Well, the SFA have gone and made Craig Levein the new Scotland coach.
Like I said, I am not convinced about Levien’s experience. I can see the Burley no qualification scenario being repeated at the end of the Euro 2012 qualifiers. That said, I hope he proves me wrong. Best of luck to the new Scotland coach.
Craig Levein, Scotland Coach
I just read that Craig Levein is going to be offered the job Scotland Manager. I certainly hope not.
Levien has shown some interest in the position. He said he wants to coach Scotland at some point in his career, but isn’ sure when. He is keen to find out about the role and will be meeting the SFA in the next few days to discuss things further.
Levien would probably be a step up from Burley. He had some fine games as player for Scotland and has decent reputation as a coach. However I remain to be convinced. Having not exactly masses of success with big teams I am not sure he can bring success Scotland’s way. Also, he just doesn’t inspire me. So, would he inspre the team??
My ideal choice would be Walter Smith, but that seems a bit unlikely. Smith aside, Graeme Sounness or Nevio Scala would be great picks: both live and breath football and have an excellent history behind them. Either one would be an excellent choice.
The World Cup draw took place today. Unfortunately, Scotland were absent, again.
OK, the Scotland Squad isn’t there, but we’re all going to be watching. The action starts on June 11 with South Africa playing Mexico and I’ll be watching from then on.
As ever the English media are moaning. The England team has been drawn against the USA, Algeria and Slovenia. By my reckoning that’s one of the easier groups, but true to form the ‘experts’ are complaining.
The full draw was as follows:
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia
Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark
Group F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Cost, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland
Jimmy Calderwood - Future Scotland Coach?
Two potential candidates have already expressed interest in the Scotland manager job just vacated by George Burley.
As reported by the BBC, John Collins and Jimmy Calderwood are both keen to be considered. Former Aberdeen and Dunfermline coach, Calderwood said on Radio Scotland “Any Scottish manager would see it as a wonderful challenge”. Similarly, ex-Scotland midfielder, Collins declared his intentions saying “I would be interested in managing the national team”.
Other names suggested include Joe Jordan, Gary McAllister and favourite Craig Levein.
Of those suggested, I would prefer Calderwood or Jordan. Scotland need someone who can spur them on and fire them up for victory. As much as Levien is favoured by many, I don’t see him as being sufficiently passionate or ‘ball-breaking’ for this task. Jordan and Claderwood, however, strike me a strong coaches who will inspire the team while not taking any nonsense from anyone.
George Burley, Scotland Coach 2008-2009
I just read on the BBC football pages, George Burley was sacked earlier today.
It’s hardly a shock. After the 3-0 drubbing in Cardiff it didn’t look good for Burley. That, together with the recent dire World Cup qualification attempt, the SFA had to let him go. And having followed Scotland’s impressive efforts under both Smith and McLeish, this downturn was hard to bear. The SFA had, in my mind, no choice but to act.
Now the question is being asked, who’s going to manage the Scotland team going forward? Hopefully someone with a bit of passion. Sounness? Strachan? I’d like to see Walter Smith back, but that’s unlikely. Whoever takes the job, let’s hope they can inspire the team and fans like not so long ago. Then we can think about maybe having a chance in Euro 2012.
We spent ages yesterday looking for a pup showing the Wales v Scotland match. Now, I almost wish I hadn’t bothered.
We were in Oxford for a concert. Having never been there before we had search out a pub showing the football. Easier said than done. With the England v Argentina rugby match being on at the same time and a local preference for rugby this was less than easy. Luckily we found the Eurobar, which was good enough to provide half the pub for football viewing. Result! 
Next, to enjoy a few beers and a fine Scotland performance?
No. Not quite. It was embarrassing! 3-0 down by the end of the fist half. Did we have any defence? Well, I never saw any effort to stop the Welsh goals. A shocking effort! The only consolation was that I never wasted money for a ticked or wasted time travelling to Cardiff. Not that it help make the result any easier to bear. Polite words fail me.
The SFA recently announced that Scotland will be travelling to Cardiff for a Wales v Scotland friendly on 14 November. And it looks like I won’t be going:(
I won’t be in Cardiff for two reasons. One, I have tickets to see The Airborne Toxic Event in Oxford. And two, I don’t have 4 away points. That’s right, the SFA are only offering tickets to anyone who has accumulated 4 points over the last 10 away matches.
4 away points! That’s a joke! How many fans have 4 away points? I have none. None at all. And as long as anyone in my position has no chance of even applying for an away ticket thousands of us are trapped in a zero-point rut. And it could easily be solved.
The SFA say that the points system is designed to reward the most loyal fans. Fine. I broadly agree with that. However, some means has to be available to provide opportunity to those who would loyally follow Scotland abroad if given the chance. Something like a point or half point for loyally attending home games? That’s not rocket science and I’m sure it would be difficult to administer. So, SFA, how about it??
Meanwhile, I need to find a Scottish or Welsh pub in Oxford that will be showing the game. Anyone have any suggestions?
I almost wish I’d stayed in bed. Getting up on a Saturday morning to see Scotland lose 2-0 is not my idea of time well spent. And to have opened the scoring (for Japan!!) is even worse. An excuse is that we were missing a number of our best players. True enough. But Japan were not exactly fielding their best squad.
The game seemed to really drag. As for the Scotland squad, the did try, but they didn’t merit Burley saying that ”they were excellent”. Not one shot at goal (the Japan goal!!) and, as a result, nothing to show for it. Then the own-goal. Well, you all saw it. I was just glad when it all ended.
It happened again. Scotland are out of the World Cup.
We made our way to The Three Kings in West Kensington. The pub was absolutely heaving with fellow Scots looking to see our team secure a chance of qualification. And we all know how it ended – typically!
Scotland played their socks off. The scoreline didn’t do them justice, but it was too little too late. Had the y payed that well against Norway at Hampden, or even in Oslo, we’d have had at least a couple more points. But no, again it was a last match scramble that went the wrong way.
Scotland celebrate taking the lead against Macedonia
Scott Brown and James McFadden have helped keep Scotland’s World Cup qualification hopes alive. With two second half goals they have kept Scotland in sight of next year’s World Cup finals.
By a strange twist of fate I watched the match in a pub in Knebworth. There was some other nonsense on TV elsewhere in the pub, but it seemed that football was being given precedence over anything else and, as it should be, that meant the Scotland game was being shown on the big screen.
I was the only Scot there, but it seems a few local Englanders were also interested. It turned out they had bet money on the outcome. Most had bet on a draw. Normally that would annoy me but after Norway’s first win in the competition I can’t say I blame them for doubting a Scottish win. A few others had more faith in the home team. Anyhoo, to cut a long story short, I am happy to say those betting against recent form ended the day richer.
Next match, am off to Rob Roy’s in Paddington. Another 2-0 result will do just fine:)
