Steve Clarke fires Scotland warning as manager pinpoints the Faroe Islands danger that could wreck World Cup dream

A win would all but seal second place in the group ahead of a home clash with minnows Moldova next month.

Steve Clarke has urged Scotland ’s high-flying stars not to mess up or let themselves down in the Faroes.

The boss says he has to be the old man who keeps drilling realistic messages into his troops.

And Clarke has even enlisted an army of "little spies" to mingle within his camp to ensure minds are fixed and focused properly on the task in Torshavn.

Three straight wins over Moldova, Austria and Israel have thrust Scotland into second spot in Group F and to the brink of the World Cup 2022 play-offs.

But Clarke says his team now simply have to see it through and ensure the outstanding work of the last 270 minutes is not ruined.

He explained: “The thing that I’ve always tried to take from my career is that, if you get one big result, there is no point in messing it up in the next game.

“We spoke about that after Austria. The next one was Israel at home and it was: Don’t waste the good work we’ve done in Austria.

“So now we can add the Israel game to that. We can say: Two great results. Don’t let yourselves down by not getting the points you require against the Faroes.

“I’ve got to be the old guy that tries to calm everybody down and say, Look, it’s just another step on the way to second position. That’s all it is.

“All three points against Israel did was keep us in second place. We’re in control of second place.

“When we come away from this game against the Faroes, we want to still be in control and, hopefully, have cemented second place. That’s the aim.”

Clarke believes his players have already shown in their run to Euro 2020 that they can back-up good work as he added: “Leading into the Nations League play-offs, we went eight games unbeaten.

“So that tells me that this group of players understand what they have to do, how they have to arrive in certain games, what state of mind they have to be in to get the next result and the next result.

“Hopefully we can show that against the Faroes.”

Clarke’s troops must be ready with the coach having ears on the ground just to make sure.

He smiled: “I’ve got little spies walking around the camp, people listening to players and their conversations.

“I’ve heard them already talking about the trip.

“The more senior ones who recognise the dangers and the pitfalls of these games telling the younger ones what it’s going to be like and how difficult it’s going to be.

“Everyone around the camp is just trying to get the mood right.”

Clarke’s boys have bounced into Torshavn brimming with belief after their brilliant triumph over Israel four days ago.

But the gaffer warned: “Every game is different. Every game starts differently. Every game goes in different ways.

“Obviously if we could maintain that level of performance, it would be great, but we have to be mindful that they are a different type of team to Israel.

“Saturday night was great for everybody, we’ve all enjoyed it, but we just have to focus on the next three points. That’s the most important thing.

“The Faroes have their own way of playing. They have good physicality. The goalkeeper has a very long kick.

“I’m not saying they always play direct, but they have the option to be straight at your back four or back five.

“So there are different problems to the ones that Israel gave us the other night.

“That’s something we have touched on in training and in the meetings to make sure that we are ready.”