Staggies readyto startstar kidsnow
SCOTLAND will face a security nightmare in Hungary this month with Tartan Army fans set to buy tickets for the home end.
More than 2500 Scots will travel to the Budapest friendly on March 27 but the SFA only got 1050 tickets and were refused more.
“When he started at Chelsea I was at Derby and I met him at a reserve game – in the hamburger queue.
“I was watching the game with the Derby reserve team and I said to him, ‘Don’t you think you can come to England and beat Alex Ferguson.’ Mourinho replied, ‘No chance, it’s not him or the Scottish I want to beat – it’s the English!’
“If the boy had said to Mourinho, ‘Scotland or England?’ I think Mourinho would have steered him down the Scotland route as he is so well disposed to Scotland. I believe Mourinho would also be supportive of him playing for Scotland.
“It’s a massive coup for Alex to land McTominay for Scotland. Pipping England to get a player is just like beating them in a game.”
Brown reckons McLeish’s first move in his second stint as Scotland boss will go a long way to persuading the doubters he is still fiercely patriotic.
Some Tartan Army members have yet to forgive McLeish for walking out on the Scotland job in 2007 to become the manager of Birmingham.
Brown said: “It wasn’t a great way for Alex to leave the first time round but how many people wouldn’t go to the Premier League in England for double the salary or more?
“Alex is back to where he wants to be and has unfinished business with Scotland.
“I sat beside him at the Aberdeen v Celtic game at Pittodrie recently and he is as enthusiastic as ever about the Scotland job. I don’t STEVIE FERGUSON is not afraid to throw Ross County’s talented kids into a Premiership survival scrap.
Youth academy chief Ferguson has teamed up with Under-20s gaffer Stuart Kettlewell to try to save the Staggies from relegation.
Kettlewell’s side won the Development League title and some of the starlets could now play for the County first team.
Fergie said: “We’ve made our intentions clear over the first few days with the integration of some of the young boys into first-team training. We’ve brought in some who deserve to train in that environment.
“We’ve been really encouraged by how they’ve handled it and looked to push their way into our thinking.
“You would be better asking the players if there has been a reaction from the squad. Certainly we feel we’ve prepared thoroughly for training and delivered it the way we think it should be done.
“Without a doubt the players grasp the seriousness of our situation. We’ve got a good, talented group
“We thoroughly believe we’ve got enough in the dressing room to get us out of the situation.”
County’s loan midfielder Greg Tansey is set for another spell on the sidelines after undergoing a third hernia-groin operation this season. The 29-year-old has played just 13 games for parent club Aberdeen and County all campaign.