SO, just what did our weekend performance against Georgia amount to? Well, I thought it was pretty decent - we needed three points badly to get anywhere in qualifying campaigns you must win your home games.

We now go to Italy top of our section, enjoying the feelgood factor, and travel to Bari with a fair amount of confidence.

Now, some people are saying Italy have gone off the boil and that this is a good time to get them. But for me that is well wide of the mark.

If we were to take a point from tomorrow night's game that would be a fantastic result.

As far as the line-up goes for the Italy game, I don't see too many changes. I think it's likely Alex will go with a 4-5-1 formation, and there may be two areas he will tinker with.

Most obvious one will be who he selects for the lone striker's role. For me, despite Craig Beattie coming on and scoring the winner against Georgia, that will come down to either Kenny Miller or Kris Boyd.

In Kenny you have a tireless workhorse, while in Boyd you have the instinctive goalscorer.

I would start with Miller and then bring on Boydy later on. Quite possibly, if the game stretches over the closing stages, then a chance here or there may arise.

In the midfield the Italians are very strong, and we are going to have a real battle to get a fair share of the ball. That is why it will be important to have the extra man in there and I would probably start Scott Brown in midfield.

On Saturday we had Barry Ferguson and Paul Hartley in sitting roles - allowing Lee McCulloch and Gary Teale to bomb forward - and that's different functions to what they are normally asked to perform with the Old Firm.

Georgia were very strong in the middle and we had to be aware of that and combat it, and over the piece we did.

Although Georgia might feel they deserved a point, we are long overdue a break at international level and finally got one with the late winner. However, in Italy, while it will be important defensively to have the extra man in the middle, it is also vital that when we go forward, the two wide men break to make it into a 4-3-3.

If we allow them time and space in the middle they will hurt us, so we must try and get a grip right from the start.

Certainly we will need to retain the ball a lot better over in Bari than we did at Hampden. The other area where we will need an improvement will be in our concentration levels, and the way we press the Italians. I felt at times against the Georgians both dipped.

IN defence, Steven Pressley's experience may get him the nod ahead of young Stephen McManus.

I don't think Alex will go with the three centre-backs, and in Italy experience is a quality that will count.

The last time we played the Italians on their own patch, we were outstanding, especially in the second half, only to be undone by a couple of fantastic set pieces from Andrea Pirlo.

Despite all that, we are going there in good heart and if we could take a point that would be a great result.

But no one should underestimate the size of the task facing us in trying to take something off the current world champions.

Their title spells the size of the task awaiting tomorrow. They think it's all over... but it's not

I STILL think England will qualify for Euro 2008, but it's time Steve McClaren got tough with his players.

Something is not right there, and whether it is because McClaren has been unable to motivate his men I don't know, but it's time he gave them a rocket.

There is just no way a team with that much talent should be drawing with Israel over there. They have world-class players. Up front, there is Wayne Rooney and Andy Johnson, who has been on fire in the Premiership, but for some reason it just isn't happening.

It looks like McClaren has given Rooney a rollicking, and for me if he wants to keep his job that's what he has to do.

I don't think that changing manager in the middle of a qualifying campaign is the right way to go about things.

England undoubtedly have the quality to progress. I still expect them to qualify.

However, for anybody down in England even to be entertaining any thoughts of winning the tournament is pie in the sky. Foot on the gas to finish second

RANGERS must press on now. They have the scent of a second place finish and Champions League football and cannot afford to let up.

By any standards 22 points from a possible 24 in their last eight games, with six clean sheets, is outstanding form, and the win over Aberdeen has made Rangers comfortable.

However, you only have to look across to the east end to see what happens when you take your foot off the accelerator - it can be hard to get going again.

In that respect, Inverness are probably the ideal opponents to concentrate players' minds, especially when they are returning from international duty.

Of course, the other factor here can be injuries suffered in those internationals, but that one is always in the lap of the gods.

However, no one likes losing home and away to a team and Rangers will be smarting from that. So motivation will not be a problem.

Inverness will come to Ibrox buoyed by the fact they have already beaten Rangers twice, including a win in Glasgow. So make no mistake, this will be a test of the improvement and the strides Rangers have taken under their new management.

But the target has to be to go through the remainder of the campaign undefeated. Winning is a habit and one that you must keep going and I am sure that Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall will have that drummed into the lads.

The other factor here is that players will be playing for new deals and that provides a motivation all its own. Obviously, they will be looking over their shoulders at the new lads on pre-contracts, ensuring there is no relaxation in the run-in.