'That’s the type of team we want to be' - Celtic and Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor doesn't want doubts to creep in

If ever there was a performance capable of prompting a team to start questioning their own capabilities, it was Scotland’s lame display in losing 3-0 to Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

The extent of their inadequacies all over the pitch was such that Steve Clarke’s squad could scarcely avoid a period of soul-searching in what has suddenly become the most challenging and concerning period of the manager’s three-year tenure.

But while Callum McGregor admits he and his team-mates did not shy away from engaging in an unforgiving inquest into what unfolded in front of a horrified Scotland support at the Aviva Stadium, the experienced midfielder insists they cannot allow it to shake their collective convinction they remain fully equipped to build on the success of reaching the Euro 2020 finals.

As Scotland prepare to face Armenia in Yerevan on Tuesday in a UEFA Nations League campaign which counts toward qualification for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany, McGregor is seeking a performance and result which will prove their worth both to themselves and the Tartan Army.

“With the success of being at the last tournament, that has given everyone the belief and expectation that we should be getting there on a regular basis,” said McGregor.

“That’s the type of team we want to be, we want to be achieving things as a group. As players we want to achieve things individually too, so we have to meet the standards we have set ourselves in the last 18 months or so.

“It’s important we don’t forget the good work that has happened in that period, that we don’t lose belief in ourselves – and also that the nation doesn't lose belief in us either.

“So Tuesday is important because we have to get back on track quickly. We have to go away