THE Scottish Football Association quite often are compared to dinosaurs which is perhaps why the association’s president relied on the VERY old pals' act when it came to appoint the manager of the Scotland national team.
You know, the most important thing on his to-do list.
“In season 1888-89, I was appointed chairman of Alex’s testimonial committee,” boasted Alan McRae when Alex McLeish was unveiled as the replacement for Gordon Strachan to no fanfare at all. Not even a single parp from a trumpet could be heard.
A slip of the tongue perhaps, but that he got the century wrong wasn’t McRae’s biggest mistake. It was giving his friend a job he didn’t particularly covet and wasn’t up to; something I hate writing as I can’t speak highly of McLeish as a human being and he is, after all, a living legend.
But being a good guy, and a pal of those at the top of the SFA, shouldn't be enough to get you the interview to follow in the footsteps of Willie Ormond, Jock Stein and Alex Ferguson, never mind landing the job.
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The Tartan Army are hardly the most militant band but in San Marino they made their displeasure heard. Will those who were shouted at have listened? I doubt it.
This is all about politics, of course. Inside Hampden Park, McCrae is Tony Blair with Rod Petrie his Peter Mandelson. It suited these two to get one of their own in place. It makes the whole shebang easier to manage. McCrae will step down within months. His replacement? Petrie. This will be unopposed.
There’s your democracy. These two men, apparently interchangeable, are hardly popular nor respected within the game and get to make huge decisions. Change must come or nothing will change.
If only Armando Iannucci had set ‘The Thick of It’ inside the SFA offices at Hampden instead of Westminster. He would have had to rename it “The Thick” but it would have been good to see old Malcolm Tucker sorting out the omnishambles as he shouted at the blazers: “You’re like that coffee machine, you know: from bean to cup, you **** up.”
And they have. Again.
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Walter Smith was to some too old, a yesteryears man if you will, but I asked a few younger players at the time of his name being touted and they were up for the idea of this legend taking charge with some younger coaches working with him. Take this from me, he would have been a popular choice.
And he would have spoken to the SFA. They messed that one up.
Michael O’Neill might well have said yes. He was perfect in that he lives in Scotland, knows the country and all our delightful kinks, he has a proven record of managing a small nation with limited resources.
There is no way O’Neill, a master of making players believe in themselves, would have to put up with so many call-offs for reasons ranging from they couldn’t play on a plastic surface to the dog ate the homework.
Feet were dragged, calls not made, and O’Neill staying with Northern Ireland. Sighs.
Other names were put to the SFA but they went with a safe hand which was far from safe. And look at us now. Wondering what catastrophe awaits us in San Marino on Sunday evening.
Ian Maxwell was a popular appointment when he became the boss of Scottish football. Not a lot has been seen of him, no bad thing in itself, but this is his time to shine.
The Scotland team is close to becoming an irrelevance. If the players don’t want to play, and those in charge don’t particularly care who the manager is, why should the ordinary punter?
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The likes of Petrie and McCrae, and there are many more like then who hold positions of some power, should not be allowed anywhere near making even the smallest decisions on behalf of the country for one simple reason.
They keep getting them wrong and if this was the real world, and not the SFA, failure would not be rewarded.
If Maxwell can change this archaic system, then he must. If not, he needs to use his influence – please, tell me has influence – and sack the current coaching staff next week and without delay ask Derek McInnes or Steve Clarke if they would be interested.
That, at least, would, be start.
Or the SFA can just keep doing what they have always done, which as got made the Scottish national team a toxic laughing stock.
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