Liverpool FC have a long history of players who have made significant contributions to the Scotland national team. The list of Anfield legends that have starred for the Tartan Army include Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen.
If Scotland are to qualify for EURO 2012 they will need a new hero, and Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam could be the wildcard for Scotland as they look to upset the odds and reach the Poland/Ukraine tournament.
Scotland are currently third placed in EURO 2012 Qualifying Group I behind Spain and the Czech Republic. The Scots are 10 points behind Spain who have already sealed automatic qualification, and are two points behind the second placed Czech Republic.
Scotland could move into a playoff place with win at Lithuania on Saturday, as long as the Czechs lose to Spain the day before.
Wile that scenario is not that unlikely, to seal a playoff spot Scotland must defy the odds during the final qualifying round on October 11. On the final match day the Czech Republic travel to face Lithuania, while Scotland will face World Champions Spain in Alicante.
Scotland must produce a strong performance to keep their hopes alive, and a player like Adam could play a crucial role in pulling off an upset.
Manager Craig Levein drew the ire of fans and media after he employed a striker-less 4-6-0 formation during a qualifier against the Czech Republic. However, it is not unlikely that he will employ the exact same system as the Scots look to win a midfield battle against the outstanding Spanish lineup.
If Levein does employ that system, then the ability to score from set pieces and contain a shooting threat from distance will become paramount.
Adam has shown all season with Liverpool that he fits the bill in both of those categories. In Premier League play this season Adam has registered one goal and two assists.
The Scottish playmaker has created both of his Premier League assists from set pieces, and scored his goal with a thundering effort from outside the penalty area. Adam served further notice of his shooting threat this past weekend when he almost broke a Goodison Park crossbar during a 2-0 Liverpool win over local rivals Everton.
With Scotland being a clear underdog and likely needing a lightning strike goal to do any damage to Spain, it would be wise of Levein to deploy Adam in their crowded midfield department.
From the day he began playing in the Premier League with Blackpool, Adam has made a habit of causing upsets and defying the odds. If he plays a part in Scotland doing that over the next week, he could join a long list of Scottish legends at Anfield.
Scotland are currently third placed in EURO 2012 Qualifying Group I behind Spain and the Czech Republic. The Scots are 10 points behind Spain who have already sealed automatic qualification, and are two points behind the second placed Czech Republic.
Scotland could move into a playoff place with win at Lithuania on Saturday, as long as the Czechs lose to Spain the day before.
Wile that scenario is not that unlikely, to seal a playoff spot Scotland must defy the odds during the final qualifying round on October 11. On the final match day the Czech Republic travel to face Lithuania, while Scotland will face World Champions Spain in Alicante.
Scotland must produce a strong performance to keep their hopes alive, and a player like Adam could play a crucial role in pulling off an upset.
Manager Craig Levein drew the ire of fans and media after he employed a striker-less 4-6-0 formation during a qualifier against the Czech Republic. However, it is not unlikely that he will employ the exact same system as the Scots look to win a midfield battle against the outstanding Spanish lineup.
If Levein does employ that system, then the ability to score from set pieces and contain a shooting threat from distance will become paramount.
Adam has shown all season with Liverpool that he fits the bill in both of those categories. In Premier League play this season Adam has registered one goal and two assists.
The Scottish playmaker has created both of his Premier League assists from set pieces, and scored his goal with a thundering effort from outside the penalty area. Adam served further notice of his shooting threat this past weekend when he almost broke a Goodison Park crossbar during a 2-0 Liverpool win over local rivals Everton.
With Scotland being a clear underdog and likely needing a lightning strike goal to do any damage to Spain, it would be wise of Levein to deploy Adam in their crowded midfield department.
From the day he began playing in the Premier League with Blackpool, Adam has made a habit of causing upsets and defying the odds. If he plays a part in Scotland doing that over the next week, he could join a long list of Scottish legends at Anfield.
