Ahead of Saturday 14 November's friendly against Wales, Darren Fletcher has stated his belief that now is the ideal time for Scotland to try to play a "more expansive" brand of football.

Although the jury may still be out on boss George Burley as far as some are concerned, Fletcher has welcomed his attempts to introduce a more positive style of play to the national team.

The Scotland supremo has yet to experience highs such as defeating France home and away, as was the case in the UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying campaign but Fletcher insists Burley should be applauded for the footballing philosophy he is trying to instil.

"He wants us to be more expansive, he wants us to get the ball down and play in the right way. Not gung-ho, we have to be hard to beat, disciplined and hard to break down," said the Manchester United midfielder.

"But we've got players who can play football. That's the thing I've noticed about the squad, that we've got a lot more technically-gifted players, players who can do something, players who can win a match. We need to keep the strong base and be hard to beat but at times we need to be more expansive and win games."

"We sat behind the ball for 90 minutes and nicked a win against France. That was lucky. Don't get me wrong, it was a great result. But you can't say it was a magnificent performance," he continued. "We need to defend well and be solid as a team but we also have to attack at the right opportunities and try to win the match."

Fletcher has declared himself fit for the match in Cardiff despite initial fears over an ankle injury and, in stark contrast to those concerns, the United star says he is probably enjoying the best form of his career.

"I'm enjoying my football and, yes, I would say my form is as good as it has ever been," he said. "That comes from a settled run in the team, playing in my preferred position of central midfield. I've matured as a player and I've got physically stronger to play in that position. All these factors have combined."

Fletcher also expressed his sympathy for John Kennedy, after Celtic confirmed today the defender had been forced to retire from football the age of just 26.

His career has been blighted by problems since suffering a serious knee injury on his Scotland debut against Romania back in 2004 and Fletcher believes today's news should encourage every footballer to appreciate their own time in the game.

He said: "I was really disappointed to hear the news. I played with John at under-15 schoolboys and I've known him for a long time.

"When he got his injury he was performing brilliantly for Celtic in the Champions League and unfortunately it happened on his international debut. I know he has battled back over the years and must have been playing through the pain barrier going by all the reports about how bad his knee was.

"It shows you the desire he showed to get back, it wasn't just one attempt, it was two or three attempts. It's sad that he's had to retire but hopefully it won't be the end of his career and hopefully he will go into coaching or something like that and still has a lot to give to the game."