STRACHAN AT 60 Scotland boss calls for Brave souls to save our game
SCOTLAND BOSS BELIEVES THE SFA PROJECT IS KEY TO FUTURE OF HIS TEAM
GORDON STRACHAN today told Scotland’s leading clubs they must back the recommendations contained i n Project Brave to reverse the decline of the national game.
Strachan helped Brian McClair to come up with a series of proposed changes to the SFA Performance Strategy during his former Manchester United team mate’s brief spell as performance director.
McClair stood down last year, just 13 months after being appointed, after apparently growing frustrated at the resistance to his far-reaching suggestions encountered in club boardrooms.
Malky Mackay, the former Cardiff City manager, took over as performance director in December and has met with member clubs in an attempt to push through the plans.
They include reducing the number of academies and players in the Club Academy Scotland system, re-introducing the reserve league and increasing the use of loans to lower league clubs.
Strachan, who turns 60 today, believes it will be hugely positive for Scottish football if they embrace the changes.
“Malky’s thrown himself into it, but he needs backing,” he said. “At the SFA we can only advise – it’s down to the big clubs how they go about it.
“People think the SFA can change it – but it’s tough. If you get five or six ideas and two or three get through that’s doing well.”
Strachan, whose Scotland team take on Slovenia in a crucial Russia 2018 qualifier at Hampden next month, pledged to continue to help in any way he could.
And the former Celtic manager revealed that legendary Rangers manager Walter Smith had offered his services as well.
“I’m there to help him in any way and I spoke to Walter [Smith] and he’s willing to help too,” he said.
“I love being in the game and the job I do now is fantastic. My big thing is trying to make young players better.
“I want to push sport to make Scotland a better place to live and for kids to grow up in. I can do that alongside coaching.
“It’s like playing. Why did I play until I was 40? It was because I was fit. When people packed it in at 34 I could carry on and use my knowledge.
“At 60 I hope I can carry on coaching, helping players, coaches whatever it may be.”
Meanwhile, Strachan has spoken of his infamous bustup with his former Aberdeen and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and admitted he is relieved they have patched up their differences.
THE two fell out when Ferguson criticised his former player in his first autobiography, but are now on friendly terms. “I could spend my life talking about Alex Ferguson and Jock Stein to a lesser extent,” he said. “To have that knowledge of what went on with Alex Ferguson is incredible. You just think ‘we were the only ones involved in that’. That whole Aberdeen thing was immense. “There were only about 20 of us that worked under Alex at Aberdeen when he turned into that great manager. It was a wonderful, wonderful dressing room to be in. The raw energy in there was amazing. How many people in the world can say they were involved in that? It got a bit tense at times! But it never harmed anybody.
“It is a bit like brothers who fell out of love with each other and got back together again. I think I spoke to him last Friday. It’s like most things in life, when you don’t speak, it festers, but once you speak it gets sorted. Not just with Sir Alex, with anybody. We spoke, yeah, and we are fine now.
“It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t a big thing. I’m quite happy floating along. I don’t bear grudges. None of you would be in here today if I did! If people are honest and truthful then I’m fine. It can happen.
“But the best thing in life is to speak about it. Going back to Fergie, I think he fell out with everybody. You ask Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, they’ve all been there. There is a whole line of them. I was just one of the first. I was one of the pioneers!”