Not for one minute do I envisage that Gordon Strachan will agree with me, but I think that Scotland should be looking to start tonight’s game with Leigh Griffiths leading the line.

I am not entirely convinced that Strachan thinks that Griffiths fits into the way he wants his team to play but from my own point of view I think there is just a different dynamic when you are playing your home games.

Hampden will hopefully be rocking tomorrow night for the first home game of this campaign and although I don’t expect to see it, I think it is a game for Griffiths.

I thought he played very well for Celtic in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and, similarly, last season against Fenerbahce and Malmo, I thought he fared very well in that lone striking role. I do think it will be a 4-2-3-1 system that Gordon goes with and I would have no hesitation in handing the starting jersey to Griffiths.

Sometimes I think in international football it is incumbent upon you as a manager to keep your opponent’s guessing to some extent.

And although it was great to see us get off the mark with that win in Malta in the opening game, I am not entirely convinced that 5-1 was a true reflection of the game. Chris Martin did very well in that game but at home I think it would be interesting to see what Griffiths could bring.

There were anxious moments early in that second period and given what is at stake I would say that this is a game now against Lithuania that we want to be going for the jugular in.

Another change I would make would be to bring in Kieran Tierney. The youngster is playing game after game for Celtic but, crucially, he is doing it at the highest level.

I do think that Champions League football is the highest level you can play at club level and the boy has shown that he is more than able to live at that level.

Andy Robertson too has done well but when there is a tie between two players I always think that you should go with the guy who is Scottish-based.

The other thing I would point out is that Lithuania are currently positioned at 117th in the FIFA ranking, with Scotland significantly higher in 44th place. You would like to think that a gulf like that will be reflected in the scoreline that comes out of Hampden later tonight.

I remember when Craig Levein was in charge and we started a qualification campaign with two home draws against Serbia and Macedonia and there was a lot of nonsense spouted from the Scotland camp at that point about teams all taking points off one another.

The bottom line is that if you want to do well and qualify you must win your home games. Hampden must become a fortress and it is also the kind of game where you should be looking to put a marker down, get both the right result with a strong performance.

That was you ensure that the other teams in the group sit up and take a little bit of notice.

The main thing in this group is that a second-placed finish will not guarantee a play-off spot. We really need goals and a strong performance if we are to harbour any hopes of ending our exile from major tournaments.

In any case, here is the team that I would like to see start at Hampden tonight:

Marshall; Patterson, Hanley, Martin, Tierney; Bannon, Fletcher, Snodgrass, Ritchie, Snodgrass; Griffiths.

It has been an interesting few weeks in the England set-up with Gareth Southgate taking charge for no.

In many respects, though, I have to say that I think he could actually prove to be quite a safe pair of hands at this time.

I have met Gareth a few times and at this point in time when there has been significant turmoil, he is a guy that I reckon can be relied upon to be cool and calm.

Whatever happens, though, with England, the bottom line is that if Scotland do not take four points out of six in this double header then the game against the English next month is one that carries significantly less weight.

To my mind, if you want to go down to Wembley and get something – and I do think a point could be possible – then you have to do so on the back of a very strong showing from these games.

Whatever happens with England, you have to say that they always do well in the qualifiers. They are a strong team with some excellent individual players and regardless of who is in charge they will remain as the favourites to win the group.

That one will be one of the glamorous games in our group – but it means nothing if we aren’t going into it on the back of big results this week.