Graeme Souness backs Gordon Strachan to keep Scotland job

Graeme Souness has backed Gordon Strachan to continue in his role as Scotland coach despite their miserable start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Gordon Strachan has received the support of Graeme Souness over his future as Scotland manager. Picture: Getty.

Strachan is expected to have talks about his future next week after Friday’s 3-0 defeat by England left the Scots in fifth place in Group F with little chance of reaching the finals the year after next.

But Souness insisted Strachan is doing the best he can with a poor group of players – and questioned whether anybody else is better equipped to do the job.

Souness told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek: “So far this year the results have not been great, but you’ve got to believe that results will get better.

“Will they qualify out of this group? No they won’t, but right now Scotland are in a cycle where they don’t have a great deal to pick from.

“The question of whether he [Strachan] should stay or go is not important. Is there someone out there who could make us better?

“I don’t believe there is. I think he is getting the most from a very modest group.”

Souness played in three World Cups for his country and admits it is painful to see them consistently fail to mount a challenge to return to the major finals.

But, despite a significant backlash in Scotland, Souness said the performance at Wembley – in which Scotland threatened to equalise when trailing 1-0 – needed to be put into perspective.

He added: “They were not humiliated, they were beaten by a better team with better players than them, and that’s generally what happens.

“Making mistakes and not being able to score goals at the other end is a dangerous combination, but, right now, that is what Scotland have and what Gordon has to work with.”

It is understood that Strachan, who will turn 60 in February, will hold talks with SFA chief executive Stewart Regan about his future.

In a briefing at the weekend, he told reporters that he would speak to Regan “whenever he wants a chat”.

He also argued that reaching the World Cup finals in Russia in 2018 was still a realistic prospect.

Strachan said: “All I want to do is get people to a tournament and enjoy it. That’s all I want to do.”