SFAmustthink outsidethebox forsuccessor

IF GORDON Strachan does leave his post as Scotland manager, then the SFA should keep an open mind about his successor.

I’ve heard the question asked of who could do a better job, but there are literally hundreds of alternatives out there, really talented coaches, if we would only look outside our borders.

We really limit ourselves in Scotland with an insistence on having a Scottish coach in charge of the national side, all because of one bad experience with Berti Vogts, a German who had never managed outside of his own country.

The last few Scotsmen have hardly been a roaring success, so by the same logic, would you discount ever going again with one?

Of course not, and the same should apply to considering a foreign coach to succeed Gordon Strachan.

It would be an indictment on our players to say they couldn’t work with a foreign coach. Very few probably work under a Scottish manager as it is, and there wouldn’t be any harm in someone coming in with a fresh pair of eyes.

It is incumbent on the SFA to look for the best possible candidate, no matter where they come from.

If it is a Scot, fine, but that shouldn’t be part of the qualifying criteria. Just as not coming from Scotland shouldn’t exclude a candidate from being considered on their coaching merits for the post.