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Assistant coach John Carver has branded Scotland\u2019s squad the \u201cmost focused group\u201d he has ever worked with and stressed there were no thoughts of Euro 2024 qualification ahead of Friday\u2019s game in Cyprus.<\/p>\n
A fifth win from five qualifiers in Larnaca could see Scotland qualify on Tuesday night, when they host England in a friendly, if other results go a particular way.<\/p>\n
But Carver knows the only outcome they can effect is on Friday night at the AEK Arena and nothing else is worth thinking about.<\/p>\n
The former Newcastle interim manager is sure Steve Clarke\u2019s players will only have eyes for Cyprus and not next summer in Germany.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have not even discussed England or anything outside the game on Friday night against Cyprus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe have to put all our energy into the game. We have to stay humble and show humility.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing into this game is all about hard work, preparation, players being focused and making sure all our efforts are going into this game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe players are very level-headed so they don\u2019t listen to the outside noise, and that\u2019s important. And we encourage that.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a group of staff and players we have had some big games recently and they always say the next game is the biggest, and it is. But it\u2019s not about \u2018can we qualify on Friday night?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t done anything yet, it\u2019s only the halfway stage, there are still four games to go and you know how quickly it can turn in football.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t get ahead of ourselves, all we are thinking about is Cyprus. Looking at the guys when they came through the door and in training, they are really focused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have got a good group of guys and enjoy being together, they police themselves and we just make sure we put the right things on and do the right things in preparation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course it\u2019s really exciting but you can\u2019t get ahead of yourselves, you have to make sure you are in the right frame of mind going into the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we do what we do well, if our organisation is good, if we work hard, if we do all the dirty things well, then it gives us a great opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carver, who has coached at the likes of Leeds, Sheffield United and West Brom as well as his hometown team Newcastle, added: \u201cYou know what? In all my years of working with football teams, this is the most focused group of people I have worked with.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s an honour for those guys because I have worked with some good teams and good players, but these guys are right on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carver has also managed abroad, at Toronto and Omonia Nicosia, which gives him useful insight into what Scotland will face on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Despite a 9.45pm local kick-off time, the temperature is forecast to be 28C during the game.<\/p>\n
Cyprus have yet to take a point in the group and lost 3-0 at Hampden, but Carver stressed they had some notable recent results, including a 2-2 draw in Armenia in March.<\/p>\n
After a training session at Lesser Hampden, Carver said: \u201cWe have said on a number of occasions how tough the game is going to be. On the previous three occasions against Scotland there\u2019s been one goal in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they have also had some decent results and performances, their performance against Armenia, winning in Israel, which is extremely tough, because we found it tough out there, and losing in the last minute against Georgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Cypriot football pretty well and the standard\u2019s got much better in recent times.<\/p>\n
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\u201cNormally the crowd are quite intimidating but it\u2019s more families and children who go and watch the national team. So the most important thing will be the heat. It will be hot, the pitch will probably be dry, so it\u2019s something we will have to deal with.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we are in great conditions here at the moment and we are acclimatising to it.\u201d<\/p>\n