GEORGIA boss Klaus Toppmoller will be amazed if Kris Boyd doesn't lead the line for Scotland this weekend.

But the German will also be a happy man if he sees the Rangers striker warming the bench when the countries clash on Saturday at Hampden Park.

Despite a hat-trick against Aberdeen taking his goals haul to 23 this season, the 23-year-old Boyd could still find himself sitting on the sidelines.

Scotland boss Alex McLeish is expected to start with Celtic's Kenny Miller if he decides to go with one striker, but his opposite number can't understand why there is such a debate over Boyd.

Toppmoller, who was in charge of Bayer Leverkusen at the National Stadium when Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2002, said: "I do not understand the criticism of Boyd. A striker has to score goals; it doesn't matter what else he does outside of that.

"I watched him score again on Saturday and he will be very dangerous. I know Scotland have preferred Kenny Miller, who maybe has not had the best season for Celtic, but he has very good movement and is a different kind of danger.

"I do not know what McLeish will do. But Boyd and Miller can score goals if we give them chances. It would be very good for us if neither of them plays."

Georgia have lost their opening three group games to France, Italy and Ukraine, but have still managed to climb the rankings table from 116 to 86 under Toppmoller.

He said: "When I came, results were very bad and it wasn't easy but now I'm second only to the president in popularity. They love me.

"They had good players but were not a team. That's what I have tried to change. It's what Walter Smith did with Scotland.

"I was surprised Walter left to go to Rangers, especially after helping his country to nine points and first position in the group. It just doesn't happen like that in Germany.

"There, the national job is No.1 and it doesn't matter if Bayern Munich come looking for you because you just don't do it.

"He left a very good situation and now Alex can benefit from that. It would not have happened in Germany, though, I am certain of that."

The German watched Berti Vogts struggle during his time in the Scotland hotseat but he doesn't know why things didn't work out.

"At the time, people in Germany said Berti had a great job because, when things don't go well for a team in Germany, they always look to the spirit and passion of Scottish teams as an example. They always have heart and soul.

"I do not know the real situation but, from what I have read, he only had young players in his squad and tried to develop them."

Boyd agrees with the German. He says pairing him and Miller could be lethal.

"I'm more suited to playing with someone beside me," said Boyd. "I've done it on my own, in the game against Hapoel, and we beat them comfortably. So I can do it and, if it happens again, I'll be looking forward to that as well."

He had Gers team-mate Dado Prso alongside him as he struck his hat-trick against Aberdeen, and believes Miller is the next best thing in a Scotland jersey.

He added: "I played with Dado on Saturday and obviously he can't play for Scotland.

"But Kenny is like that as well. He works really hard and he gives his all for the team.

"Playing with someone who works the way Kenny does is the ideal situation.

"But I also need to be involved in the game in some parts whether that be putting the ball in the back of the net or something else.

"It could be a partnership. It depends if we start on Saturday.

"We've played together before and we've done well. If we do start, I'm sure we will give it our all."

He added: "Everybody has critics. I'm no different from anybody else. There will always be people who pick at other people's games and say this and that."