SFA sets two-month deadline to get new Scotland manager in place

Published on Thursday 3 December 2009 22:05

THE SFA board of directors deliberated for around five hours at Hampden yesterday as they set themselves a two-month deadline to recruit the new Scotland manager.

• Gordon Smith: Board meeting. Picture: SNS

While not the only item on the agenda at their monthly meeting, the search for George Burley's successor inevitably dominated discussions in the sixth-floor boardroom at the National Stadium.

For the third time in four years, the SFA expects to formally unveil its man in late January. Burley, sacked last month after a dismal 3-0 defeat against Wales in Cardiff, and his predecessor Alex McLeish began their tenures as national team coach at the beginning of 2007 and 2008 respectively.

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith will follow the same protocol he employed before Burley's appointment. A short list is expected to be drawn up, with the approval of the SFA board, over the next few weeks before the candidates are invited for interview. Two years ago, Graeme Souness, Mark McGhee and the late Tommy Burns made the short list before losing out to Burley.

The interviews will again be conducted by a four-man panel comprising Smith, SFA president George Peat and vice-presidents Campbell Ogilvie and Alan McRae. Smith remains committed to having the new manager alongside him at the Euro 2012 qualifying draw in Warsaw on 7 February. "I can confirm that at today's scheduled Scottish FA board meeting, the board agreed on the procedures that will culminate in the appointment of a new national coach," said Smith last night.

"The matter was discussed extensively and vigorously, along with various other issues on the agenda. We will now initiate that process in the coming weeks and, in keeping with the timescale outlined previously, it remains the Scottish FA's intention to appoint and present a new national coach in time for the Euro 2012 qualification draw in Warsaw, Poland, on February 7, 2010."

Dundee United manager Craig Levein is the bookies' favourite for the job, although the odds on second favourite John Collins shortened to as little as 3-1 yesterday with one firm. Former Hibs coach Collins is out of work and has made his interest in the Scotland position clear. Kilmarnock's Jim Jefferies and former Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood have also welcomed speculation they will be candidates for the post.

Among those who have publicly ruled themselves out of contention are Rangers manager Walter Smith, Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee and former Scotland captain Graeme Souness. The SFA, however, will approach any candidate it sees as desirable and will not necessarily restrict itself to Scots. Former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback and former Netherlands manager Marco van Basten are among the foreign names who have been linked with a job that has attracted 20 unsolicited applicants.

Levein's candidacy was given fresh immediacy yesterday when he was named Clydesdale Bank Manager of the Month for November, while his on-loan Rangers defender Andy Webster completed a double for United by picking up the Player of the Month award.

While he has declined to engage in the speculation over the Scotland job, Levein did seek to underline his commitment yesterday to seeing through a potentially successful season with United who are currently fourth in the SPL, just four points behind leaders Celtic with a game in hand.

"Its nice to get these kind of things and I am pleased for Andy," said Levein, "but what we really want is to be in the running when they are handing out the player and manager of the season awards. If you get close to them, it shows you have had a successful year and it would mean we have performed consistently well over the season."