It seems like an eternity since the last time Scotland played football. It was of course that England game at Wembley back in November, but a lot has happened in other spheres of football since then.

However, matters concerning the national team have very much been put on the back burner and out of mind. Everyone has been waiting for these games coming up, especially the one with Slovenia.

One of the biggest issues arising in the run up to that game and tonight's friendly with Canada is Gordon Strachan's squad and it has been picked.

I think every Scotland manager has to do it his way.

Gordon has a selection bias of English football, he can’t deny that. He must think the standard in the English Championship and Premier League is higher than in Scotland.

He feels the players are in a physically better state as well as being technically better.

I think there is a different way to look at it. Predominantly Scottish football fans are Scottish based. They will relate to Scottish-based players more.

No offence to him, but Liam Cooper’s name was not on my radar. I suspected most of the Tartan Army would have been the same.

I always go back to Germany as a country who does most things right. They get that you need a real synergy between domestic football and the national team. They know one feeds off the other.

In Scotland the players who play each week, unless the play for Celtic, will not get looked at by the national team. Certainly not regularly.

It is a pity because by now you’d want to know if the likes of Kenny McLean, Graeme Shinnie, Jamie Walker and Partick Thistle's Liam Lindsay are ready for Scotland. When you are naming a big squad for a friendly you think the chance would be against Canada. It’s a game to look into the future. If you're not good enough for that then what does that say?

I think you have to really try and get people behind the national team and I’m not sure naming players from the English Championship is going about that the right way.

As of Sunday only 5000 tickets had been sold for tonight's game at Easter Road. The fans are voting with their feet on this one.

Do you really think we have a chance of being in Russia? Even the most optimistic wouldn’t be able to say that. There’s not much evidence or excitement.

I’m not in favour of an all-Tartan team. But when in doubt, there is a middle way you can stride by giving players from our league encouragement.

I’m not that confident for this Sunday. It’s a difficult position already.

Slovenia are a smaller country but their ranking shows they are the favourites. As Scotland sit in 67th, Slovenia are 58th. If it goes to the form book Slovenia will win.

Easily Slovenia could have beaten England when they drew with them back in September. A draw for Scotland on Sunday is not good enough.

The are technically better than Scotland, but that’s maybe not a surprise. They are not a Lithuania and Latvia.

It’s got to the point where Scotland need to be winning just about every game. That’s the situation we’ve got ourselves into, and even then winning this one won’t change the dynamic.

England will win the group and runners-up are not secured of a play-off place. There is a lot on the line.

It’s baby steps but they have to act like adults, go out there and win the game.