George Burley could never be impugned for lacking optimism. The Scotland manager spent yesterday talking up his team's chances ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Norway on Saturday and, at a time when many lament the state of Scottish football, Burley chose to wallow in having such players as Craig Gordon, David Weir, Darren Fletcher and Kris Boyd at his disposal.

Burley hasn't yet decided which 11 players will start at Hampden Park but is savouring the prospect of a jittery Norway coming to Glasgow, knowing they will need to take something from the match if their group nine hopes are to avoid a severe dent.

“Norway, after drawing at home to Iceland, will probably come and try to win this game,” the Scotland manager said. “They are probably thinking, 'If we don't win, we then face Holland on Wednesday with only a point.' So that will make Saturday an open game which might suit us.”

Hampden will be a sell-out and there is already intrigue as to which Scotland team will take the field, specifically in attack. One reason for Burley's enthusiasm yesterday was that, despite Kenny Miller's absence, Boyd, James McFadden, Steven Fletcher and the intriguing Chris Iwelumo are all vying for the front spots.

“You've got to choose what you think is right - you've got to be blinkered and focused and make your choice, whatever anyone else says,” Burley said of his imminent team selection. “But we've now got options.

“If you look at Boyd, his scoring record is tremendous, whether he starts or comes off the bench. Then there is Iwelumo, a target man, who has added goals to his game this season - eight goals in seven games speaks for itself. So we've got variations now in our squad.

“I know my shape of team. It's just a question of fine-tuning after the call-offs. But you've go to back your judgment and be brave about these things. We made three or four changes in Iceland and it worked out [winning 2-1]. Every manager has to make such a judgment - no team is the same from one week to the next.”

The other aspect that characterised Burley's speech yesterday was the style of his team. He is trying to instil in his players a sense of the urgent, high-octane game that has been a feature of Burley teams down the years, from Ipswich Town to his brief, enthralling stewardship of Heart of Midlothian.

“We are developing the sort of style that I want: quick passing, movement, and wing-play,” he said. “We were disappointed to lose in Macedonia but I wasn't completely gutted because I felt we were moving in the right direction. I think our style is still developing but our key is pass-and-movement, playing from the back through midfield, and our wide play. All these things give teams problems and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Weir, however, warned that this 2010 campaign was time for Scotland to start delivering on the pitch, after ten years and five successive qualifying failures. “We have a squad of players who can make a difference and make an impact, there is no doubt about that,” Weir said. “If you look through this squad, there are guys who are playing regularly, playing Champions League football, a few lads from the Premiership and a few from Rangers and Celtic.

“They are getting experience all over the place, and at good levels. The boys are playing in their club teams and doing well, which is a big factor. The last campaign was good, we just fell short, but we have kept virtually the same squad. So it's now at the stage where there are no excuses. It is now or never, I would say.”