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Souness rules himself out of Scotland running as pressure on Burley intensifies

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Published Date: 16 November 2009
GRAEME Souness has ruled himself out of the running to replace George Burley as Scotland manager.


• Graeme Souness at the Scottish Football Hall of Fame event last night

Burley is expected to lose his job this week after Saturday's 3-0 friendly defeat by Wales in Cardiff.

Souness was interviewed by the Scottish Football Association before Burley was appointed in January 2008 but he has since lost interest in the post.

The former Rangers boss, who has been out of football management since leaving Newcastle in February 2006, said: "It's not up for grabs as we speak.

"If it was up for grabs next week, next month or a year from now, I wouldn't be applying for it.

"I don't want the job. I wouldn't want the job. It's not for me at this time, my life is going in a different direction."


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The SFA board will meet this week to discuss Burley's position but Souness believes any Scotland manager would struggle with the current squad.

"You could have Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson managing that group of players, but the outcome wouldn't be much different," Souness told Sky Sports News.

"It is (a difficult job) in the current climate simply because they don't have the quality.

"As a Scottish manager you can't go out and buy players. You're working with a group of players that the country has produced at that particular time."

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies was the 3/1 favourite to succeed Burley with Ladbrokes this morning, ahead of Walter Smith, Craig Levein and Jimmy Calderwood.



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  • Last Updated: 16 November 2009 5:49 PM
  • Source: scotsman.com
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Scotland's football team
 
1

Shape to Shoot,

16/11/2009 11:37:31
Souness knew he wasn't going to be asked.

Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.
2

Edward Rooney,

of Panglossian Tendencies 16/11/2009 12:20:02
Shape

Souness, vain?

How very dare you!

Rubbish record in management, anyway, with much better players than he'd have as Scotland boss.
3

Edward Rooney,

16/11/2009 12:24:50
why does it say '2004' on his wee plaque?
4

Mr RiotSurvivor,

16/11/2009 12:35:14
Jim Jeffries is the bookies favourite.

The Irish get Trapatoni, go through a group phase unbeaten, a group which included Italy (who beat us home and away when we were in their group last time), the finish ahead of a decent Bulgaria team.

Gordon (guest speaker at the RST AGM) Smith, should resign immediately if this appointment comes to pass.
5

Doc Martin,

16/11/2009 12:40:36
Jeffries???? Calderwood????? Have we really sunk that low?

R.I.P Scottish football
6

A Jambo come rain or shine,

16/11/2009 12:52:22
At last - some good news in an otherwise disasterous couple of days for Scottish Football. Souness doesn't want the job - phew!!

I've backed Burley often enough but couldn't understand some of his choices. I detest Riordan but how can he not give him a game ahead of Kenny Miller?!? This is a friendly and a chance to try new players yet he plays the worst striker in world football while leaving a - gritting my teeth here - good forward on the bench and then giving him 11 minutes while playing McFadden on the wing?!?!?!
Cheerio George.
7

german razor,

16/11/2009 13:04:15
#6, very well said and unfortunately that is only one of the many baffling decisions he has made.
8

Mr RiotSurvivor,

16/11/2009 13:13:23
An SFA dream team of:

George Peat
Gordon Smith
Jim Jeffries.

Who's running the Junior game in Scotland?

Can we get these guys in?
9

Oh Vienna,

16/11/2009 13:49:02
#6 Despite your obvious dislike for the man and the club he plays for, at least you can see that playing Miller ahead of Riordan makes no sense at all. One is a huffer and puffer who's scoring record is woeful and the other, despite being described by some as lazy, knows where the net is. Quite how Burley can't see that I've no idea.

I'd go further and ask why players like Wallace, Berra and Fletcher weren't tried out for this game.
10

Phil MaGlass,

Holland 16/11/2009 14:02:27
Caldwell,Hutton,Miller,Fox,McManus says it all really,there are better players out there,we know it, the SFA know it,the manager knows it and the players know it, WTF is goin on.
Get rid of the SFA,lose Burley and start completely from scratch,when I say scratch I mean the kids(get them enjoying not competing),the organisation,the coaches,facilities, mindset and most of all,SFA get that excuse for a mob disbanded.
11

Media for one,

16/11/2009 14:02:39
If the SFA could get the signatures of Mourhino, Ferguson, Ancellotti, Hiddink and Wenger and then offer them assistants in Moyes, Allardyce and Redknapp, Scotland would still miss out on major finals because the SFA would still exist as it does now.
There would be no compulsory sport at school and the over psyche of the nation would still be a losing mentality so nothing would change!
A manager is irrelivant right now, based on the current problems it makes no difference if Scotland are managed by Alex Ferguson or Shuggy Ferguson from the Gorbels.
12

JCA REID,

Annan 16/11/2009 14:10:39
not really into footballbut it's the same ol' story of "we're gonna do this 'n' that etc."
The soccer coaches really know nothing about exercise physiology, proper nutrition, & they don't seem to show any ability at improving players' skills. Neither do the players.
It would be interesting to take these players, put them in Human Performance Labs, just to get a comparison with other elite players., & also take them onto ther training paddock & put them through various footballing skills tests...again just to get a comparison.
no joke, if they were farming livestock....they wouldn't be allowed to breed!
you just need to look at them facing up to their international opposition. One can see straight away they ain't in the same class of specimen!
In the recent world Cup qualifiers there were 53teams in the European section, in term sof goals scored, Scotland beat 8teams. Iceland finished below us & still managed 7goals to our 6!! We tied with 3others. Poland, who finished 2nd. bottom in their group, scored 19goals!!
If the solutions were offered to be put in place, they wouldn't accept it, because the powers that be wouldn't have a clue & there would be no place for them!
13

Media for one,

16/11/2009 14:34:06
JCA Reid - Quite right, the Scotland players are not conditioned properly, they lack basic skills by comparison to other players in other countries, they are misled by managers who are not sure how to get them conditioned, the SFA who oversee the game are out of their depth, short on ideas and incapable of change or success.
Wales just Scotland 3-0 and football is not their national sport. Croatia have qualified for the next round of a WC and a EC, they are also world class basketball players and ice hockey champions not to mention handball wizards. Sweden has been in a WC final and most of them are more inclined to ski than play football. Denmark has won a European Nations Cup as has Greece and one is a country of snow where skiing and ice hockey is more readily available than football. The list goes on and on, some nations always succeed, others succeed at times, but only Scotland appears to have NEVER succeeded.
It is shocking!!
14

Fowlin Wolf,

16/11/2009 16:12:53
Grahame should at least be consulted as to who he'd select as next Scotland boss.

I'd choose Billy Davis personally.

First thing Graham would say is, call Ferguson, Boyd & McGregor & get them back in the team.

Secondly he'd say ditch the chuckle brothers (Caldwell & McManus)and bring in some fresh blood in defence.

Thirdly he'd say get shot of Peat, Smith & the other amature ner-do-wells & get some professionals into the SFA.
15

KelsoKillie,

16/11/2009 16:36:11
Not so long ago with not such a different line up we beat France twice. Of course a decent coach can make a big difference! Walter Smith and Big Eck got Scotland far enough up the rankings to be almost equal with England. That was THIS century. Of course there was the odd fatal flaw like losing to Georgia, but they were teams that could mix it with the best on their day. The Scottish team's display against Macedonia was a real lift - we should have won by more had we taken our chances(and yes, could have lost by at least a brace had they taken theirs). I thought Burley was the right man for the job considering the choices available.

GB and JJ swapping jobs? It would be a good arrangement for Scotland I think. JJ has already stated he's on his last contract. And as GB did a great job with Hearts, perhaps his skills are better used on a daily rather than occasional basis. Straight swap could save the SFA from redundancy payout? I wouldn't actually mind seeing Walter back if he could get us into Europe - not a popular view I imagine!
16

Oor_Wullie,

ma_bucket 16/11/2009 16:46:38
..can someone offer me any logical reason whatsoever as to why Jim Jefferies is being backed to favourite here? Anyone?

- Jim Jefferies, jesus wept. The SFA dont need to disband, they are becoming an ever-expanding Black Hole, one which will eventually disappear up thair ain e***s, taking all hope, talent and optimism for the future of the National Game wae it.

What the SFA really need to do is hire a few more ex-journos - this admittedly may not sort out every existing problem within the structure of the game, however, at least some of their journo mates maybe a bit more hesitant at aiming both barrels where they inarguably should have been pointed a while ago now, namely the heads of Messrs Smith, Peath & Co.

Gentleman of the SFA, I appeal to you - If you have no ideas, no enthusiasm and, above all, no success - then get out the way and make space for someone who has, and now. We as Fans, weve seen enough, thanks for trying and goodby now - this after all is still preferable to our *demanding* good riddance. Which is where we are heading, and no mistake.
17

apark1980,

Kirkcaldy 16/11/2009 16:55:14
Appointing Jim Jeffries would be an act of almost McLarenesque folly. Expect he'll be in the job by the end of the month then.
18

Dublin 7 Hibby,

16/11/2009 17:39:11
I feel your pain. Forget Trappatoni - he is being funded by Denis O'Brien a telecoms billlionaire. The FAI could not afford him. Scotland's problem is not with the manager - here are a couple of suggestions. Choose one or more:

No players coming through, because youngsters have more choice now and SFA have failed to move with the times and institute academies. This is all left to clubs, who lack finance

Craig Brown was not only the manager of Scotland, he was also the Technical Director. Hang your head Brown, you did nada to improve technical skills

Why do all managers go through the same carp training scheme. Thse managers produce automotons who have any skills they have shouted or kicked out of them at an early age

Scotland needs to professionalise and when I look at the numpties involved in Scottish Football (at all levels) I despair. And here's when I revert to my Irish nationality with relief!
19

Hobo Harry,

16/11/2009 17:49:16
18 Dublin 7 Hibby, The one person who saw all this coming was Andy Roxburgh all those years ago. Rated highly all over the world except in Scotland from where he was chased because his ideas were so different to the norm. It was up to the clubs to set up their own youth set-ups. There would have been no value in SFA academies teaching one thing and the clubs teaching another, but I suppose it's easier to blame the SFA. The problem starts at youth footie level, why would kids want to go and play football and gat shouted and sworn at by lunatic parents? Where is the motivation to do that?
20

Invictager,

16/11/2009 17:57:02
#18
You say the problem is not with the manager. Well here is something I posted on the other thread for you to consider.

In the qualifiers for Euro 2008 we got 24 points( 66.66 of points available). That was more than Ireland (17)or even England (23). That was in a group with better teams than we have faced recently including both finalists and a qtr finalist from the world cup 2006.

I don't believe the squads of those 3 countries have changed so dramatically over the last 2 years to make such a difference therefore it must be down to the way the teams are chosen and motivated as well as the tactics involved. (This campaign we got 10 points, 41.66% of points available.)

We will never be world beaters but it is no coincidence that both ROI and England have moved on under better management whereas we have gone backwards

 

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