After two days of talks, decision on Craig Levein’s future goes into extra time

THE Scottish Football Association have extended their discussions over Craig Levein’s future as international team manager into the weekend after a second day of talks failed to reach a resolution today.

THE Scottish Football Association have extended their discussions over Craig Levein’s future as international team manager into the weekend after a second day of talks failed to reach a

resolution today.

Some members of the SFA board have asked chief executive Stewart Regan to report back to them with further information on Levein’s situation as they consider whether his services should be retained following a dismal start to the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign.

It is now 17 days since Scotland lost 2-0 to Belgium in Brussels, leaving them at the bottom of Group A with just two points from their first four matches, but the SFA remain unable to make

a firm decision on the manager’s position.

Levein is now expected to learn his fate on Monday, just 24 hours before the Scotland squad is scheduled to be named for

the challenge international in Luxembourg on 14 November.

It is understood support for Levein on the seven-man SFA board is split. The former Hearts, Leicester City and Dundee United manager met with Regan and SFA president Campbell Ogilvie at the start of the week to put forward his case for staying in the job. The other members of the board are vice-president Alan McRae, of Cove Rangers, Hibs chairman and second vice-president Rod Petrie, outgoing SPL chairman Ralph Topping, Scottish Junior FA secretary Tom Johnston and independent director Barrie Jackson.

Levein is under contract until the summer of 2014, when he had been confident of leading Scotland to the World Cup finals in Brazil.

That now appears a forlorn hope after his team could only draw their opening two home games against Serbia and Macedonia in September, then lost away to both Wales and Belgium last month.

Since succeeding George

Burley in December 2009, Levein has won ten of his 24 games in charge, losing nine times. More significantly, however, Scotland have taken just 13 points from a possible 36 in qualifying matches under Levein. His only three victories in 12 attempts so far have come against Leichtenstein (twice) and Lithuania, all by just a single-goal margin.

While appearing as a pundit on BBC Scotland’s coverage of the cup tie between his former clubs Dundee United and Hearts on Wednesday night, Levein said: “I had a chat with Stewart Regan and Campbell Ogilvie and I’ll find out one way or the other early next week. The squad for the Luxembourg game will be named on Tuesday and there will be an announcement before then. I’m hugely proud to be Scotland manager and want to continue doing the job.”

Bookmakers make former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan the 6-4 favourite to be the next permanent Scotland manager, with former Tottenham coach Joe Jordan (10-1) among the other fancied contenders.