Ukraine at home - how will big Eck line us up?

The most important match in the recent history of Scottish football since, well, the last one, approaches with breakneck speed, almost as quickly as the Ibrox faithful turn against their team when things aren't going their way. There isn't any real precedent for how we'll line up - under McLeish, our home qualifiers have been against relative "minnows" (they must be minnows because we actually managed to score more than one goal against them). On our own hallowed Hampden turf, I suspect we would be unlikely to go with the 4-1-4-1 which we used in Paris. Which is probably just as well in the absence of Paul Hartley, who became the latest player to come under the apparent curse of playing right back for Celtic - the position should come with some sort of health warning.

After his impact in the previous two matches (understatement of the century) it would take a brave man to not play Fadders. But as a lone striker again? Probably not. But as Saturday once more demonstrated, Kris Boyd is less effective as a lone striker than coitus interruptus is as a contraceptive. But it would be rather risky to start with two out and out forwards against a team of Ukraine's calibre, especially if you wanted to fit McFadden in. Please, for the love of goodness, let's not play Garry O'Connor, who has all the physical attributes required for a useful target man but unfortunately has about as many brain cells as a Tesco Value beefburger (admittedly, that might be quite a few brain cells). Against France, I lost my voice through screaming at him as he decided, time after time, that running at three French defenders while on his own would be a fantastic way for Scotland to keep the ball and wind down the clock, rahter than, here's a thought, passing to a teammate, or, here's a crazy, way-out-there idea, Garry, heading to the corner flag! No, come to think of it, I definitely see the logic of taking on Thuram and Escude, on your own, with no support within 20 yards of you.

So the logical solution may well be to turn to the man who always seems to punch above his weight when in a Scotland shirt, Kenny Miller, with the bonus that he actually seems to be on form for Derby. Miller up front, with McFadden playing in the hole, seems a combination that will work hard, and that might also produce a goal.

Midfield? Assuming we play four across the middle, you would think that, fitness permitting, Ferguson, Brown and McCulloch probably pick themselves. As readers of my post prior to the France game will know, I'm not a fully-paid member of the Gary Teale fan club. So with Hartley and Darren Fletcher on the treatment table, perhaps Stephen Pearson, his teammate? We could easily accomodate him on the left with McCulloch on the right. The downside is that we would then lack a natural winger, but if Miller and Fads are up top then we're hardly going to be looking to get crosses into the box, are we? I'm disappointed that Sunderland's Ross Wallace isn't in the squad yet, he was great in their game against Arsenal on Saturday and is a rather superior left-sided midfielder than Barry "ginger whinger" Robson.

And finally, at the back. Gordon and McManus obviously play. As we're playing a fairly decent team it can probably be taken for granted that Hutton will have a blinder - he suddenly becomes half the player he is when it's Motherwell away, but as long as it's the Champions' League he's an international class defender. Walter Smith's ignorance of the fact that Andy Webster is probably Scotland's best centre-back means that David Weir will get the nod on sheer match fitness (and the fact that the best alternative is Gary Crapwell - sorry - Caldwell - Freudian slip there). I still have reservations about McEveley as left back against top sides, and Alexander rolled back the years (that's a lot of years to roll back) against Frank Ribery and so definitely deserves to retain his place, even he does play for Burnley. Gary Naysmith is the alternative, I suppose.

So there you are - probably Hartley and Fletcher out from the Paris Legends XI, and I reckon Pearson and Miller in. It's a Scotland game though, so if at least 4 players don't pull up lame by Friday, look out of your windows for some riders of the apocalypse.

L.