YOU can say what you want about Scottish football, but it’s never dull.
In the last couple of weeks it seems like every name you could think of has been linked with the Scotland manager’s job, and most of them well-known faces. And that’s before the Stewart Regan bombshell landed last week.
Surprisingly, Walter Smith has now emerged as the favourite, much to the astonishment of some. Which I can fully understand, he was previously in charge only to then go back to Rangers, and the 70-year-old hasn’t managed a team in the past seven years.
Critics have pointed out that given the above, bringing him in is a short-term solution, and not one in-keeping with the longer plan which would go hand in hand with Project Brave – remember that? – that starts next month. And they have a point, it isn’t.
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However, Theresa May could be the next Scotland manager and quit the day after we qualify for the next Euros – I don’t care as long as we get there. Twenty years have gone by without a sniff of a major competition, I’ll take a short-term gain any day of the week.
Of course it’s important to have a vision for the future. The problems with our game are deep rooted and need to be untangled if we are to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Northern Ireland and Wales to progress. But the initial priority should be getting to the next tournament possible. Being at home watching the World Cup in Russia will only emphasise that.
I’ve read and heard about the prospect of bringing in a younger manager under Walter and to me that makes sense. Gary Caldwell has thrown his name forward and spoke passionately in Herald Sport yesterday, there is also Stuart McCall who unfairly lost his job earlier this week at Bradford City. He has experience of being involved with the international set-up and working with Walter. That could also be an option.
But if I’m honest, for me Walter Smith should be the man picking the manager rather than being chosen himself. Over the last 20 years the board of the Scottish Football Association have struggled to identify the man to take us to a tournament but Walter was one who came close. Yes, the players haven’t always been there, but there have been poor choices made for the head coach’s job. George Burley was one.
Even now, with Regan out of the picture and a board that only really has Ian Maxwell as a former player, I’m not filled with confidence those left behind have what it takes to pick the right candidate. I’m also not convinced waiting for a new chief executive to be appointed is necessary either.
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Why? We need football people making this call. It’s not a business decision. The person getting the job isn’t going to be handed a huge transfer budget or be expected to bring through players to sell them on.
The objective is simple – get Scotland to a major tournament.
With all due respect, non-executive directors or some of the others on the board aren’t suited to make that call. The SFA should consult with people like Walter Smith. I’d also strongly say Malky Mackay should be part of the process as the long-term plan for our game comes from him, and making sure he is on the same page with the next Scotland manager is imperative. His view is crucal.
That’s why I don’t believe he can be a candidate himself. The performance director job at the SFA is a key one, perhaps even bigger than that of national manager when it comes to our future success, and for him to leave that post to take up another right now would sent out the completely wrong message to everyone.
First we had Mark Wotte coming to fix Scottish football, he left. Then we had Brian McClair, he left. Malky can’t do the same now at a pivotal point. The message is this: we can’t repeat what has previously failed over and over again and expect a different result. Yes, Walter Smith has been there before but the circumstances now may be different. We can’t just chuck a four-year deal at a familiar face and hope for the best.
A foreign manager? That is a consideration, too. I played under Berti Vogts and his reign is remembered as being a complete disaster, but he took us to within a play-off game against The Netherlands of qualification. Given what has followed, it’s not that bad.
As a player, I had no issue with a foreign manager being in a Scotland dressing room. His English was fine – you could still have a conversation with him – but the key thing was he had Tommy Burns in there, who we all loved. That made a huge difference and provided a great balance.
That’s a role Stuart McCall may be suited to if he was interested this time around. There’s no easy route to success for the SFA. One way it’s a long and winding road, the other is a potential short path. As long as they lead to success, we shouldn’t care.
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