IT MAY sound like soccer sacrilege, but there is a strong case to be argued that Scotland's next big game is not tonight against England - but against Gibraltar on March 29.

After all, the match-up with Wayne Rooney et al is only a friendly, a reciprocal arrangement after Gordon Strachan's side provided the opposition as the English FA celebrated their 150th birthday last year.

The tie against the minnows from the Med, on the other hand, has attached to it three precious points in the qualification race for Euro 2016.

Well, you can count Strachan out of those trying to support this particular theory.

To the 57-year-old's way of thinking, Scotland v England always has been, and always will be, a massive match-up.

"No, I wouldn't agree the Gibraltar game is the next big one for us," said the man who has led Scotland into a strong position in Euro Group D.

"This game against England is big. It has to be for us because anyone who comes along to watch it and support us will consider it is big.

"So we have to make it big."

Strachan does concede, however, it has only just crept out from the huge shadow which was cast over it by the massive clash with the Republic of Ireland on Friday.

"We got three points, and that was very important for us," he acknowledged.

"When we got together last week, we never mentioned this game against England at all.

"It was Sunday before we spoke about it for the first time. We had to clear our heads after Friday.

"Our video analysis had all been about that game against the Irish, and we have now started our preparation for the England game.

"This is what all of our focus has been on for the last few days, and we go into it feeling good about ourselves."

In fact, his players, to a man, are insisting they want to be part of this occasion, the first time England have ventured north since 1999.

Rooney has warned the young players in their squad they are about to walk into a hostile environment, based on his experience of playing at Celtic Park with Manchester United.

That's surely not very friendly fire from the captain of our nearest - but not dearest - neighbours?

"It's not hostile," Strachan bristled, himself a veteran of many a big game in the East end of Glasgow.

"The atmosphere on Friday was not hostile at all.

"There was booing. But that's different when there is an aggressiveness or a nastiness with it.

"There was none of that in the stadium. It was like pantomime booing, which was good.

"As a player, you are all right with that because there was no nastiness with it.

"So it will not be hostile tonight.

"Both teams will want to win, but there will be respect for one another. That's the atmosphere you get at our games."

Just which players will be subjected to whatever atmosphere is created by the packed house is still a matter of conjecture.

Strachan has been impressed by the eagerness of all in his charge to be handed a shirt.

Compare that to the bad old days when, for many, being named in a squad for a friendly match was the precursor to feeling a twinge in your hamstring which could only be remedied by staying with your club.

It is symptomatic of the spirit which now exists in this squad, something Strachan and his backroom staff have worked to generate and develop.

However, on this occasion, the urge to be involved has thrown up an unexpected problem for the manager who is mindful of disappointing anyone desperate to play.

"I want to be fair to the players who keep turning up for our squads," said Strachan.

"But I have to respect the occasion and the supporters who are coming along to see us compete against England.

"I can't make wholesale changes. If I did that, I know I have got good players, but I don't know if we can play the same system with them and be successful.

"That's the difference, and it becomes a balancing act when I get down to selecting my team for this match.

"I need to look after players, but also the supporters and the result.

"There are players we have got who are sometimes better in other systems.

"Some day we might have to do that, if there are certain players missing.

"Then we will have to accept we can't play the first-choice system, so we will have to play another one.

"But, at this moment, we can still play the same system, if that's what we want to do."

Strachan could, of course, make several substitutions, depending on what agreement has been agreed between the two camps.

But he felt that making too many changes late in the match at Wembley last year played a part in England hitting a winner from a corner as players were still getting to grips with who was by then supposed to be marking who.

So plenty of thought is being put into who will start, who might come on, and who will be restricted to the role of spectator.

On paper, it looks like an opportunity to blood the likes of Lewis MacLeod, given it will be a game with an edge to it, but without the added pressure of qualifying points being on the line.

"We will have to think about that," was Strachan's response when asked if the 20-year-old Rangers midfielder was in line to get his first cap.

"Lewis has been a good addition to the squad, and I have enjoyed his company.

"But there are people ahead of him just now, I think, who deserve to get a jersey on.

"They have put a lot of hours in for us, travelling to a lot of places for Lewis to jump ahead of them at this time."