With two games remaining in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, the Scots are four points away from guaranteeing a place in the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1998.

A remarkable run of results including victories home and away against France, has served to crank up the enthusiasm of the Tartan Army which went up another notch after the 3-1 win over Lithuania on Saturday at Hampden.

Amid all the unprecedented hype which surrounded the 1978 World Cup, manager Ally MacLeod had promised the country he would come back from Argentina with a medal, a claim which backfired on him spectacularly after Scotland failed to escape from the group.

Asked about possible comparisons with 1978, McLeish, preparing his side for their penultimate match against Georgia in Tbilisi tonight, said: "There is nothing wrong with showing confidence and we have to at this stage, as long as it's not conceit and it's not.

"I don't think there have been any statements that we are going to win the European Championships or the World Cup so in that respect the players have been able to handle everything.

"A few games ago the headlines and attention worried me a little bit, then I thought, 'It's part of the territory and we have to handle that', and we have done that.

"The players have earned the right to be confident.

"It's not complacency, it's not conceit, it's confidence and belief but we know that we have a hard game.

"Whatever happens now they should be proud of what they have achieved."

McLeish added: "There is still a lot of work to be done. It is very close and yet very far.

"We know that at the very worst, we can take it to the last game against Italy at Hampden.

"We will try to win it within our strategy. I am not going to tell you that we are going all out for a victory or that we will attack, attack, attack the whole game.

"That could be foolish and I don't know if we are capable of doing that.

"We are capable of doing many things but it has never been in the strategy and it has served us well up this juncture.

"The Italians and French are more experienced and by rights, the two of them should be better teams than us so let's not forget that.

"It's our intention to win and it is our intention to qualify."

McLeish has lost Lee McCulloch and Garry O'Connor to suspension and Scott Brown and Alan Hutton through injury.

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who suffered a knee injury in the 1-0 win over France in Paris last month, has declared himself fit again and Reading right-back Graeme Murty has also been drafted in.

Barry Ferguson, Kenny Miller and Gary Naysmith are all one booking away from missing the crucial game against Italy at Hampden next month.

Former Rangers boss McLeish is fearful of "silly bookings" that would deplete his squad again for the visit of Italy next month.

He said: "There will be times when the occasion can get to you and it happens to the French and Italians as well.

"So we are not unique in picking up one or two bookings.

"By and large the lads have handled the group stage magnificently.

"I wouldn't have imagined that we would get through every game without a suspension or two.

"Silly bookings would be a tragedy for one or two players so they will be well aware of that without taking away their strengths of their game.

"If it was a silly one they would only have themselves to blame but I believe that they are mature enough to handle it."