Gordon Strachan seeks focus and patience for Scotland’s double-header

• Manager asks his players to keep calm heads for Slovakia and Slovenia
• Anticipation is high for Scots to secure second place in Group F

Gordon Strachan will not decry the Scotland support’s overdue sense of giddy excitement but he has called on his players to keep calm heads as they seek to move to within one game of a World Cup play-off berth.

If Scotland beat Slovakia at Hampden Park on Thursday a win in Slovenia on Sunday would guarantee second place in Group F. Given Scotland have not appeared at a major finals since 1998 – and routinely have not appeared close to doing so – anticipation is high. Strachan, though, has urged his team to retain emotional stability.

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