How Scotland's unknowns have turned up the heat on the world's top soccer powers

Six points from the matches against Ukraine and Georgia and the Tartan Army could be plotting their Alpine invasion for next year's Euro 2008 finals.

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Although manager Alex McLeish is preaching caution, this Scottish feelgood factor is fuelled by more than an unexpected win in France.

There is the development of young players and the recent performances of clubs in Europe.

If he wished, McLeish could choose a team to play Ukraine at Hampden today from Rangers and Celtic, who beat Lyon and AC Milan in the Champions League last week.

This is a drastic change from recent years when the Old Firm were dominated by imports.

Now even the managers of Celtic and Rangers are Scottish, while James McFadden, hero of Paris, scored another crucial goal to keep Everton in the UEFA Cup.

There is also the resurgence of Aberdeen, who are in the UEFA Cup group stage after beating Ukraine's FC Dnipro.

Qualification for Euro 2008 would cap a fully-fledged renaissance after the misery endured under Berti Vogts, when the national team were grateful for a late equaliser against the Faroe Islands.

"The change has been remarkable," admitted BBC pundit Alan Hansen, who won 26 Scotland caps.

"Maybe after Vogts had his unfortunate time in charge, things couldn't go lower.

"The Scottish FA have gone back to their roots and heritage with men steeped in the country's football like Walter Smith and subsequently McLeish. The players and the whole nation are behind them."

There are those, however, who reflect on the Vogts reign with more affection. He upset some with his methods and went out to scour the country for fresh talent.

Not all the discoveries worked but Craig Gordon, Darren Fletcher and McFadden were among the gems from the "new generation".

Gordon, 24, said: "Berti made an awful lot of changes. It probably took longer than everyone thought to turn the team around but what he started is now showing and we're getting the benefits of it."

The emergence of defender Alan Hutton, 22, from the Rangers youth ranks, and Scott Brown, 22, who has joined Celtic from Hibs, has added more youthful quality to the squad.

Journeymen such as Burnley full back Graham Alexander, 36, and Paul Hartley, 32, have supplied the character and resilience of players who have taken the long road to international football.

The names may not inspire like the Class of '78: Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Archie Gemmill, Joe Jordan and John Robertson, and they may lack the individual brilliance of Denis Law or Jimmy Johnstone, but their fan club even includes Franz Beckenbauer, a former team-mate of Vogts, who is backing McLeish's team to qualify.

Scotland's triumph in the face of an unfeasibly tough group, featuring three teams from the last eight of the World Cup including the finalists, has won over the neutrals.

When the draw was made for Euro 2008 qualification, Smith conceded his rapidly improving team would do well to accrue 18 points.

They are now on 21 with three to play but any two of four teams can still qualify.

Ukraine — still strong despite the fading form of Andriy Shevchenko — followed by Georgia in Tblisi represent a stern test.

Even with a six-point return, the Scots could still need at least a point from their final game against Italy.

Kenny Miller says the squad will be devastated if they achieve 27 points and still miss out.

But if McLeish's men are to climb every mountain, they are going to do it the hard way.