Next permanent Scotland manager?

[WeegieDave]

Heres the odds from Ladbrokes

Tommy Burns 3/1
Craig Levein 7/2
Alex McLeish 7/1
Ally McCoist 8/1
Billy Davies 14/1
Archie Knox 16/1
Bruce Rioch 16/1
David Moyes 16/1
George Burley 16/1
Graeme Souness 16/1
Jim Jefferies 16/1
Jimmy Calderwood 16/1
Kenny Dalglish 16/1
Colin Calderwood 20/1
Richard Gough 25/1
Craig Brown 33/1
Gary McAllister 33/1
Joe Jordan 33/1
Paul Sturrock 40/1
J Duncan 50/1



Odds From Will Hills

Tommy Burns 2/1

Craig Levein 11/4

Ally Mc Coist 4/1

Alex Mc Leish 6/1

Archie Knox 11/1

Colin Calderwood 14/1

John Collins 14/1

Jimmy Calderwood 14/1

Joe Jordan 16/1

Graeme Souness 16/1

Jim Jeffries 20/1

Gary Mc Allister 20/1

Billy Davies 20/1

Craig Brown 25/1

Paul Sturrock 33/1

David Moyes 33/1


Out of that lot, I reckon it will come down to Alex McLeish and Tommy Burns. Burns is better suited as a coach and may only be offered the place til the end of the Qualifiers.

McLeish is out of a job, has experience at Rangers for 4 1/2 years, after Hibs and Motherwell, is a former internationalist and could probably work with Burns still in his current coaching role. Only question is whether or not he can step it up to international football. I know a lot of Gers fans who would question his tactical knowledge for starters. 7/1 or abouts could be value though, it is the SFA we're talking about and the fact he's free would appeal to them.

Outside bets; Only Kenny Dalglish and Paul Sturrock catch my fancy. The rest seem to be able to get filed under the NOT GOOD ENOUGH, WOULDN'T LEAVE CURRENT JOB, kind of categories. No idea how Dalglish would do being out the game so long, but he'd possibly appeal to the SFA in terms of experience both as a player and manager.

Where's Sturrock these days? He always struck me as a manager that could get the best out of his players and operate well on a limited budget. He'd be my extreme wildcard at 40s.

Any views?

[crowie]

Aye, its no exactly a thrilling list Dave.

Levein at 7/2, shows what 4 or 5 results for Dundee Utd can do for your reputation! Giving him the job would almost be as mad as giving the national managers job to someone who's team fluked their way to a UEFA Cup final through all or nothing tactics just 6 months after his own fans were flinging season tickets at him

To be honest, I haven't the foggiest. Burley ain't bad odds at 16.

FFS, just spotted McCoist at half the price McLeish is on Hills odds - madness!!!

No Gordon Strachan on the list??

Maybe he is yesterdays man but I always thought George Graham managed top class clubs at a very good level and won things. The one negative for him is that he probably doesn't have the indepth knowledge of the Scottish game. Mind you, him, and keep Burns on as number 2 to give the Scottish viewpoint, and maybe add in someone like Colin Hendry to fill the McCoist role of "team bonder" etc. Sounds a decent enough set up, plenty of experience and a bit of "braveheartnedness" throwen in for good measure.

[ONEDUNME]

Let's face it you can rule out David Moyes or anyone else with a decent job as they'd have to take a drop in pay to take the job. I can understand someone with time on their hands wanting a part time job but who, in all honesty, is going to give up a decent job to manage that shower?

What's Rioch doing nowadays by the way? It's a job he'd love to be doing notwithstanding the above.

[daikoku]

What's Craig Brown doing these days? Looking at the success of Smith and I'd have to say a lot of it seems to be down to his man management skills and the fact that he commands respect. Comparing those qualities with the above candidates and no one really seems to jump out.

Given his track record and experience I'd go for Craig Brown with Tommy Burns as his assistant. Not very exciting but you could call it the safe option.

[rcgills]

Sven's still available, you know

[cakes]

il plump for Burns, he is who i want so i will back him with some of my hard earned

[WeegieDave]

Rioch is at Odense in Denmark and has been getting some very good results of late with them in the Uefa and in the league.

Brown is free but he has had his time IMO, he's Scotland most successful manager IIRC, only losing 9 matches in his time in charge (again IIRC). Don't think he'd want to go back and spoil that, even though its one of the best times for Scots talent.

RC, you can just f*ck right off with that suggestion!! :loon

Still think McLeish is in with a good chance at 7-1. Although Burns is favourite, he still combines the coaching job with one at Celtic which he might not want to give up. McLeish is available, has experience of a high-profile managers job, has won stuff there and best of all for the ducks arse tight SFA, he'd be free!


Reckon I'll take some of the 7/1 on him.

[cakes]

i've went £50 on Burns @ 4/1 with Bet365, had to phone up for it though wasn't available online for some reason

[ONEDUNME]

I've just had a fiver on Rioch. I didn't even realise he was in a job and doing so well. The bloke would swim to Scotlandshire across the sea for that job. First Englishman to captain Scotland wasn't he? Has they had an English Manager yet?

[WeegieDave]

After a period where the book was temporarily closed, Ladbrokes have opened it up again;

Tommy Burns 3.50
Alex McLeish 5.00
Craig Levein 5.00
Ally McCoist 9.00
Billy Davies 15.00
Archie Knox 17.00
Gary McAllister 17.00
Jim Jefferies 17.00
Jimmy Calderwood 17.00
Kenny Dalglish 17.00
Bruce Rioch 21.00
Colin Calderwood 21.00
George Burley 21.00
David Moyes 26.00
Graeme Souness 26.00
Craig Brown 34.00
Joe Jordan 34.00
Richard Gough 34.00
George Graham 41.00
Paul Sturrock 41.00
J Duncan 51.00


Most noticeably, McLeish and Levein have drifted in after a lot of talk amongst the fans that these 2 are front-runners. Davies is in slightly from 17.00 to 15.00.

Rioch has drifted out I believe ODM.

[crowie]

McLeish 6/1 with Hills

[Betfly]

I too like the 7/4 on offer for ht/ft Gretna.

But remember http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot..._1/4429968.stm

I was @ game & had ht /ft Gretna

In wrong thread!

[milners]

Originally Posted by cakes

il plump for Burns, he is who i want so i will back him with some of my hard earned

If burns get the job then its a sad day for scottish football and the tartan army i would expect wouldn't be happy.

[WeegieDave]

I think the consensus on Burns seems to be that he is a very good coach to have in your set-up, but as far as the managers position goes he might not be able to step up a gear. Smith was always seen as a brilliant man manager, able to get the best out of his players and really fire them up for a game. Burns doesn't carry the same aura that Smith did.

Still think my 7.00s on McLeish is good value, and as crowie says, you can still get him at 6.00s on Hills. Skybet have Levein and Burns both at 5/2 apparently which is strange as Levein hasn't been in the Dundee Utd job that long and suddenly he's joint favourite? . Think Ladbrokes have him drifting out at 6.00s just now (was 5.00 this morning) which IMO would be about right. Burns is in to 3.25 now from 3.50 this morning so there must be money going on him.

A few people I know fancy Jim Jeffries at 17.00s as an outside bet.

[keemanan]

I still Like Burley at 20's , he never usually walks out of a contract but he may feel he wont get the chance again soon , it's the right time for him and he aint leaving Soton in a mess either.
he keeps losing his best players too which must be a little depressing , Soton very much a selling club. It's worth a bet is that