepted.

6 Child begging is very common, usually among the Roma population. Macedonia is a relatively poor country.

7 During July and August, the temperature frequently exceeds 40 C in the Demir Kapija and Gevgelija regions.

8 Macedonia have never reached the World Cup finals or the European Championships. They are best remembered for halting the Republic of Ireland's automatic qualification for Euro 2000.

9 Macedonia had to play two Euro 96 qualifying games behind closed doors after crowd trouble at the Gradski Stadium.

10 Although Macedonia have had impressive results against Croatia, England and the Netherlands, they are capable of major howlers – such as losing 1-0 to Andorra (population 70,000) in October 2004, in a World Cup qualifying match.