DARREN Fletcher wants Hampden “rocking” for the visit of Lithuania as Scotland aim to make the National Stadium a “fortress” during their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Scotland go in to their first home qualifier tonight on a high, after their 5-1 triumph in Malta and Fletcher wants to see that mood reflected in the stands.
The captain knows there will be difficult moments against an improving Lithuania side but he has urged both his team-mates and the Tartan Army to take the initiative.
“The expectations should be that we go and win the game,” the West Bromwich Albion midfielder said. “Our fans expect a lot of us and that’s great.
“But the biggest thing is to get behind us and support us and help us achieve that. We need everyone pushing together.
“We need Hampden rocking, we need to make it a fortress, a place that teams don’t like to come. That’s a combination of us going out there and setting a tempo and the fans getting behind us as well.
“We are going in to win the game, as we do every game. We have always got a gameplan to win. We are expected to win and to take the game to the opposition, and we will do that, but we do have to be cautious as well. It’s a long 90 minutes.”
Fletcher will make his 75th international appearance against the team that were on the receiving end of his first Scotland goal.
The then 19-year-old volleyed home the only goal of a tight contest in October 2003, which set up a European Championship play-off against Holland.
“It’s one of five goals, so it’s high up there, to score on your home debut, to come off the bench and score a winner to take you to the play-offs, it was a fantastic moment. I look back on it with great pride when I see it. And hopefully there are many more moments.”
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