Next permanent Scotland manager?

[crowie]

Well this market is now in play as Smith has officially left. Mods can you please delete my "Next Rangers Manager" thread below where I advise a lay of Smith

Anyway, yep, agree with Dave that Burns looks more like a coach/assistant nowadays rather than an actual man manager and motivator which is whats required.


I can't understand the price on Levein. He didn't do much at Leicester and he has only just started at Dundee Utd. He is supposedly well regarded by the SFA but he surely doesn't have the experience required.


The SFA, in the statement they have just released about Smith, say they are now taking legal action against Smith for breach of contract and Rangers for inducement to breach contract. Given this comment, I have a feeling the SFA are now going to retain the moral highground and I think this means they will not be looking to take anyone who is in current employment - otherwise they are being hypocritical with their actions v Rangers and Smith.

Whether Burns is classed as being in employment I don't know. Well he is but he isn't employed as a manager so they could reasonably approach him. Other than him, I think it will be a Scot, who is not employed at the current time. Dalglish never seems to have shown any interest in it before so I get the feeling they will look to the next generation, of which McLeish is probably the most high profile man currently available.

Its also worth noting we have games at the end of March so I would think the SFA will want someone in place sooner rather than later. There may also be the need to build a back room team if McCoist doesn't return to the coaching set up on the part time basis he has being doing recently. I don't think he will personally so there is a fair bit the new manager must get on with even before the March games, the SFA need someone now, McLeish is the best candidate IMO.

[cakes]

i still say burns and i reckon the sfa will be looking for a swift appointment so as to not disrupt preparations for the games in march. swift in international terms would probably be 5/6 weeks? but i am happy with my burns bet. he knows why the players have been successful recently, how to handle them all and what they can do at what time. I'm going for mccallister and mcleish also to cover some money as i believe that the sfa aren't going to pay any1 compensation for a new manager

[WeegieDave]

Have to agree with Crowie, and actually, a very good point about the SFA and not wanting to go for someone on a contract, which rules out a lot of the names on the list; guys like Jeffries, Levein, Moyes, Burley, both Calderwoods etc.

Regarding Burns, I don't know what the exact score would be as he has been a coach at Celtic for years and combines both roles for club and country. No idea if it would be a bother for the SFA to get him off of Celtic.

Can't help thinking McLeish is in with a real shot of this job, the only thing is that I keep reading on other forums that he has said he wants to concentrate on club football and getting another job in that area first. Can't find any reports about this though, just people claiming he has said it.

At 7/1, I hope he hasn't said it!

[crowie]

Originally Posted by WeegieDave

Have to agree with Crowie, and actually, a very good point about the SFA and not wanting to go for someone on a contract, which rules out a lot of the names on the list; guys like Jeffries, Levein, Moyes, Burley, both Calderwoods etc.

Regarding Burns, I don't know what the exact score would be as he has been a coach at Celtic for years and combines both roles for club and country. No idea if it would be a bother for the SFA to get him off of Celtic.

Can't help thinking McLeish is in with a real shot of this job, the only thing is that I keep reading on other forums that he has said he wants to concentrate on club football and getting another job in that area first. Can't find any reports about this though, just people claiming he has said it.

At 7/1, I hope he hasn't said it!

Burns - I don't really think you would have any outcry from us Tims if TB left to manage Scotland full time. Its obviously a step up from his current position, he is not the "main man" at Celtic and therefore him leaving would not have a massive affect on the team.

On the plus side he is in there already, knows the set up etc but I just get this feeling that his destiny is on the coaching side nowadays, I don't think he what I would regard as a manager. Could well be wrong though.


I have seen the comments about McLeish wanting to go back into club management posted by a few people, without actually seeing any proof, but the way I look at it is this - he ain't going to get another job in Scotland IMO as anything after Rangers would be regarded as a step down. Your then looking at England and jobs he was supposedly a shoe in for (Sunderland, Boro) and other jobs which he would surely fancy doing (Villa, West Ham, Charlton) have all passed him by. There doesn't seem to be a lot of options open for him so surely the Scotland job would be a must take?

[WeegieDave]

Alex McLeish has just overtaken Burns as the favourite now.

McLeish now 2.75 or 7/4 most places, with Burns drifting slightly from 3.25 (9/4) this morning to 3.50 (5/2) or 3.75 (11/4) depending on the bookies.

Must have been some cash piled on earlier today.

[crowie]

McLeish now 1.41 - 1.55 on Betfair but it really is a dead market, not much money at all.

[WeegieDave]

Apparently on the radio during half-time in the Killie-Hibs game, they claimed that the SFAs shortlist of 4 was;

Alex McLeish
Gary McAllister
Jim Jefferies
Tommy Burns

Can't really see anyone other than McLeish for the job now, although Burns should run him close. McAllister doesn't have enough experience in my book, Jim Jeffries would mean they'd need to give compo to Killie and face some questions about why they slagged off Smith for getting out his contract, then go and try to get another manager to do the same. Burns generally has the feeling of being a superb coach, but not having the last yard to be a great manager.

Reckon McLeish should get it out of those 4, with Tommy Burns staying on as the number 2.

[crowie]

McLeish confirming he has an interview for the job.

Alex McLeish has confirmed that he has been offered an interview for the position of Scotland manager.

The Scottish Football Association has drawn up a shortlist of potential candidates to replace Walter Smith after his move to Rangers, and former Gers boss McLeish is the first figure to confirm he is in contention.

Since leaving Rangers at the end of last season McLeish has been linked with a number of club posts, but the former Motherwell and Hibernian boss has admitted it would be difficult to turn down his country.

"I haven't been offered anything other than an interview but it would be very hard to say no to the job of Scotland manager," McLeish told the Daily Express.

"It's a very tough task facing whoever gets the job but I have always felt it's better to face up to a challenge rather than walk away from it wondering 'what if?'."

[WeegieDave]

Seems like Burns has just ruled himself out of the job.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ls/6275077.stm


With Gary McAllister and Jim Jeffries left against McLeish, I think Alex seems to have the job tied up IMO. Kilmarnock would demand compo for Jeffries and McAllister doesn't have the experience compared to McLeish.


We'll see.................

[crowie]

Originally Posted by WeegieDave

Seems like Burns has just ruled himself out of the job.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ls/6275077.stm


With Gary McAllister and Jim Jeffries left against McLeish, I think Alex seems to have the job tied up IMO. Kilmarnock would demand compo for Jeffries and McAllister doesn't have the experience compared to McLeish.


We'll see.................

Yep, looks like its Big Eck for the job Dave.

To be fair, when you rule out the folk who wouldn't take it (Ferguson/Dalglish) and the ones you wouldn't want then Big Eck is as good a choice as any IMO. Has had good spells with all the teams he has managed, he only usually starts getting into a hole when he has to go into the transfer market

As for the other two, wouldn't mind MacAllister in the set up but can't see him as having enough experience to do the job. As for Jum Jufffries, he can fuck right off.

[daikoku]

Anyone know why Tommy Burns would leave his post? Do him and McLeish not get on or is it just presumed there'll be a cleansweep of backroom staff when the successor is appointed?

[all_funkt_up]

I can see Gary Mac going to Coventry in the present circumstances. IMO the list is down to 3 as a result.

[WeegieDave]

Originally Posted by daikoku

Anyone know why Tommy Burns would leave his post? Do him and McLeish not get on or is it just presumed there'll be a cleansweep of backroom staff when the successor is appointed?

Big Eck usually takes his number 2 Andy Watson with him to jobs. As far as I'm aware, Burns was number 2 to Smith and McCoist was just a coach so he probably wasn't going to stay in the job if McLeish got it.

Although I've heard rumours that he never got offered an interview, despite being on the shortlist and simply walked because he was overlooked for the job again.

[daikoku]

Originally Posted by WeegieDave

Although I've heard rumours that he never got offered an interview, despite being on the shortlist and simply walked because he was overlooked for the job again.

Thought that might be the case. Although I'd always assumed he was quite happy in a background role.

[crowie]

Looks like its near enough a certainty that its Big Eck. Hope some of you got on at the 7/1 or 6/1

Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish is likely to be confirmed as the new Scotland manager within the next 48 hours, BBC Sport understands.

McLeish, who turned 47 on Sunday, is now the only name in the frame and - barring unforeseen difficulties - will be in place before the end of the week.

It is thought that Andy Watson, his assistant at Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers, will join him with Scotland.

And Gary McAllister or Roy Aitken could also be part of the set-up.

Aitken, the former Aston Villa assistant, has been out of football since David O'Leary was axed by the Premiership club.

Former Coventry manager McAllister has voiced his desire to return to football after time out the game following the death of his wife.

He was on the Scottish Football Association's shortlist to succeed Walter Smith as Scotland manager along with Smith's assistant, Tommy Burns.

But McLeish was an early favourite for the job and appears likely to end an eight-month spell out of football management.

BBC Sport understands that he would like McAllister or Aitken to join his management team.

McLeish admitted to BBC Sport that he has already had talks with the SFA.