Charlie Adam denies this Scotland team is the 'worst ever'

Criticism from former Wales winger Thomas provides Strachan's men with motivation

Charlie Adam will use the comments of the former Wales winger Mickey Thomas that the current Scotland squad of players is the worst to represent the national side as motivation against Wales on Friday night.

The Scots are bottom of their World Cup qualifying Group A with two points from four games, one behind Chris Coleman's side who won 2-1 when the two countries met in Cardiff in October.

Ahead of the return game in Glasgow, Thomas said: "Let's make no mistake about this: this Scotland team is the worst they have ever had." Asked if the players would use those comments as motivation, the Stoke midfielder Adam replied: "We will. That's up to him, it's his opinion.

"We will take that on the chin. That's what Mickey is like and I know him quite well with him coming into Stoke so I will have a word or two with him when we get back. That was probably a little bit of kidology but we are ready for it, we have good players in the squad.

"It is about us, we don't need to worry about what other people are saying. It is going to be a tough game but we are looking forward to it."

Adam was also asked about Gareth Bale. They had clashed on a couple of occasions with their clubs before the Tottenham player left Adam in his wake in Cardiff to fire in a long-range shot which gave Wales a last-gasp win.

Adam bore the brunt of the criticism for that defeat but when the issue was raised he responded: "That's your opinion. That's everyone in the press, they sell the papers and that's the way it goes. I deal with it internally, that's the way it is.

"The lads take the criticism that we got, fair or unfair, that's done and dusted, it's gone now. It's a different game and a different challenge for us, we are ready and hope we can get three points.

"I thought we were OK until a certain stage in the game in Wales," he added. "We got a disallowed goal that should have been a goal and that changes the game. That was hard for us to take.

"They got a penalty that probably was a penalty and he [Bale] had a wonder strike that went into the top corner, that's what happens."

Neville Southall, the former Wales and Everton goalkeeper, believes Coleman could face "a knife in his back" if Wales lose to Scotland. He said: "It is a massive game for both countries, probably more so for us. [Scotland's manager Gordon] Strachan will be given another chance if he loses, but I think with ours it could nail the coffin for the manager, for us financially, and for the fans.

"We need to win it for our sake. We are really struggling to get people in the door and when you have a player like Gareth Bale I find it hard to understand, so we really need to win this one. Personally I wouldn't sack him but if we lose this one there will be an awful lot of people queuing up to put a knife in his back."

David Vaughan has pulled out of the Wales squad with an unspecified injury but is confident he will play against Croatia next week.