Before Saturday's Euro 2024 qualifier, assistant coach John Carver advised his Scotland players to let Erling Haaland and Norway worry.
After two games, the Scots lead Group A, five points ahead of Norway, despite the fact that Manchester City forward Kevin Haaland was injured and unable to play in his nation's first two qualifiers.
The forward is anticipated to start on Saturday in Oslo, seven days after capping off an incredible debut year in England by winning the Champions League to complete a treble that saw him score 52 goals in 53 appearances.
But Carver pointed out that Spain player Rodri complained about their tactics following a Hampden match, after one of Haaland's club colleagues recently faced Scotland, in a less than joyful mood.
You know what's fantastic, Carver said? When they compete with the best, these guys perform at their peak.
"Rodri, who just won man of the match for Man City in the Champions League final on Saturday, and you saw his reaction after the (Scotland) game, provide a fantastic example from the recent game versus Spain.
"Yes, we must recognize that Haaland is unique and that they also have one or two other exceptional players, but we must also ensure that we look out for ourselves and maintain our own high standards.
Spain vs. Scotland in Group A of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches at Hampden Park
They'll be concerned about a few of our players, so we must really pay attention to ourselves. Deal with the problem; sure, we'll take care of a few of small things, but it's all about us.
"They'll be concerned about Callum McGregor, John McGinn, Scott McTominay, and others like them.
They would have realized that we are a force to be reckoned with since they saw the games against Spain and Cyprus. They'll see that we have some talent on our team as a result.
"When we are in the thick of things, we perform best. I have no doubt that the returning players will continue with their excellent attitude; the question is whether we will.
With a home game against Georgia coming up next Tuesday, Scotland has put itself in a great position. A victory in Norway would put them on track to finish in the top two and guarantee automatic qualification for Germany.
Carver stated, "Confidence is high but there is no arrogance in there." And that's because of the kind of men we have on the squad. There are no celebrities. In our group, you can't afford to make a large splash because someone is always lurking in the shadows waiting to take you down.
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