Brown's four highlight dearth of strikers

issued yesterday by Scotland manager Craig Brown, who has to find a team

capable of beating Finland next week, should be enough to bring them

back into touch with reality.

Of the 20 players named for the trip to play Finland in the opening

match of the European Championship qualifying campaign a week on

Wednesday only four are forwards and two of them have not been regular

starters for their clubs. Surely the fact that Brown has had to call on

players whose managers may not be too happy with their current standards

suggests something is wrong.

''Yes, there does seem to be a dearth of strikers at the moment,''

agreed Brown, who has been searching for in-form front players since the

season began. He has seen only a couple, which is why Celtic's Andy

Walker, who has just one cap against his name, was called into the group

which will be able to gather on Saturday because the Scottish League

didn't schedule any premier division matches to assist the international

cause.

''Walker is the best striker I have seen this season,'' the manager

added. ''He is linking well and is scoring and because the Finns have

two up and down central defenders it wouldn't be wise to try

battering-ram tactics. We will have to try to beat them on the deck.''

Scotland, of course, can't afford to lose this opening Group 8 tie,

which will be played in Helsinki's Olympic Stadium, if the campaign is

to be more successful than the last World Cup qualifying series. The

Scots lost their opening match to Switzerland and never recovered. The

country's international stock could not handle another severe jolt so

closely behind the European failures of Rangers and Aberdeen.

The chances are Walker will start next week's game with perhaps Duncan

Shearer for company up front, but Brown's thinking might well be

influenced by any bursts of scoring power in Coca Cola Cup ties tonight

and tomorrow. Eoin Jess and Pat Nevin, who will not be allowed to play

for Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, are the two other front players, but

the Aberdeen striker has a more realistic chance of starting than Nevin,

although his ball skills could be crucial against a Finnish side which

is no more than strong and functional.

The key to the outcome of the tie could lie in midfield, where Brown

does appear to have form players in Celtic's Paul McStay and John

Collins, and Gary McAllister of Leeds. Some believe McAllister and

McStay do not gel, but Brown claims it is possible to accommodate both

in the same team.

''I also believe they can be played on the same side of midfield. A

manager has to play a structure which caters for having as many of his

best players as possible in the side,'' Brown said. ''I am sure we can

win in Finland and we can win the tie in midfield.''

Brown, in fact, will also have the under-21 squad and an under-16

group with him in Finland and Simon Donnelly, who is in the under-21s,

could be promoted to the senior squad if there are any injuries to the

four forwards. The manager resisted naming the Celtic teenager in the

full squad because he feels the next match is not one for inexperience.

''Perhaps when we play the Faroe Islands at Hampden in October some

younger players will come into the squad, but for the moment I have to

go for experience,'' Brown said. ''However, I also want to see more

young players coming through, players like Donnelly, Duncan Ferguson,

and Phil O'Donnell and we will look at them next time.''

There are those who feel the young players should be in the squad now

and Brown's manager of the under-21 side, Tommy Craig, can be numbered

among those determined to push deserving causes. He also believes ''a

collective rethink'' is necessary before the best young players will be

allowed a proper opportunity to flourish.

''We have to start playing one another at football again,'' he said.

''We might, just might see a bit of daylight. Youngsters are not

encouraged to apply their skills in our leagues, yet it is possible to

marry the aggression and pace of our game with skill.

''There are under-21 players like Donnelly, Christian Dailly, and

David Hannah, who is maturing very quickly, who must be close to Craig

Brown's thoughts. Why are we safeguarding these players, and from what?

Are we protecting them from the pressures of the premier division? If

so, how are they going to get the experience they need?''

These are words which shouldn't be dismissed simply because Craig

doesn't have a high-profile job at Celtic Park. The truth should be

heard no matter who is speaks it. Squads:

SENIORS

Goalkeepers -- Andy Goram (Rangers), Bryan Gunn (Norwich), Jim

Leighton (Hibernian).

Defenders -- Tom Boyd (Celtic), Colin Hendry (Blackburn), Brian Irvine

(Aberdeen), Craig Levein (Hearts), Stuart McKimmie (Aberdeen), Alan

McLaren (Hearts), David Robertson (Rangers).

Midfield -- Ian Ferguson (Rangers), John Collins (Celtic), Gary

McAllister (Leeds United), Stuart McCall (Rangers), Billy McKinlay

(Dundee United), Paul McStay (Celtic).

Forwards -- Eoin Jess (Aberdeen), Pat Nevin (Tranmere), Duncan Shearer

(Aberdeen), Andy Walker (Celtic).

UNDER-21s

Martin Baker (St Mirren), Steve Crawford (Raith Rovers), Christian

Dailly (Dundee United), Jason Dair (Raith Rovers), Simon Donnelly

(Celtic), Jamie Fullarton (St Mirren), David Hannah (Dundee United),

Peter Handyside (Grimsby), Allan Johnston (Hearts), Duncan Jupp

(Fulham), Stuart Kerr (Celtic), Barry Lavety (St Mirren), Jerry Lavin

(Watford), Gary Locke (Hearts), Neil McCann (Dundee), Jackie McNamara

(Dunfermline), Steven Pressley (Rangers), Hugh Robertson (Aberdeen),

Philip Scott (St Johnstone), Derek Stillie (Aberdeen).