Summary
PUTTING clubs before country is hardly a natural instinct for an international manager but Walter Smith had his eye on a bigger picture yesterday when he voluntarily omitted eight players from his Scotland squad to face Austria in Graz next Wednesday night.
The friendly fixture was arranged by Smith's predecessor, Berti Vogts, before his departure at the end of last year and, while it is a game the current manager would not have scheduled, he is now determined to put it to the best possible use as he prepares for the make-or-break World Cup qualifying double header against Italy and Norway next month.See the full content of this document
Extract
Scotland Debut for Riordan As Smith Excuses Key Men
Smith has left out his squad regulars from Rangers, Dundee United, Manchester United and Everton, who all have crucial European ties sandwiching the match in Austria. It is Smith's belief that Barry Fergu...
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